Check Your Health- Healthy Lunch Ideas
With kids back in school and work schedules back in full swing after summer, you might need some fresh ideas for packing sack lunches and how to make them healthy.
“Build a balanced lunch with protein, starches, fruits, and vegetables. Your meal doesn’t need to be perfect, keep it simple, said Kendal Bjella, a registered dietitian <a href="https://health.kporia.com/europe-acids-and-nutrients-in-animal-nutrition-market-2034/” title=”Europe Acids And Nutrients In Animal Nutrition Market, 2034″>nutritionist at Intermountain Health.
“Eating consistently throughout the day and not skipping meals helps you meet your nutrition needs and sets you up for good health. Choose a lunch meal that works for you and meets your nutrition needs,” she added.
Fresh ideas for packing sack lunches
- Make a wrap.Put a fresh twist on your sandwich – instead of using bread, make a wrap with a tortilla.
- Try different spreads.Try other nut butters, like almond butter, sunflower nut butter, cashew butter, or soy nut butter.
- Try something new like a wrap with hummus, feta cheese, sliced bell peppers, and fresh spinach leaves.
- Include some fresh vegetables and whole fruit.Pack a tasty veggie dip.
- Bring dinner leftovers for lunch.
- For tacos, use some cooked lentils with taco seasoning and swap cabbage slaw for the lettuce.
- Do breakfast for lunch.Make overnight oats with chia seeds and berries. Or make a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, potatoes, and salsa.
Be sure to pack perishable foods in an insulated bag with ice packs if refrigeration is not available.
If your workplace or school doesn’t have a fridge, pack non-perishable lunch options that don’t need refrigeration. Here are some healthy options.
- Single-serving easy-open cans or pouches of tuna or salmon
- Single serve peanut butter
- Trail mix
- Whole-grain crackers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Whole fresh fruits, dried fruit, or fruit canned in 100% fruit juice.
If you enjoy preparing meals ahead of time, also called meal prepping, experiment with different sauces or different types of vegetables to give variety to meals without increasing preparation time.
For more information about a consultation with a registered dietitian, visit the nutrition services page atintermountainhealth.org
