Workday lunches can be challenging. With back-to-back meetings and deadlines looming, eating a healthy lunch can seem impossible. Many people tell me they often skip lunch because they don’t have time to prepare something during the workday.
Skipping lunch can lead to poor focus, irritability, ordering out more often, and overeating later in the day or evening. It can also lead to grazing, which is a form of mindless eating that increases the chances of overeating and making poorer food choices.
It is not impossible to prep a healthy, balanced workday lunch; here are some tried-and-true tips to help:
Make sure your meal has 3 basic components:
Protein.
Protein is an important nutrient that can help get you full and keep you full. It helps level your blood sugar so you can stay focused. Choose mainly lean proteins such as skinless poultry, fish, seafood, reduced- or nonfat dairy, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, edamame, lean meat, protein shakes, and powders.
Fiber.
Fiber is found in all plant foods and is also important in helping people get full and stay full. It can aid in keeping your energy levels consistent throughout the day. I usually suggest adding non-starchy vegetables to a meal—such as leafy greens or salads, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers (hot or sweet), broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, and zucchini. Vegetables can be cooked, raw, or a combination of both. Other great sources of fiber include beans, lentils, chickpeas, edamame, quinoa, nuts, and seeds.
A healthy carbohydrate.
To balance out your meal, include whole-grain bread, fresh fruit, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, barley, farro, oats, corn, wild rice, or potatoes. These options increase the nutritional quality of your diet and provide additional fiber and protein.
Putting these components together.
Quick, easy ways to get all these key foods in at a meal would be to:
Make a pot of soup, stew, or chili on a day off.
These foods are usually made in large batches, leaving more than enough for multiple meals. They typically include all three basic components. Stews often have some type of meat or poultry with vegetables and potatoes. Soups like classic chicken noodle soup have chicken, vegetables, and noodles. Chili can have meat and/or beans with vegetables. Some chili recipes add sweet potato, quinoa, or other hearty ingredients. Add a quick side of fresh fruit, a slice of whole-grain bread, or a side salad. These meals just require a quick reheat and you’re ready to eat a healthy lunch.
Repurpose leftovers.
Take a reusable container and, when you’re cleaning up after dinner, make a meal from the leftovers that you can eat for lunch the next day. You can also purchase salad kits or pre-washed greens and add leftover protein (meat, chicken, fish) for a healthy next-day salad.
Make a quick bento-style lunch box.
A bento box has specific compartments for your protein, vegetables, starch, etc. You can make a quick bento-style lunch using leftover protein from dinner; sliced hard-boiled eggs; rolled-up deli turkey or chicken breast; hummus; Greek yogurt; or cheese slices or cubes. Add quick-prep raw veggies (baby carrots, cherry or grape tomatoes, pepper strips, snap peas, cucumber slices), a few tablespoons of yogurt dressing or dip, and finish with nuts, seeds, or whole-grain crackers. Bento box meals are great for busy days and easy to eat while you work.
Keep Your Kitchen Stocked
Stocking up on some essential foods can help make workday lunches easy to prep. Here are some items to keep on hand:
- Cans of beans, chickpeas, and lentils
- Rotisserie chicken (remove the skin)
- Shelf-stable or frozen rice, quinoa, or other grain blends
- Salad kits and pre-washed greens
- Cheese cubes, sticks, or slices
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Baby carrots, cherry or grape tomatoes, mini cucumbers, lunchbox peppers, snap peas
- Pre-cut vegetable trays
- Fresh fruit (wash or peel and eat)
- Frozen unsweetened fruit (no added sugar)
- Canned chicken, turkey, tuna, or salmon; tuna/salmon pouches
- Cans of diced tomatoes (for soups, stews, and chilis)
- Deli slices (roasted chicken or turkey breast)
- Pickles, olives
- Greek yogurt
- Cottage cheese
- Frozen, steamable edamame
- Protein shakes and powders
Use the above list as a shopping list. When you have minimal-prep foods on hand, making a quick, healthy workday lunch becomes much easier, like preparing the chili recipe below on a day off and enjoying it on a busy workday.
White Bean Chicken Chili (from tasteofhome.com)
Total Time: Prep: 25 min. Cook: 3 hours
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/4-inch pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, divided
- 2-1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
- 1-1/2 cups shredded low fat cheddar cheese (as the topping)
- Optional toppings: Sliced avocado, quartered cherry tomatoes and chopped cilantro
Directions
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat; sauté chicken until browned. Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat; sauté onion until tender. Add jalapeno, garlic, oregano and cumin; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add to the slow cooker.
- In a bowl, mash 1 cup beans; stir in 1/2 cup broth. Stir bean mixture and the remaining whole beans and broth into chicken mixture.
- Cook, covered, on low until chicken is tender, 3-3-1/2 hours. Stir before serving. Sprinkle with cheese; add toppings if desired.