How to Eat Healthy During Your Lunch Break

When you eat out during your lunch break, it is difficult to stay on a healthy track. According to nutritional consultant Rose Reisman, “…people avoid restaurants when they are watching their weight and that doesn’t need to happen”. Whether you are watching your weight or just trying to maintain a healthy number, keep these tips in mind:

1. Make the right restaurant choice: Make sure you pick a restaurant that has nutritious food options and healthy portion sizes. According to Reisman, “When it comes to ethnic food, Japanese, Thai, Greek and Indian restaurants are often easier on the waistline than Mexican, Chinese or Italian establishments because they feature grilled meats, non-fried options such as fresh spring rolls, and guilt-free dips like Tzatziki”.

2. Do your research: Looking up the restaurant’s menu ahead of time will be highly beneficial to your waistline and overall health. Many popular chain restaurants have nutritional menus online, where they list the food ingredients and the calories in each dish. This will help you decide where to eat and what to order ahead of time. Click here for an example nutritional menu from Applebee’s. On the other hand, other restaurants might have their menus online, yet they won’t have the nutritional facts or calorie count. In this case, look for grilled or steamed options, as these will be the lowest calorie options. Additionally, fish is almost always a healthy alternative if you are stuck and can’t make a decision.

3. Start your meal right: When you get to the table, be sure to order a glass of water and a side of soup. Liquids are effective at keeping you full, and they are low in calories. By ordering soup before your meal, you will fill up your stomach with a healthy alternative that will make you satisfied and full before you even get your meal. Many times, we think we are hungry when we are actually just thirsty. By staying hydrated, you will avoid this confusion and give your body what it actually needs.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions: If you are unclear about how your food is prepared, ask your waiter. Often, restaurants use way more butter or oil than you might perceive, so be sure to double check. This could save you a few hundred calories, which makes a big difference to your health in the long run. According to Reisman, “If you don’t ask, you really don’t know what you’re getting. I’ve seen restaurants where they cook the bacon and use the fat for dressing!”

I hope these tips helped, and make sure you remember them when you eat out at restaurants!

Don’t Give in to Portion Distortion!

In today’s world, portion sizes have increased immensely, becoming extremely unhealthy, compared to what they used to be. According to this fitness blog, Dr. Lisa R. Young, a nutritionist and author, explains that “portion sizes today are 2-5 times bigger than they were in the past”.

Portion control has never been more crucial than it is today, especially due to America’s obesity epidemic. Because us young professionals are constantly working and have no time to analyze food options or portion sizes, we must educate ourselves about what portions are the right portions for us.

The fitness blog I sited above is a great place to start, illustrating how portion sizes have changed, and the reason behind this change. The blog makes a great point, as we “rely on restaurants and pre-packaged foods to give the proper serving sizes, and often get much more food than we need”.

The truth about HEALTHY portion sizes:

1. Make half of your plate fruit and/or vegetables: For example, if you are ordering at a restaurant, ask for a side salad as opposed to french fries.

2. Make one-quarter of your plate protein: The healthiest serving size is 3 ounces. To help remember this, look at the palm of your hand, and this should be the size of your protein serving. This can be fish, beef, chicken, turkey burger etc. There are plenty of options!

3. Make one-quarter of your plate healthy grains: This can be one slice of whole wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, or 1/2 a cup of pasta.

Take these tips with you to work when eating lunch, or save them for when you come home and prepare yourself a healthy dinner. For a more in-depth understanding of portion control, I recommend reading The Portion Teller, a book written by Dr. Lisa R. Young.

Best of luck with your portion control!

Should You Eat the Candy or the Fruit?

Snacking healthy is tough. Should you go for the candy bar lying on your desk or opt for the fruit bowl instead?

In order to refrain from eating from the secretary’s candy bowl in between meetings, pack your own snacks. This blog post will teach you all about which snacks to pack to work and where to find them. For a more extensive explanation on healthy snacks, tune in to my video tutorial that can also be found on my healthy routine blog post.

These snacks are some of my favorites, and they are widely accessible, affordable, and absolutely DELICIOUS:

Special K Bars: These bars taste like dessert, but they are only 90 calories! They can be found in stores such as Ralph’s, Vons, Safeway, and Costco. They are also available to order on Amazon in bulk. Be careful not to eat more than one since they do have sugar in them. They are also tiny in size and are conveniently packaged for you to take with you to work! They are a great alternative to chocolate and other unhealthy candy lying around the office.

Peanut Butter and Apples: Sliced Granny Smith Apples have the least amount of sugar when compared to other apples. Combine sliced Granny Smith apples with 1-2 tablespoons of unsweetened peanut butter (not the mainstream brands that are full of fatty sugars). The best brand I have found so far is Whole Foods 365 Unsweetened Peanut Butter. Click the link to read a review of the peanut butter if you’re skeptical of its deliciousness.

Almonds: These nuts are filled with healthy fats, keeping you full throughout the day. I personally love the almonds from Trader Joes because they come in individually wrapped packaging, so you can just throw them into your bag before work starts. Each package is 100 calories so it is perfect for the workday.

Carrots and hummus: The combination of carrots and hummus is delicious! You can buy baby carrots that are already peeled, cut, and washed at Trader Joes, Ralphs, Vons, and Safeway. Throw 10-15 carrots into a Ziploc bag and bring a case of hummus with you! Hummus comes in a plethora of flavors, from garlic to tomato basil. Although it sounds strange, pairing the carrots with the tomato basil hummus is my favorite combination yet. Many people do not know that hummus is actually made of garbanzo beans, so by eating hummus, you are eating your vegetables. Pairing hummus with carrots is the perfect, nutritious snack to have at work!

String Cheese: One string cheese is only 80 calories, and it is full of protein and calcium. If you are watching your weight, there are also skim and fat-free cheese sticks available to purchase. My favorite brand is Horizon Organic (on the right hand side), as it does not compromise the taste for the health. There are plenty of flavors available, from Mozzarella to Colby cheese. Feel free to pick your favorite!

Overall, these are my favorite snacks because they are low in calories, affordable, and delicious! When you are packing these snacks in the morning, aim for 3-4 100 calorie snacks from the list above. You can substitute the snacks above for some of your favorites, but be sure each snack is around the 100 calorie mark. For more 100 calorie snack options, visit WebMd’s 100 Calorie Snacks page. There are tons of great snacking ideas and recipes on there.

Good luck with your snacking!