With so much to get done in the course of a day, sometimes it’s hard to find the time to fit it all in, especially when it comes to eating healthy foods.
The temptation exists to cut corners to create time, and all too often it’s the lunch hour that loses out. It’s almost too easy to grab a sandwich out of the vending machine or a slice of pizza from the food court in the basement of your office building; even a homemade lunch is usually a frozen meal zapped in the microwave.
In fact, it’s just as easy to have a quick lunch with a menu that’s as healthy as a new-aged California diet; all it takes is a little forethought and some creative preparation.
Double Your Supper Portions When Preparing Healthy Foods To Save Time
What better way to save time than to prepare one meal but eat it twice. If you’re like most people, you’re going to put a lot more thought into preparing a healthy, well-balanced dinner than into preparing a good lunch.
Even on a hectic work day you will try to make sure that your dinners have all the good and healthy foods like vegetables, grains and meats with a dose of dairy on the side.
Reheating these same healthy ingredients the next day is a simple way to ensure you’re eating healthy more than once a day.
Prepare Your Healthy Foods The Night Before
If you’re not into leftovers or there’s no microwave at work you will need to think of alternative healthy foods you can use for your lunches to prepare the night before.
You’re not going to have time to make an elaborate lunch as you rush out the door, and if you don’t get the job done the night before, you’ll find yourself reaching for the same frozen lunches or standing in line at the food court.
Take the time the night before to prepare a sandwich of unprocessed meat with cheese, lettuce and tomato (this is a healthily balanced meal all on its own). Make sure you have a selection of individual yogurt cups in the fridge to provide your daily dairy, and grabbing an apple or orange from the fruit basket can easily help round out your healthy choices.
Fruits and Veggies Are The Easiest Healthy Foods
Fruits and veggies are healthy foods which are the easiest way to make lunch time healthier. Taking a few pieces of fruit for lunch takes no more preparation than putting it in your lunch bag on the way out the door. Cut up a whole bunch of veggies at a time, storing them in a container of water in the refrigerator, taking a few each day for your lunch break.
If you find cutting vegetables too much work, most grocery stores sell packages of pre-cut veggies.
If you add it all up, you will probably spend less time preparing your healthy lunch than you will standing in line for a burger and fries at the food court. Planning your week’s lunches ahead of time, the same way you do your family dinners, will ensure that you get healthy food into your lunch box instead of the processed pre-made lunches.
Also, remember to take the time for your lunch, allowing your food to digest properly is as much a part of healthy eating as the foods you eat.
A trip to the food court every now and again is fine as a treat, but eating a healthy lunch full of healthy foods will help you to feel better about yourself, as well as help boost your afternoon productivity.
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