Maybe it’s all the warm sunshine after the cold winter months; there’s just something about the spring season that makes us crave fresh foods.
For many people, incorporating healthy foods into daily meals is challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. We spoke to health coaches for their favorite healthy lunch tips, and even provided five healthy spring lunch ideas to get you started.
Healthy Lunch Composition
A healthy lunch should contain:
- Lean proteins should comprise 35% to 45% of your meal. Lean proteins include skinless turkey or chicken, beans and lentils, nonfat cottage cheese, light tuna, salmon and egg whites.
- Around 25% to 35% of your lunch should be made of complex carbohydrates. Leafy greens, like kale, spinach and swiss chard, are great carbohydrate choices for lunches and can easily be incorporated into healthy salads. Other complex carbohydrates include squash, sweet potatoes and most whole grains.
- The remainder of your lunch should include a healthy fat. With healthy fats, less is more. A serving of avocado, or extra virgin olive oil drizzled on salad is enough for a lunchtime meal.
Healthy Lunch Tips
- Try new foods: Are you a picky eater? Start with small changes, and incorporate healthy foods into recipes you already love. Then, work your way up to new recipes.
- Lighten it up: There is usually a lighter version of your favorite meal. Search online for a lighter mac-n-cheese recipe that substitutes quinoa for noodles, or create your own by substituting whole milks and cheese with healthier options.
- Fuel your body with the right foods: Make sure you’re fueling your body with the right foods at lunchtime. That burger might be delicious, but a heavy meal will drag you down during your 2:00 p.m. meeting. Instead, try a ground turkey burger, and skip the bread for energy all afternoon.
- Add variety: You’ll be more likely to stick to a healthy lunch plan if you add variety to your meals. Mix it up with new recipes each week to keep lunchtime boredom at bay.
- Eat outdoors if possible: Instead of heading to the nearest fast food joint for lunch, take advantage of spring’s warmer weather and eat a homemade lunch outdoors.
Good nutrition is a key component of overall health and wellness. Wherever you are on your wellness journey, healthy lunches are a great way to stay fit and energized throughout your day.
Fresh Recipes We Love
There’s an endless number of lunches you can put together, but here are a few of our favorites to get you started:
Spiced Waldorf SaladA twist on the more classic Waldorf salad, this lunch is sure not to disappoint.
The colors in this salad alone will have you jumping for joy. Just wait until you try it.
The ginger will deliver the perfect zing for a spring day.
Roasted Pork Loin with Pickled Peach Compote
Make this for dinner mid-week and enjoy tasty leftovers the next day.
Use a rotisserie chicken to make things easy, add a few spices, and you have an instant pick-me-up.
Want to learn more about healthy living this Spring? Download our eBook for more.
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