Healthy Lunches

When I discuss healthier eating with most clients, the most difficult meal to control seems to be lunch. Most people work in an office environment and have little variety to choose from. Either you are on the road and in a hurry, or you are stuck in the office with an hour at most to run out and pick something up. So here are some ideas for lunches that can be made at home easily, or can be purchased at most local lunch stops.

If you are out, make nutritious choices. Choose carbohydrates that are minimally processed. This means staying away from refined sugars such as chips, candy, soda, and even white bread and rolls. Instead, choose whole wheat bread or wraps, whole-wheat crackers, or whole-wheat pasta and brown rice. Also, stay away from fries. Choose proteins that are lean such as chicken, fish, turkey, or leaner deli meats such as the Healthy Choice selections. Also, when you are going to eat dairy, look for the low fat or fat free options. Dairy is the one product that doesn’t add sugars to the lower fat options. This includes skim milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, and cheese among other options. Any vegetable or fruit is a welcome addition to lunch. The natural sugars will help you with that needed mid-afternoon boost.

Lunch Ideas:

• Spinach and lettuce salad with carrots and other vegetables. Choose a low-fat vinaigrette dressing, a scoop of low fat cottage cheese, and maybe a whole-grain roll. This can be easily made at home out of a ready made salad pack.
• Chicken or chili beans, diced onions, tomatoes, and shredded low fat cheese in a whole wheat tortilla (they have great low carb tortillas at Trader Joe’s.) Warm in microwave or toaster oven for a healthy burrito. Eat with a side of low fat yogurt. I prefer Stoneyfield Farms fat-free yogurt.
• Tuna (made with mustard or very little fat free mayo) wrapped in a whole-wheat tortilla with lettuce and tomatoes, and fat free cheese. Add tomatoes just prior to eating to avoid a soggy sandwich.
• Grilled chicken sandwich or whole-wheat roll with lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard. Serve with a side of raw or steamed veggies.
• Turkey burger or lean cold cuts on whole wheat. Steamed or raw vegetables and fresh fruit. Add a low fat pudding cup as dessert.
• Try a Smart Ones lunch. I prefer the vegetarian pizza, but a few of the choices are good.

Snack Ideas:

• Microwave popcorn (one serving)
• Whole wheat bread with peanut butter
• Low-fat pudding
• Fat free yogurt
• Applesauce
• Canned fruit (in pear juice, not syrup) or any whole fruit
• Baby carrots or other vegetables (dipped in fat-free ranch dressing)
• Meal replacement bar (Luna or Clif bars are good choices)
• Fat free cottage cheese (some made with pineapple for sweetness)

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• Tip of the Month

  June 2010

  Abdominal Workouts: Frequency, Intensity, and Duration

  Over the past 15 years, there has been countless advice on how to “properly” train your abdominals, or core.  There isn’t a fitness magazine out there that doesn’t publish a different abdominal workout each and every issue.  Opinions and research may change over time, but there are a few things you should look at before you alter your workout with each Fitness Magazine you read!
  First of all, it is important to know what your overall fitness and health goal is before designing a strength program for any body part, especially the mid-section.  For overall fitness, it is smartest to treat your abdominal muscles as you would any other muscle group.  The tried and true guidelines for most exercise programs is to work specific muscles to fatigue within a 30-60 second set time limit (intensity and duration,) while giving the worked muscle group at least 24-48 hours of rest (frequency) before working it again.  The amount of sets you do in a given workout (frequency again) can vary from as little as 4 sets to up to 12 for the average workout.  The science behind these theories is sound.  While exercising, pushing your body significantly past the 60 second mark without fatigue generally incorporates aerobic energy, thereby not stressing the muscles most efficiently.  And rest is necessary so that your body can properly rebuild the muscle fibers that you have broken down.  Additionally, you want to be at 100% energy levels for your next workout!

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• Recipe of the Month

  June 2010

  Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

  This healthy update of a traditionally rich ham-and-cheese breakfast strata is made lighter primarily by losing a few egg yolks and using nonfat milk. Gruyère cheese has a delicious, nutty aroma and flavor, which means that with the relatively small amount in this recipe you still get a big impact. To finish the makeover use nutritious, fiber-rich, whole-grain bread instead of white. The results: plenty of flavor, half the calories and one-third the fat of the original.

  4 large eggs
  4 large egg whites
  1 cup nonfat milk
  2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  5 cups chopped spinach, wilted (see Tip)
  4 cups whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 pound, 4-6 slices)
  1 cup diced ham steak, (5 ounces)
  1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
  3/4 cup shredded Gruyère, or Swiss cheese
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