Avoid the Cook
If you don't want to worry about cooking your lunchtime meals you can still choose plenty of healthy choices. For example, salads are a great lunchtime meal, because they are filling: they are full of complex carbohydrates and fiber and they don't require anything but being tossed together. If you are out and about and you are in a hurry, you can usually find a salad bar at your local grocery store. Even fast food restaurants are now carrying salads for those who want a healthier choice.
Another option is a lunch meat sandwich. To make this a super healthy lunch, use whole grain wheat bread (the kind where you can actually see the grains in the bread, not the cheap sandwich stuff) and mustard instead of mayo. You should also choose low fat lunch meats like turkey or ham that have been sliced lean. You can find low fat deli meats in your grocery store, or you can ask for the leaner cuts from the deli.
The important thing to remember with salads and sandwiches is that it is not the meal itself that is generally unhealthy, but what you put on it. Choose low fat condiments and don't overload salads with fatty meats or dressings. If you avoid these things, your lunch will be a quick and healthy one.
Fast Food Madness
It is madness to eat at a fast food restaurant. One meal generally has all the calories you should have in the entire day, and more fat than you should have in several days. However, there are some healthy choices for you if you special order your food. For example, most fast food joints now allow you to substitute a side salad for the fries. You can also order your chicken grilled instead of fried, and order it without anything on it. This way you end up with just a piece of grilled chicken and a salad for your lunch, which is very healthy indeed.
Also, when you are hitting the buffets, go for the leaner meats that are grilled or broiled rather than fried and breaded. You should also choose veggies that do not appear to be drenched in butter. If you have to, special order your vegetables so that you can get them without the extra fat. You can also often special order your meat this way to get it lean.
If you don't want to worry about cooking your lunchtime meals you can still choose plenty of healthy choices. For example, salads are a great lunchtime meal, because they are filling: they are full of complex carbohydrates and fiber and they don't require anything but being tossed together. If you are out and about and you are in a hurry, you can usually find a salad bar at your local grocery store. Even fast food restaurants are now carrying salads for those who want a healthier choice.
Another option is a lunch meat sandwich. To make this a super healthy lunch, use whole grain wheat bread (the kind where you can actually see the grains in the bread, not the cheap sandwich stuff) and mustard instead of mayo. You should also choose low fat lunch meats like turkey or ham that have been sliced lean. You can find low fat deli meats in your grocery store, or you can ask for the leaner cuts from the deli.
The important thing to remember with salads and sandwiches is that it is not the meal itself that is generally unhealthy, but what you put on it. Choose low fat condiments and don't overload salads with fatty meats or dressings. If you avoid these things, your lunch will be a quick and healthy one.
Fast Food Madness
It is madness to eat at a fast food restaurant. One meal generally has all the calories you should have in the entire day, and more fat than you should have in several days. However, there are some healthy choices for you if you special order your food. For example, most fast food joints now allow you to substitute a side salad for the fries. You can also order your chicken grilled instead of fried, and order it without anything on it. This way you end up with just a piece of grilled chicken and a salad for your lunch, which is very healthy indeed.
Also, when you are hitting the buffets, go for the leaner meats that are grilled or broiled rather than fried and breaded. You should also choose veggies that do not appear to be drenched in butter. If you have to, special order your vegetables so that you can get them without the extra fat. You can also often special order your meat this way to get it lean.
Healthy Happy Kids
If you need healthy lunch ideas to get kids eating healthy, there is some hope for you yet. There are some great ways to get your kids to eat healthy foods for lunch. For example, you can make them "ants on a log," which is simply peanut butter on a celery stick topped with raisins. You can also swap out healthy lunch meats for bologna, and give them smoked sausages instead of hot dogs.
Any time you can make the meal seem fun you will get your children interested in eating healthy foods. Try letting them help make the fruit salad, or sing a Wiggles song about fruit salad while you fix up the plates. Use whatever works to get your children eating healthy foods for lunch instead of hot dogs and potato chips.
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