8 Lunchbox Diet Ideas to Fuel Your Day
If you are trying to eat healthy in order to drop those unwanted pounds, making smart choices at lunch is a must. When you don’t carry your lunch, you don’t know exactly how many calories you consume. When you skip your lunch, you wreck havoc on your metabolism and body overall. Just like breakfast, lunch is 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. Mood swings and mid-day slumps are the result of poor eating habits. Eating out is one of those habits. Not only is it bad for your waistline, it’s also bad for your wallet. Save your cash and calories by carrying your own healthy lunch. Here are some tried lunchbox diet ideas to fuel your day.
1 Healthy carb-packed lunch
When it comes to weight loss, most dieters avoid eating foods high in carbs. Just like any other nutrient, we need carbs to stay healthy. They key is to choose healthy carbs. Quinoa, sweet potatoes and sprouted grain bread are healthy sources of carbs that digest slowly, leaving you full and satisfied for longer. Baked or grilled sweet potato, lean 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 Green lunch
There are many benefits of consuming greens at lunch. Not only does it help you drop weight, it keeps your energy level up a notch and keeps your tummy healthy and happy. Plus, it helps to cleanse your system and stabilize your blood sugar. Be it a green smoothie, a green juice, or a green salad, enjoying a green lunch is one of the quickest ways to fuel your day and improve your overall health. If you go for a green salad, both fresh and steamed greens are smart choices.
3 Nutrient-dense lunch
Who said oatmeal is for breakfast only? 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. Whether you eat your oatmeal with fruits or vegetable salads, you supply your body with enough nutrients it needs to work properly. Oatmeal has also been shown to aid weight loss and can reduce bloating.
4 Lunchtime drinks
When it comes to lunchtime drinks, lemon water or green tea is a diet-friendly beverage that hydrates your body and boosts your immune system. Avoid drinking coffee, sugary drinks, energy drinks and black tea at lunchtime that alter your insulin, reduce your energy levels and wreck your diet. In fact, you can add any fruit or vegetable to your plain water to get a refreshing and energizing drink in no time.
5 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. High protein packed lunch will keep you alert and awake until dinnertime. Make sure your lunch contains no more than 18-25 grams of protein.
Read also – 8 Most Delicious Protein-Packed Snacks
6 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 (or any other fatty fish), avocados, nuts and nut butters. When eaten in moderation, healthy fats can do miracles to your body.
7 Pack a huge salad
Nothing can fuel your day better than a huge healthy salad. Combine leafy greens like spinach, kale, and romaine 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.
8 Sugar-free dessert
Finally, you may want to eat some dessert at lunchtime, but when you are on a diet your choice is limited, albeit it doesn’t mean you can’t tame your sweet tooth without sugar. When you crave something sweet, opt for sugar-free desserts, such as baked apples with nuts and dried fruit, baked pumpkin with a little bit of honey, banana ice-cream, sugar-free parfaits, a fruit salad topped with sugar- and fat- free yogurt, or sugar-free cookies. Make your own sugar-free desserts because there’s no guarantee that store-bought cookies contain no sugar.
Read also – 8 Most Delicious Low Calorie Foods
Whether you work from home or in the office, you should never skip your lunch as it won’t help you reach your weight loss goals faster. Skipping lunch is a quick way to ruin your diet and damage your health at the same time. Hopefully, these lunchbox diet ideas has helped you start eating healthily at lunchtime. Any other ideas to share?
