Column 6, April 2008

Back-to-work nutrition - Part 3 – Lunches

In the past two articles we’ve looked at breakfasts and snacks to fit in with our busy lifestyles of exercise, work, family etc. So natural progression would suggest I touch on lunch ideas for the hectic, but health conscious lives we lead.

Keeping to a healthy diet largely has to do with good organisation. Having a range of suitable foods on hand, or getting to know the healthy options in your local food outlets goes a long way to helping you achieve your nutrition goals.

You will also need to consider the facilities available to you at work – fridges, microwave, sandwich press… as this will also influence your choices, and what you can store at work. Soft chilly bags are also handy for keeping homemade lunches fresh and safe.

Try and stockpile foods with a long shelf life at work, and bring along fresh ingredients like fruit, vegetables and lean fresh cooked meats at the beginning of each week. Ideally you should think of your lunch as a mix of wholegrain carbohydrate and lean protein foods, with a touch of healthy fat, and where possible, a generous serving of low carbohydrate vegetables for a vitamin/mineral/fibre boost that fills you up.

For example, mix and match one from each of the steps below;

Step 1 - Carbohydrates

Options with a long shelf-life:

Wholegrain corn thins
Ready-to-serve microwavable pasta pouches (eg Watties-look for the Heart Foundation Tick
Small tin of spaghetti/creamed corn
Small tin of baked beans/lentils/chilli beans/chickpeas (these options also contain some protein)
Brown/basmati 90 sec rice pouches (eg Sun Rice)
Wholemeal pita bread (keeps well frozen)

Options with a shorter shelf-life:

Wholegrain/rye bread/tortillas/wholemeal bagels
Microwaved kumara (a sustaining low Glycaemic Index alternative to potatoes)
Pumpernickel (dense German rye bread)
Low fat hummus (<5% fat)
Fruit

Step 2 – Protein foods

Options with a long shelf-life:

Tinned tuna & salmon (if in oil, try not to add extra fat to the meal)
Tinned chicken (sounds awful, but Chop Chop is tasty, lean, pure chicken breast with no additives. Very convenient)

Options requiring refrigeration:

Leftover lean meats from dinner
Lean deli meats - < 5-10% fat
Marinated mussels
Reduced fat cheese – eg Feta, weight watchers , (contain about 4-7g fat/30g portion)
Pre-cooked skinless chicken (see Tegals new deli fresh range)
Low fat yoghurt/ricotta/cottage cheese/milk
Boiled eggs

Step 3 - Healthy Fats

¼ Avocado
Spread of peanut butter or handful of nuts
Pesto
Extra virgin olive oil spread on bread
Low saturated fat dressings (eg made with olive or peanut oil)

Step 4 – Very low calorie, nutrient rich vegetables fruit

Tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, celery, cucumber...
Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage...
Feijoas, passionfruit, rock melon, strawberries (1/2 cup)

Optional extras - low calorie/low salt flavourings

Add as desired
Balsamic, sushi vinegar, malt vinegar
Herbs and spices – dried or fresh
Pepper, wholegrain mustard
Tomato sauce

A few lunch suggestions

Wholemeal pita filled with lean deli chicken, salad, spread of pesto
Microwaved kumara stuffed with tinned chilli beans and reduced fat cheese with a large plate of salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar
Pasta pouch microwaved with a small tin of Tuna Lite . Followed by ½ cup feijoas topped with a handful of chopped nuts
2 thick slices of grainy bread with lean ham, mustard, aioli and salad plus fruit
Pre-prepared soups eg seafood chowder (with <5% fat). Add drained/chopped marinated mussels, and low fat crackers spread thinly with avocado. Follow with a simple salad and fat free dressing
Toasted tortilla wrap. Stuff with tomato, baby spinach, feta, capsicum & pesto, wrap and cook in sandwich press

Healthy bought lunch ideas

Sushi – try for a 6 pack max, and add fruit or salad. Don’t be fooled that it’s healthy if there’s deep fried goodies and Japanese mayo on top eg prawn tempura or deep fried oyster...
Subway 6” followed by fruit or yoghurt (check nutritional information in store)
Wholegrain sandwiches/tortilla wraps/bagels prepared without butter, using lean meats, salad, avocado, aioli, pesto...
Wendys baked potato & chilli (hold the sour cream and butter)
McD’s deli choice tandoori roll
BK grilled chicken burger

A final tip

Try to get away from your work to eat lunch, rather than eat at your desk, or while reading e-mails, the paper… Take a break, even if it’s only 15mins, to enjoy each mouthful of your lunch.

You are less likely to “feel like you need something else” after what should have been a satisfying meal.

Have a great month of healthy eating and exercise.

Marnie Oberer