By: Bethany Barich (Follow on Instagram & Twitter)
Lunch, it is either a meal skipped, or a meal that’s quickly scarfed down. It’s sitting at the desk eating your microwave food, or it’s going out and grabbing a quick beer with a few coworkers. I’m not going to lie to you, the midday beer sounds amazing, but the rest sound a tad unhealthy.
The midday meal is just as important as breakfast, because it’s the meal that’ll keep you going for the rest of the day until it’s time to clock out. There’s a lot of ways to incorporate healthy habits into lunch – let’s take a look at a few!
Calorie Count
If you’re trying to lose weight, have a lunch that’s between 300-600 calories! Use some counting apps to help maintain your calories like MyFitness Pal. If you’re not sure the type of lunches that could work for this lifestyle, check out this article via POPSUGAR on some yummy lunches.
Prep
To help with maintaining your calories, pack up your lunch! It’ll help keep everything accurate, plus you’ll know exactly what’s going into your body – which isn’t always the case when eating out!
Nutrients
I can sit here and list off every nutrient you need on a daily basis, but I won’t. I will tell you that when packing your own lunch, make sure the ingredients you use, or the final product has a good source of protein and fiber. Fiber will help keep off other cravings throughout the day, and the protein will supply you with energy!
Time
It’s all about the timing when it comes to lunch. Let’s say you’ve eaten breakfast at 8AM, the best time for lunch would be around noon. Allow at least 3-4 hours in between all of your meals. If you’re someone who exercises in the middle of the day, then have your lunch prepped and ready for you upon your return.
Get Active
Seriously. Don’t allow yourself to be glued to your desk, or wherever you are. Have at least 15 minutes set aside to get up, even if it’s just walking. If you don’t think you’ll have time to be able to get up and walk, or go for a lite jog, or full out exercise, there are alternatives – yoga! There is such a thing as doing yoga at work, even better at the desk, check out a previous article from Skinny Teatox to see what you could try doing.
Fast Food
There’s literally only two words I can describe about fast food – avoid it. There are healthy options, though. If you’re lacking in the finances to be able to pack fresh food from home, check out this article, again from Skinny Teatox, about some of the healthier options fast food places supply.
Allow Dessert
Don’t be afraid to reward yourself. Ever. To have that sweet tooth craving satisfied (if you suffer from one), grab some dark chocolate or a healthy homemade treat. POPSUGAR has a great recipe for brownies that are only 60 calories per square!
