Your lunchtime habits can make or break your weight loss plans. Fast food or quick-serve lunches may often contain more calories than you need for the entire day. But have no fear! I’m bringing you some easy lunch tips that help.
We need some simple options to satisfy your hunger without putting on extra pounds. Your midday meal can be delicious and nutritious without requiring a lot of money or time.
Start with these easy lunch tips for your lunch hour to help you reach your wellness goals! Lunchtime habits can make or break your weight loss progress. Check out these easy lunch tips for your lunch hour to help you reach your wellness goals.
Easy Lunch Tips When You Pack Your Lunch:
Ugh! Yes, I just said it. Pack your lunch. This is one of the single most important things you can do for yourself on a daily basis. Does the thought make you feel overwhelmed? No problem.
Begin with packing your lunch 2 days a week, the next week 3 days, next week 4 days, then 5 days. Boom. You are a pro!
Prepare the Night Before
If you spend most mornings rushing around to get everyone ready for school and work, give yourself a head start. Look for recipes you can make before you go to bed, like putting your smoothie ingredients in a blender jar in the refrigerator so you can just hit a button in the morning.
Start from Scratch
Bringing frozen pizza to work is really just about the same as ordering takeout. Switch to whole foods and home cooking.
Focus on Plants
Try to get at least half your calories from vegetables and fruits. Enjoy a variety of salads, sandwiches, soups, and other dishes that showcase veggies and fruits as the main event.
Master the Microwave
Do you yearn for a hot meal at lunchtime? Pack an insulated lunch bag with thermos containers of chili, lasagna, or other leftovers from dinner. Quickly heat them up, and you are set!
Easy Lunch Tips When You Go Out for Lunch:
Seek Support
Studies show that we tend to consume more calories at a restaurant if we’re with companions who indulge too. Invite your coworkers to make a pact to order lighter dishes or share an entrée.
Check the Menu
What if the choices are limited to cheesesteaks and Buffalo wings? Go online before you visit a new restaurant to ensure they serve grilled fish or pasta with vegetables. Have a game plan before you head out the door for lunch.
Eat Soup
Whether you prefer minestrone or clam chowder, you’ll find that most lunch spots offer some kind of soup. Eating soup helps you to slow down so you may feel full while eating less.
Inspect Your Salad
Some salads turn out to be the most fattening item on the menu. Go easy on the bacon, cheese, croutons, and creamy dressings. In fact, order dressing on the side so you can control how much you put on the salad!
Ask for Substitutions.
You might enjoy your favorite lunch dishes just as much with a bit less sugar, fat, and salt. Some restaurants have no substitution policies, but others will be happy to accommodate you.
Bring Back Leftovers
Serving sizes are often massive. Push half your food to the side of the plate so you can take it home for dinner or lunch tomorrow.
Other Easy Lunch Tips:
Stay on Schedule
Skipping breakfast or lunch to save calories will probably backfire. You usually wind up so hungry that you raid the vending machine or overeat at your next meal. Plan your meals, and eat according to your plan. You can do it!
Eat Mindfully
Paying attention to your food encourages you to make healthier choices and enjoy your meals more. Leave your desk for lunch. Sit down someplace where you can relax and forget about the office for a while.
Spend a few days tracking your food to see where you are doing well and where you might need to pay closer attention.
Walk Around
Prolonged sitting contributes to obesity and back pain. Allow time to get in a few hundred steps before you head back to your desk or into the next meeting. Pro Tip: Find some stairs and feel free to walk up and down a few flights to raise that heart rate even more!
Visit the Gym
Check out the gyms near your office. Your employer might be able to negotiate a group discount if you and your coworkers want to fit in a 30-minute workout during the day when they’re less busy. Make a quick smoothie or shake for the trek back to the office!
Take a Class
Similarly, many fitness centers offer group classes at lunchtime designed to get employees back to work on time. An hour of cycling followed by a smoothie may give you more energy for the rest of the afternoon.
Change Your Life With These Easy Lunch Tips
Here’s the deal. Just as breakfast sets the tone for a great day overall, your lunch will either energize you or catapult you into nap mode at about 3 pm. Incorporate one or more of these easy lunch tips every day, and you will move through the rest of your day in supercharged mode.
We go further into how to develop helpful, healthy habits in every NewStart module. You will learn about nutrition, but more importantly, you will learn how to incorporate what you learn into your daily life, which will transform you from head to toe.
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