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When you bring lunch to work, do your coworkers run away because of the smell? Or, do they wish they could steal your lunch? If you try these ideas, you’ll be the envy of the office. Plus, they’re nutritious and healthy!
Lunch doesn’t have to be boring, bland, expensive, or unhealthy junk food!
Try these healthy lunch ideas to spice things up:
Make an amazing sandwich with portobello mushrooms.
Add layers of mozzarella and cheddar cheese slices to the bread. Then, add your favorite meat and grilled portobello mushrooms.
- Consider adding vegetables such as romaine lettuce, spinach leaves, and tomatoes. Other delicious options include red or white onions, cucumbers, and pickles.
- Remember to pack your favorite condiments like ketchup, mayo, and mustard.
Create a lettuce-free salad.
Lettuce can wilt and get soggy by lunchtime, but this salad will hold up through your morning meetings and conference calls.
- Try a lettuce-free salad by cutting and mixing tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, dill, and corn.
- Another option is to make a lettuce-free salad with corn and beans. Mix corn kernels, kidney beans, lima beans, chopped bell peppers, olives, and tomatoes.
- Make your own salad dressing by using olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Make the perfect wrap for lunch.
Instead of buying a wrap from a taco stand or restaurant, make your own. You’ll be able to control the ingredients and make it healthier.
- Start with strong corn or flour tortillas that won’t fall apart or shred.
- Cover the tortillas with a layer of sour cream. This will help the ingredients stay in place.
- Add your favorite toppings such as shredded cheese, ground beef, onions, tomatoes, and shredded lettuce. Remember to roll the wrap tightly. Wrap it in foil to help it keep its shape.
- If you prefer a low-calorie version, then use lettuce wraps instead of tortillas. Simply wrap the ingredients in iceberg or romaine lettuce leaves.
Make a power bowl.
Power bowls combine multiple ingredients together into one easy to eat mix. They’re a good way to reuse leftovers, and they’re convenient for those who have to eat at work. You can make savory or sweet power bowls.
- The key to creating a successful power bowl is to ensure it has a variety of healthy carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
- Try the BBQ power bowl that combines chopped carrots, corn kernels, beans, meat, and bell peppers with rice and BBQ sauce. You can use brown or white rice for this recipe.
- Another option is to make a quinoa power bowl. The quinoa serves as the main carbohydrate. You can add protein by using meat or tofu. Then, add chopped celery, spinach leaves, and tomatoes. For a sweeter version of this recipe, replace the vegetables with dried cranberries and dried apple slices.
Create delicious miniature food cups.
One of the issues many people run into at work is they don’t have a lot of time to eat, and they often must multitask while having lunch. Miniature food cups make it easy to grab a quick meal.
- You can use foil or paper cupcake liners and fill them with your favorite ingredients.
- For example, one cup can have fruit such as grapes, sliced oranges, and apples.
Another cup can have nuts or seeds. A third cup can have cheese, meat, or vegetables.
Lunch can be fun and nutritious. Try these ideas, and your coworkers will want to share lunch with you.
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I really wanted to talk about this topic today because your natural health and wellness is important. You can adopt healthy lifestyle practices that improve your health, your environment, and enrich your life, which can in turn improve the lives of those close to you. You have the power to break the cycle of poor health, including chronic disease, so that you can leave a legacy of health to your loved ones.
I use functional medicine and lifestyle medicine as the first line of treatment, before medications, to treat lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Lifestyle-related chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and some cancers, just to name a few. Lifestyle practices, such as eating a whole-food plant-based diet and regular physical activity, can help you lose weight, reverse some chronic diseases (if you suffer from them), and can even help you with detoxification. In certain cases, these approaches may even outperform pharmaceutical therapy.
But I always tell my patients that conventional medications may be appropriate at this time to prevent catastrophic illness, but over time, you can work to make the necessary lifestyle changes to possibly reduce and/or eliminate medications. Please remember to always consult your physician for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any decisions whatsoever.
Is Dietary Supplementation Right For You?
For some people, vitamin and mineral supplements offer important health benefits. Supplements are designed to fight deficiencies found in our diet and complement the food we eat regularly. Supplements are basically “helping hands” to our daily food.
If you suspect that you aren’t getting the nutrients you need, consider shifting your focus from supplements to eating better.
But it is very important to note that we are not eating the same foods we ate years ago because the soils have been depleted of critical nutrients through current industrial farming practices. And because the soil is not as good as it used to be, the food supply (grown from the depleted soil) is not as good as it used to be. For example, you are not getting the same levels of magnesium as you would have gotten 30 or even 50 years ago.
Second, much of the food has been genetically altered, which can impact the inherent and unique nutritional composition that each food possess. For example, ancient einkorn wheat has less gluten, more protein, more Vitamin A, and more beta carotene, than modern genetically modified wheat.
Third, the toxic load in the environment today is much higher than 100 years ago. We can see this with global warming, toxic landfills, polluted oceans and waterways, etc. Toxicity levels interfere with nutrient assimilation and absorption not just into the foods, but into our bodies as well.
So… if you are unable to eat better, the supplements in my MaxHealth Essentials Bundle may provide the extra boost you need.
These are my favorite Wellness and Immune-Boosting Supplements to use! This MaxHealth Essentials Bundle will ensure you have the intake of the important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to decrease inflammation and boost your innate wellness day and night. Taken together, it’s a solid plan for increasing your body’s natural resiliency.
For best results make sure you use the supplements with dietary changes including a whole food plant-based diet, regular exercise (at least 2-3x per week), regular sleep (8 hours per night), and intermittent fasting (at least 1-3x per week).
Weight Monitoring
Since weight management is very important in combatting chronic diseases, I recommend that you be mindful of your weight and its fluctuations, and that you monitor your weight AT LEAST on a weekly basis. I recommend a scale that includes a body composition monitor (*this scale cannot be used with a pacemaker or other implanted devices).
Physical Activity
Physical activity (or exercise) can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several chronic diseases like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, just to name a few. Physical activity can improve your mood, boost your immune system, help you maintain a healthy weight, and is a great way to detox your body!
I often recommend yoga and resistance training for physical activity, but as you are aware, there are plenty of forms of “movement” that you can do! But for the basics, especially if you’re just getting started, yoga and resistance training are where I would start.
Yoga
Yoga can be a great way to improve your strength and flexibility, manage your stress, improve your heart health, and lose weight! I recommend using a grounded yoga mat to connect yourself with the earth and reduce inflammation.
Resistance Training
Resistance training is the mainstay for overall health. It not only has beneficial effects on reducing body fat, it also increases muscle size and strength. Check out some basic dumbbells/free weights that I recommend to everyone.
Another alternative for dumbbells/free weights are resistance bands. They are great for physical therapy, yoga, strength training, and excellent for traveling.
Remember, living a healthy lifestyle including eating a whole foods plant-based diet, regular physical activity, and reducing stress are the best ways to maintain a healthy weight. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Dr. Nicolle Martin
Dr. Nicolle is double board-certified in Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine. As one of the nation’s most acclaimed primary care and public health physicians, she is a nationally recognized author, speaker, researcher, consultant and media personality. She is the Founder and Chief Medical Advisor of DrNicolleMD.com, where she discusses actionable ideas and real-world strategies to help people take control of their health using integrative therapies and lifestyle change.
Dr. Nicolle also shares her knowledge via her popular social media accounts “Maximize Health” to help people pursue a healthier life. Her motto is simple: Minimize Medications, Maximize Health. With her credentials and warm “bedside manner,” it’s no wonder that the doctor is renowned as “America’s Favorite Family Physician.”
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Last updated on April 12th, 2023 at 08:16 am
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