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January 2009 Blogs
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- New Year's Resolutions
LUNCH What are YOU eating everyday?
HEALTH, January 2009, by Dr. Jay
LUNCH
What are YOU eating every day?
Easy AND yummy... but how?
Hey girls, I have a question for you …how many of you out there struggle with what you should have for lunch every day? We did a poll on our web site and apparently it’s a lot of you! You want something healthy, but it has to be easy, fast and good. That’s not so easy huh?
First of all, having a healthy nutritious lunch starts with some planning and organization. Jenny McKee’s Organization articles can help you in that department! A great start is to let your parents know at the beginning of the week what kinds of things you’ll need (so the fridge can be stocked) so you can ‘plan’ your week’s lunches ahead of time. It’ll make life easier on the mornings you’re in a hurry (if you make your own lunches). And if you don’t make your own lunches, it will guarantee you get something you’ll actually want to eat!
A great trick is to make up five yummy lunches on Sunday afternoon or evening, then pack them in the fridge (or freezer depending what it is) so you can just grab it in the morning each day before you leave.
Balance the good stuff!
Let’s talk about some important things we want in our lunches. In some of my past articles we’ve talked about the pros and cons of protein and healthy carbs like vegetables. It’s important to have a balance of those in every lunch. For example: chicken with chopped up veggies and some rice; a burger or sandwich with lettuce, tomato and cucumber; a piece of beef or pork with hot veggie soup and an apple; or maybe chili with a piece of garlic bread and salad. The cool thing here is you can claim some leftovers from your favourite family meals to take to school! You might even want to ask your parents to purposely make a bit extra each night so that there will be leftovers for your lunch.
We all get tired of sandwiches day after day so leftovers can be a great alternative. If you don’t have a way to heat up your lunch at school, try eating it cold. A lot of food is good like that and hey, your sandwich would be cold anyway.
How ‘bout that meat?
Speaking of sandwiches...they are still the easiest lunch to make – just be sure that you’re still balancing between the protein and good carbs. Too much bread is really not healthy for you and whenever you get the chance, look for sprouted grain breads or at the least, whole wheat. Don’t add lots of calories with mayonnaise or sauces. Try mustard or spices!
You’ve probably heard that there’s been a lot of fear around processed meats lately. The truth is, ‘processed’ meats are not really all that healthy for you so if you’ve cut it out you may just want to keep it that way. Many processed meats (ham, bologna, pastrami, etc.) are full of excess salts, smoke and other preservatives. It’s best to use unprocessed meat cooked from fresh - like chicken breasts, turkey or roast beef. If you must use deli meats, try to get the ones with no dangerous nitrites. Remember to include some raw veggies or a salad with your sandwich to get your greens!
At the ‘Caf’...
One last note on lunch... if you’re eating at a cafeteria at school try to find out the quality of the foods they serve. Greasy burgers, fries with gravy, breaded chicken fingers or cream soups are not super-healthy choices. Once in awhile is okay (balance is key!), but try to stay away from deep fried or vending machines. They are rarely a healthy choice. Okay, gotta go have my lunch now!
- Dr. Jay