Healthy Lunch Options
Not carrying Lunch can be bad if you are watching your calories, since it leads to over or under consumption of calories from the food you buy and eat. Skipping lunch casuses havoc on metabolism and body overall. Just like breakfast, lunch is also an important meal of the day, which is why you should choose the right whole foods to eat at lunch. Eating unhealthy foods at lunch, it affects your blood sugar and hormones. Here are some tried lunchbox diet ideas to fuel your day.
1. Healthy carb-packed lunch: When it comes to weight loss, most people avoid eating foods high in carbs. Just like any other nutrient, we need carbs to stay healthy. They key is to choose healthy carbs like quinoa, sprouted grain bread and sweet potatoes. These are complex carbohydrates and digest slowly, giving satiety for longer hours. Baked or grilled sweet potato, l chicken or salmon with leafy greens make fantastic lunch that helps you lose weight and feel energized at the same time. Stay away from processed breads that are loaded with sodium and additives that you want to avoid by all means.
2. Nutrient dense Lunch: Oatmeal is an affordable and nutrient-dense meal to enjoy at lunchtime. Oats contain high amounts of vitamins and minerals, such as manganese, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, Vitamin B1, selenium and zinc. Moreover, oatmeal is an excellent source of protein, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber. Oatmeal has also been shown to aid weight loss and can reduce bloating.
3. High protein-packed lunch: Put protein-packed foods into your lunchbox to boost your energy levels and feel full on fewer calories. Protein is a crucial nutrient found in beans, nuts, salmon, tuna, tofu, lean turkey, lean chicken, and eggs. Protein helps to speed up your metabolism, increase your brain power, keep your blood sugar under control, and boost your energy levels. Make sure your lunch contains no more than 18-25 grams of protein.
4. Squeeze in healthy fats: Going fat free at lunch is a bad idea. Healthy fats help to fight stress, control blood sugar, burn fat, increase your energy and enhance your brain health. Some of the best sources of healthy foods are hemp and olive oils, trout, salmon , avocados, nuts and nut butters. When eaten in moderation, healthy fats can do miracles to your body.
5. Pack a huge salad: Nothing can fuel your day better than a huge healthy salad. Combine leafy greens like spinach, kale, with your favorite vegetables like cucumber, grape tomatoes, carrots and zucchini for a tasty lunch. You can also add some celery slices, hard-boiled eggs, and nuts. If you can€™t eat your salad without dressing, opt for fat- and calorie-free salad dressings such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Avoid using salt, mayo and vegetable oil €“ these are unhealthy ingredients that contribute to weight gain and lead to increased bad cholesterol.
While the above article guides you to eating healthier, there is no substitute for customized professional advice given by a qualified nutritionist in Ahmedabad. We urge you to speak to your personal dietician or if you need help, contact a nutritionist at Qua Nutrition.
You can contact us at +91-9743430000 or log on to QUA Nutrition to Book An Appointment.