| Have you ever been to South America or | | | | 2. Start small. Nobody said you had to go all or |
| Europe? Then you know that lunch around here is | | | | nothing. Start by committing yourself to bring |
| underrated, right? According to many of my | | | | lunch twice a week. I recommend Monday and |
| career-driven clients, the only way to have a | | | | Tuesday - we tend to be more motivated at the |
| decent lunch is to schedule a business meeting or | | | | beginning of the week. You can eat out on |
| a network event. | | | | Wednesday and Friday, and on Thursday, bring a |
| Am I the only one who doesn't consider the lunch | | | | microwavable meal or canned soup. |
| break a luxury, but a necessity? Must be because | | | | If you work from home it might be more difficult |
| I'm from Colombia and when I was growing up | | | | for you to eat out. If that's the case then you |
| lunch was so important that my mom woke up | | | | just need to stay on top of your shopping list and |
| every morning before 5 am to make lunch and | | | | keep your pantry stocked with quick, easy meals |
| then breakfast for me and my brother before | | | | as well as whole foods. |
| leaving for work. She had two jobs. And she was | | | | 3. Start now. The spring is the best time of the |
| a single mother. And she did this for over 20 | | | | year to get into the habit, specially if there's a |
| years... No, I'm not kidding. | | | | park near you. What better treat than to have |
| When I hear someone tell me they have apple | | | | your yummy lunch under the warm spring sun? |
| sauce with cheese strings or an oatmeal pouch | | | | Make it a mini-picnic! |
| for lunch, I just cringe... How can you have a | | | | Now the million dollar question: |
| productive afternoon on that? Well, you don't... | | | | What are you gonna put in your fancy lunch box? |
| Either you're snacking all afternoon long, or you | | | | No worries. I'll tell you my favorites now. You'll get |
| get the classic 3 pm energy crash and fix | | | | more creative as you go... |
| yourself up with caffeine and sugar, or somehow | | | | 1. Soups. This is what you use your thermos for! |
| you make it until dinner and by then you're so | | | | If you have a slow cooker, just dump the |
| ravenously hungry that you eat everything that | | | | ingredients for soup in there at the same time |
| crosses your view field. And then more. | | | | you are making dinner and the next morning it'll |
| This you? | | | | be ready to pack and bring with you. If you don't |
| Lucky day. I'm going to teach you how to have a | | | | have one, you can still make it at the same time |
| real lunch. Easy. Now. | | | | you are making dinner. Round your lunch up with |
| But first... why should you bother? | | | | a piece of sprouted or whole wheat bread and |
| Let's see if any of these is good enough to | | | | some raw veggies. |
| convince you... | | | | 2. Salads. Make sure they are substantial or else |
| 1. If you plan your lunches, you'll actually have | | | | they won't hold you! I usually prep all my salad |
| more time at your lunch break. You can use the | | | | ingredients in advance so that I can put a salad |
| time to take a little walk... even a 15 min power | | | | together in 5 minutes: two different kinds of |
| nap? After that your body will be just hummin' | | | | lettuce - enough for two meals for Scott and I. |
| along. If you work from home, you'll save a lot of | | | | Wash and spin it well. Leave in the spinner until it's |
| time because you won't be picking in the fridge | | | | going to be served. The sky is the limit when it |
| every 20 min looking for something else. | | | | comes to salad toppings, but make sure you |
| 2. You'll feel better. And look better, lose weight, | | | | have one or two kinds of protein - tuna and hard |
| etc, etc, etc... all those things you say you really | | | | boiled egg, cheese and nuts, shredded chicken or |
| want. Why? Because your need for snacking in | | | | ham and beans, etc - and some carbs - a cooked |
| the afternoon will decrease and you will eat less | | | | grain, pasta, potatoes, bread, dried fruit... Always |
| for dinner. I don't know about you, but this is one | | | | make a whole jar of dressing at a time so that |
| of the complains I hear from clients frequently: "I | | | | you always have some ready to go. Get a small |
| know I eat too much for dinner, and then I go to | | | | leak-proved container for your dressing. |
| bed and all that food is sitting in my stomach".... | | | | 3. Cooked grains with toppings AKA grain salads. |
| sounds familiar? | | | | These are my favorite to go. Super easy and |
| According to the Ayurvedic tradition the digestive | | | | perfect room temperature. For most women, |
| fire is strongest between 10 am and 2 pm, when | | | | lunch is the best time of the day to eat grains. |
| the sun is at its peak. That means this is the best | | | | Quinoa, wild rice, barley, couscous, kasha, bulgur, |
| time of the day to eat! | | | | and rice all make great salad grains. |
| 3. You'll save money. Well... assuming you don't use | | | | 4. Dinner leftovers. I am a huge advocate for |
| pre-made foods to pop in the microwave. The | | | | preparing once and eating two or three times. I |
| organic ones tend to be pretty expensive. | | | | like prep and/or cook ingredients separately so |
| Remember that every time you buy fancily | | | | that I can use them in different ways for |
| packaged food you are paying for the fancy | | | | different meals - restaurant style. This way, the |
| package. | | | | same shredded carrots from yesterday salad, go |
| Wanna try? Great! Here's how you do it: | | | | into my soup today and the millet I made today |
| 1. Plan. If you commute to work, buy yourself a | | | | for lunch, will make breakfast porridge tomorrow. |
| cute lunch box, bag or tote and a nice thermos. | | | | If you are a total stranger to preparing your |
| Even if you work from home, get into the habit | | | | lunches, commit yourself to preparing them twice |
| of planning your lunch while you have breakfast | | | | a week. You will soon be doing it at ease and |
| anyway. That way you won't get "surprised" | | | | enjoying real meals instead of leaving your |
| when you're hungry for lunch. The key is to stay | | | | nourishment to chance. It will create a huge |
| on top of your shopping list. | | | | positive impact for you and your family! |