MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MID-DAY MUNCH!

Layover your Leftovers!
When preparing your healthy dinner in the evening time, why not prepare an extra chicken breast for lunch the next day? No need to have to fix a sandwich everyday if you’re preparing dinners in the evening.

Ditch the Diet, Emphasize the Energy!
Ever notice how when we place ourselves on a “diet” we instantly feel restricted? Instead, try eating for energy! Recognize that healthy foods are the fuel that will get you through your best days (and make your challenging days a little bit easier to get through). When your body is running on good fuel and energy, you’re more likely to feel better and to be more on top of your game.

Consider the Unconventional!
Your lunch each day does not need to include two buns and an all-beef pattie. There are many other options! Consider multi-grain bread or a wheat pita – tasty and nutritious. Then, if you do like the basic sandwich, consider different sandwich stuffers. Be creative to keep your lunches different and more enjoyable.

Great Greens!
Don’t forget you have another option – salad! Here is another place to be creative, both with the greens and the toppings. Then, select a low-fat dressing to top-off your masterpiece. The possibilities are endless!

Souperstars!
Have you noticed a theme here? Creativity! Enjoying a bowl of soup is another way that you can have a different mid-day meal every day of the week. The possibilities are endless. No worries if you do not have access to a microwave… simply invest in a thermos that will keep your soup hot throughout the day. Be a souperstar!

Brown Bag Bust!
The whole idea here is to be healthier, but while saving money, right? So, no need to waste money on bags that are thrown away. Instead, invest in a small cooler or thermal lined lunch bag and an ice pack

The Perfection of Packing!
At first glance, you may think that the drive-thru around the corner is easier than brown-bagging it. In fact, that is why eat out, right? Convenience? The reality is, though, that packing your lunch is easier and way more beneficial in the long run. It’s more cost-effective, you’ll eliminate unnecessary time in the car, and, most importantly, you’ll feel better! Plan your meals ahead, at the beginning of the week, and pack your lunch the night before. Think about it… taking 5 minutes in the evening to pack your lunch will save you a whole bunch.

Recruit the Ranks!
By now, you, of course, know the benefits of packing your lunch. Pass along this information to your colleagues! Think of how much easier this process will be if you have support in the office or from your loved ones at home. Encouraging and motivating each other will keep you going on the days where you consider lapsing. Then, before you know it, you will have developed a new habit that you won’t want to break.

Oh, the possibilities!
Now that you’ve made the pact to pack, you’ll find yourself with a longer lunch break than you’re used to (no need to sit through all those stop lights to get to that drive-thru that would provide that greasy, fat-filled food). Think of what you could get done! Catch up on some emails or phone calls. Read a book, walk around the parking lot, plan a date night for you and your loved-one, catch up with a co-worker. Need we say more?