Quick Fix - What's for lunch?
What does lunch time mean to you?
Is it a quick nip to the nearest shop to grab a bite on the go?
A rush to the office canteen for whatever you can lay your hands on?
Or perhaps you throw yourself a sandwich together in an attempt to eat more healthily.
Lunch for me is usually at home and I often plod to the fridge and realise in horror that there is nothing in it! Time to get more organised, here are some tips to get you (and me) eating the right things for lunch…
Lunch can be one of the worst times for many of us to eat cleanly, its laden with temptation, the office meeting buffet or the sandwich when you are running about with the kids…. so what should we be eating for lunch and how can we make sure we are organised enough to get it?
Take a Break!
Even if you find you have to eat your lunch at your desk, try to at least stop for the time it takes you to eat it. Eat as slowly as you can and concentrate on your food. This will allow it to be fully digested and less likely to cause indigestion.
Where is the protein?
Always check that you are you about to eat a palm-sized serving of protein dense food. This will help keep your sugar levels constant so your not snacking within the hour.
Where are the veggies?
Are you about to eat a large portion of vegetables? They can be prepared any way you like. One serving is about a fist sized portion and you should try to eat a few portions per meal.
Where are the carbs?
Make sure your carbohydrate choice is from natural unrefined source like rice or vegetables.
Where are the fats coming from?
You need some fats from various foods, prioritise whole foods sources like eggs, meats, fish, olives, nuts and seeds.
Take all of these points on board and you will have a healthy nutritious lunch that will keep you going until dinner!
My favourite lunches can be quick or prepared ahead of time, here are some ideas.
Eggs – So versatile I love them!
Most days eggs appear in my lunch in one form or another. Boiled egg salads can be prepared ahead of time and a big favourite is a simple frittata:
Frittata Muffins
Make up the omelette mixture and whisk with some defrosted frozen chopped spinach.
Grease a muffin tin and pour the mixture over any other choice of vegetables.
Bake in the oven until golden brown.
They keep in the fridge or you can freeze a whole batch for the week.
Whip out at lunch time with a salad and hey presto easy lunch!
Soup – Too easy!
The easiest soup recipes are made with just a few of your favourite ingredients.
For me if its simple enough I will cook up a batch of soup at the weekend and use the leftovers for lunch.
Try this:
Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup
Peel and chop two carrots and two large sweet potatoes.
Fry some chopped onion in butter and crumble in a stock cube.
Add about 100g of split red lentils and coat in the onions and stock.
Add the sweet potato, carrot and some seasoning, cover with water then boil until the soup is soft enough to blend.
Delicious served with the frittata muffins above.
If you are out and about try to choose a option that has only a few ingredients. Sushi can be a better choice than a sandwich if made with wholegrain rice and salads are always good if they include protein like chicken. Or go for some oat or rice cakes and nut butter with your salad.
Let me know on our Facebook group what you think of the recipes and share your favourite quick lunches.
Right I am off to the shops to prepare for some batch cooking!
Kirsty xx
p.s. have you guessed next week is dinner? Share your favourite recipes with me and I may include them in the blog.....
