Following your eating plan can feel easy when you’re hanging out around the house. But when you head out to the office, temptation is everywhere. From the vending machines in the break room to the fast food restaurants down the street, it seems junk food is calling to you at lunch time. The solution is to pack your own lunch and stick to it.
Not only will you support your weight loss plan; you can save a lot of money by ditching restaurant meals! So, how do you do it? Just follow these five simple steps to planning healthy, delicious lunches.
Stock up on supplies. Presentation is important to feeling satisfied with your meals. Go shopping for colorful bento boxes, convenient salad containers, a water bottle, cooler packs, and travel silverware. When you have the right supplies, packing lunch is so much easier.
Hit up the farmers market. By focusing on seasonal fruits and veggies available in your area, you can enjoy more fresh and delicious produce. Your meals will be more satisfying than those stale, pre-packaged options from the grocery store.
Make it colorful. Include fruits and veggies in a variety of colors. The visual stimulation helps you to feel more satisfied with your meal, and you’ll consume a wider variety of beneficial nutrients, too.
Think about texture. Often we tend to focus on taste, but what textures do you prefer? Texture is a big part of our overall feelings of happiness with our meals. So if you love cool and creamy textures, include a yogurt cup in your lunch. If you enjoy salty, crunchy textures, toss in a handful of sunflower seeds or nuts.
Choose the correct mix of nutrients. Focus on protein, to ward off the mid-afternoon munchies. Pair it with complex carbs for energy, and a bit of healthy fats for flavor. A mix of nutrients supports your body’s needs and also helps you to feel full.
And of course, give us a call. Let’s schedule an appointment to discuss your weight loss plan in more detail, and we can help you design meals that will help you succeed.
