Obvious or not, healthy lunch prep starts BEFORE we go to the grocery store. We’ve all had the experience, I’m sure, where we go to the grocery store hungry and come home with more than we really needed and sometimes, things we would never usually buy nor eat! I’ve come home from the grocery store with the most ridiculous items, things I would never eat, only because I was hungry while grocery shopping! So, it’s important to make a plan, find a good time to grocery shop, and then stick to it. Here are some SIMPLE tips to help:
- Make a list. This seems trivial, but it will help us stay focused once we get to the store and not react to over-active marketing of food that may not be nutritionally fit.
- Start making your list with items from the outer edges of the store. This will include your fresh produce, fresh meats, cheese, dairy, and whole grains. Leave as little as as possible from the center of the store where most items are boxed with preservatives and lack nutritional value.
- If the fresh produce you want isn’t available, the next best option is frozen. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often picked at the peak of perfection and then instantly frozen preserving the nutritional integrity. Canned or juiced should be your last option if an option at all.
- Go for color! All the colors of the rainbow! The more variety of color, the more variety of nutrients. Even sweet peppers have varying nutritional value depending on their color. For example, a yellow pepper differs in nutrition from a red pepper.
- Find a lean, healthy protein. Chicken or fish are the best options. White meat over dark meat is also optimal. Grilling or baking is the best option for meat preparation. Bake or grill ahead of time and enough for the week. This will alleviate the last-minute rush of grabbing something not as healthy as an option when crunched for time.
- Whole grains or complex carbs are a great way to top off any meal! This can be in the form of a complex carb such as a sweet potato, or a multi grain bread or baked cracker. I’ve found individual sweet potatoes ready for microwaving (found at Safeway or Walmart), avocados, and chickpea based chips to be a favorite! I avoid gluten during the day as it improves my energy level to avoid them until later in the day.
- If cheese or other dairy products are something you enjoy with your lunch, try and choose a white cheese or low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese.
Not every plan is full-proof and not every day ends up going perfectly when it comes to nutrition. But being prepared ahead of time helps us be successful when reaching and/or maintaining our clean eating and nutrition goals!
As always, if you have questions or comments, feel free to email me or comment below! In the meantime, happy eating!
You may also enjoy my blog on Cooking Healthy Even When You Don’t Like to Cook. Check it out at https://www.simplestepstoahealthylife.com/cooking-healthy-even-when-you-dont-like-to-cook/