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Pack a Healthy Lunch
The kids are back to school and you’re busy at work. Here are some tips to pack a healthy lunch. Good nutrition is key to being healthy and having sustained peak performance throughout the day. 1. Avoid white bread. White bread is devoid of fiber and is loaded with carbs. Use healthier choices such as whole wheat bread, whole wheat pitas, or low carb/low fat wraps. You can use a lettuce leaf instead of bread – try this tasty South Beach Diet Phase 1 California Lettuce Wrap recipe. Another idea to avoid bread is to stuff either a pepper or a tomato with your favorite sandwich mixture – try this Mediterranean Tuna Stuffed Tomato recipe. 2. Consider open face sandwiches to reduce calories. Making an open-face sandwich is a great way to reduce calories without impacting the flavor. Try this Peanut Butter Jelly Alternative recipe that uses fresh fruit instead of jelly. 3. Avoid full fat mayonnaise. Use either a reduced calorie mayonnaise or mustard or pesto. Try this easy Spinach Pesto recipe for a tasty way to incorporate some healthy monounsaturated fats on your sandwiches. 4. Avoid butter. Use cholesterol-lowering margarines such as Benecol or Smart Balance. 5. Avoid potato chips and junk food. Lots of times the appeal of junk food (such as chips) is the CRUNCH. Cut up a variety of veggies and serve plain or with a healthy dip. When you have the munchies, try a handful of nuts. 6. Experiment on new recipes. Health conscious magazines are great resources for coming up with new healthy recipe ideas. 7. Use low-fat dairy. Lately there has been quite a buzz about the health benefits of low fat dairy products and the big push to 3 servings of a day of low fat dairy products. The calcium in dairy has long been known to promote strong bones, but now scientists are discovering that low fat dairy also helps slim the mid-section too.
8.Go vegetarian. Having a vegetarian meal once or twice a week is a great way to reduce the saturated fat associated with meats. Try this Mediterranean Veggie Wrap or Greek Bean Salad recipe. 9. Learn healthy ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. Try various fresh fruit like a slice of fresh melon or your favorite fruit. 10. Use low-calorie or no-calorie beverages. Most non-diet beverages are loaded with sugar and calories. Consider bringing plenty of ice-cold bottled spring water for a thirst-quenching beverage. Experiment with some of the zero calorie vitamin fortified flavored water products new on the market.
This page was last updated on 09/05/07.
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