The Healthy Lunch Fix

Nothing for lunch, so you rush next door to the takeaway shop or grab something late afternoon from the vending machine? We all seem to be so busy these days that we either miss lunch or grab something from the local café or takeaway shop that’s not very healthy and costs far too much! But with just a bit of planning you can prepare yourself a lunch that’s tasty, healthy and will save you some dollars.

The easiest lunch is left-overs from the evening meal put aside into a container to take for lunch the next day. Food in a Minute has lots of delicious salads you can have with your summer BBQ in the evening and then package up for lunch the next day with some cold meat and a bread roll. Other leftovers that are great for lunches are lasagnes, casseroles and hearty soups that can be heated up at work.

Another great idea is to keep plenty of healthy foods at work so when you are hungry you have lots to choose from and you don’t feel so tempted by the takeaway shop. The suggestions below will ensure you have lots of choice for both snacks and to make a healthy lunch.

• Fresh fruit, Fruit pottles or Fruit Squirtz
• Bags or small containers of nuts and dried fruit
• Cans or sachets of soup
• Cans of tuna or salmon (great on toast or in salads)
• Wholegrain bread or multigrain crackers
• Yoghurts
• Spread or dip such as hummus, marmite or peanut butter
• Reduced fat / Edam cheese
• Bag of mixed leaf greens, vegetables like tomatoes, avocado, peppers, carrots, cucumber
• Relish and low fat dressing – try the Eta Lite ‘n’ free range
• Deli meats (lean varieties)
• Small frozen meals such as Weight Watchers

Handy tip: If you can’t survive the day without a chocolate fix include a small treat in your tuck shop. Buy a bag of mini ‘treat’ sized chocolates and take just one to work with you or wrap 2-3 squares from a larger block (dark chocolate is best). A small amount on hand should stop you from shopping for larger amounts elsewhere – remember small portions are best!