Use these tips and ideas for preparing a tasty and healthy packed lunch for work.
Some mornings it’s a success just to get everyone fed and out the door on time, never mind planning a lunch for yourself. But, as much as we’d love to grab salads out at nice lunch spots every day, sometimes the budget calls for a packed lunch.
So, what’s the key to packing a healthy lunch for work? Make sure you’re hitting the recommended food groups, and keep it fun and tasty. And most importantly, switch it up. Don’t get bored by the same lunch recipe day after day.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans advises consuming at least half of your daily grains as whole grains.
Switch it up: Consider whole-wheat pasta, bread or pitas as alternatives for your whole-grain intake.
The Dietary Guidelines also suggest choosing a variety of protein foods: seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products and unsalted nuts and seeds.
Switch it up: For a healthy side, pack boiled eggs, a chickpea salad or almonds.
Evidence indicates that consuming at least 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and fruits per day is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke.
Switch it up: Make fruit kabobs with in-season items; pack no-sugar-added fruit leathers (find a recipe here); or prepare roasted vegetables with dinner and bring the leftovers for a lunch side.
