What’s for Lunch?

August 1, 2011
Written by: Julie Bosche, Filed in: Employee Health Programs

There’s one thing everybody looks forward to right in the middle of a hard day at the office: lunch.

For some, that means a quick bite at the desk while dashing off a few e-mails or completing other tasks. For others, a sit-down affair with coworkers at a nearby eatery; for still others, a trip through the drive-through for a greasy burger and fries.

Still, many workers go the old-fashioned (and possibly the healthiest) route: a brown bag lunch packed at home.

Lunches brought from home tend to be more nutritious than restaurant fare, and certainly more so than what you’ll find in the vending machine or at a fast-food joint. Because more thought goes into what people put together in their own kitchens, the odds of their choosing foods wisely increase exponentially.

One of the problems with brown-bagging is that it’s easy to fall into a lunch rut. When the same old sandwich gets boring, it’s a great time to get creative and add some healthy variety.

Doing so will not only put the spark back into lunchtime; it’ll help your employees on their path to weight loss and management as well as improving overall nutrition and health.

WebMD offers these suggestions for tasty and healthful lunch options:

Cold Cheese and Fruit Kit: Make your own “Lunchables” by filling a reusable container with assorted cheese slices, easy-to-eat fruit like apple slices and grapes, and whole wheat crackers.

Fish in a Pinch: Work a fish serving into your week by adding tuna or salmon to your green salad, pasta salad, or sandwich.

Pasta Salad Prep: Make cold pasta salad with leftover pasta shapes from last night. Toss chilled whole grain pasta with cheese cubes, lots of bite-size vegetables, and a homemade or bottled vinaigrette dressing made with olive oil or canola oil.

Sushi with Veggies: Pick up a tray of premade vegetable sushi at your supermarket or favorite Japanese restaurant. It makes a great grab-and-go lunch the next day.

Wrap It Up: Make your sandwich wrap the night before, using a whole grain flour tortilla and spreads like green or sun-dried tomato pesto, olive tapenade, or honey mustard. Layer it with slices of lean meat or cheese, assorted vegetables, tomato, onion, and lettuce.