Bag Lunches for Grownups (Your Health Magazine)

Hold the fries and reach for something new at noon.

After the excesses of the holidays, doesn't it feel great to get back into a routine and renew your commitment to healthy food? But sometimes the midday meal gets left out of the equation. Away from home, it's easy to forget about food groups, fat content and portion control, says Capital Health community dietician Klara Lorinczi-McMullen.

Lorinczi-McMullen says the missing component is protein. "People may not have a meat or meat alternative that would help them feel fuller longer," she says. A bigger mistake is not bothering to pack a lunch, she says. In addition to content control, homemade lunches are cheaper and save time at work. That way you can spend your lunch hour checking your stocks and power walking instead of waiting in line for a soggy sandwich.

The first step to better lunch is prep. Start by making room in your kitchen for insulated lunch bags, zippered plastic bags and microwaveable containers. Stock the pantry and freezer with a variety of wholegrain bread products, such as bagels, pita and tortillas. And if you want to save even more time purchase foods in single servings, such as yogurt and precut vegetables or cheese. Start cooking more at dinner and freeze the extra lunch-sized portions. And make lunch before you clean up after supper so you won't forget about it. "Planning is important when it comes to lunch," says Lorinczi-McMullen. "If you don't have a plan you won't eat healthy."

In January we might reach for frozen dinners. Surprisingly, says Lorinczi-McMullen, many of these packaged meals don't have sufficient calories, which leaves us fatigued or susceptible to unplanned snacking. Add a glass of milk, extra vegetables or a slice of bread to bring lunch's calorie count to around 500, she suggests. Aim for less than 600 mg sodium per serving and fat content of less than 10 g per meal in these dinners. Watch for empty calorie culprits such as sugar-laden juice drinks and pop. Choose carefully and drink plenty of water.If you're not inspired to brown bag it this week, consider this: in a performance-driven culture, we can't afford to ignore one of the key components of our productivity at work – lunch is fuel for the long afternoon. So the next time you make lunch at the office a priority, enjoy yourself.

Baked Potato and Bacon Soup
This savoury chowder will warm up your January lunches. Use leftover baked potatoes and a little bacon from Sunday brunch and putting it together will be a snap.
5 1/4 pounds (2.5 kg) baking potatoes
7 bacon slices
4 1/2 cups (1.25 l) chopped onion
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf 7
1/2 cups (1.75 l) low-fat milk
3/4 tsp (3 mL) black pepper
3 cups (750 mL) fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

Directions:
Putting this tasty soup together couldn't be easier. Try it for your next bag lunch.
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Bake potatoes until tender; about an hour. Split potatoes and hollow out flesh. Chop skins of half the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Discard the rest of the skins. Partially mash potatoes and chopped skins; set aside. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add onion to bacon drippings in pan; sauté 5 minutes. Add salt, garlic, and bay leaf; sauté 2 minutes. Add potato, milk, pepper and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.Options: Top individual servings with parsley, green onions or cheese. Makes about 18 cups (4.5 l) of soup.

Let's Do Lunch

Try these tips for banishing the brown bag blues.
Pack protein: Stock your pantry with chickpeas, nuts and peanut butter for lunches with staying power.
Love leftovers: Use that chicken breast, salmon filet, pasta or veggies as the start of tomorrow's lunch.
Be a dip: Hummus and wholegrain pita or a three-layer bean dip with tortilla or veggies are easy to pack and easy to eat at a desk.
Make it hot: A warm lunch is more satisfying in the winter so put soups, stews and chili on the menu.
Get the gear: A fancy new lunch bag with removable cool pack and a stainless-steel thermos will make you look forward to lunching in.
Learn lunch: Lorinczi-McMullen recommends books like Lunch Box: Creative Recipes for Everyday Lunches by Marie Breton and Isabelle Emond or The Brown Bag Lunch Cookbook by Miriam Jacobs.

- Daneda Russ

Your Health Magazine - Jan/Feb. 2007 Issue

Disclaimer
Reviewed by Alberta clinical experts. Brought to you by HealthLink Alberta. Copyright.
This material is designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment. For more health advice call Capital Health Link at 780-408-LINK (5465) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In Alberta, call Toll-free: 1-866-408-LINK (5465)