| Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, | | | | into serving-size portions. It's very convenient, but |
| but that doesn't mean it's okay to scrimp on | | | | youcan save as much as 50% of the price if you |
| lunch. Whether you're in school or at work, you | | | | buy them whole and prepare them yourself. It |
| need that midday meal to keep up your energy | | | | takes about 10 minutes to peel, slice, and pack a |
| for the rest of the day. If, like most students and | | | | week's worth of food. |
| yuppies, your idea of a regular lunch is soda and | | | | Don't follow your cravings |
| crackers, you're a long way from eating right. | | | | When shopping for lunch items, you tend to pick |
| So what makes a healthy lunch? If you want | | | | up the things you crave at that very moment. |
| something that's light but filling, Filipino food is your | | | | More oftenthan not, you'll either be tempted to |
| best bet. For one thing, it's cheaper than buying | | | | eat it ahead of time, or your craving will have |
| fast food or 'light' snacks like coffee and cookies. | | | | passed by the time youpack it. It's best to stick |
| It also lets you choose exactly what goes into | | | | to your old favorites, be it a simple tuna sandwich |
| your food. It doesn't have to be rice-based or | | | | or classic Filipino food recipes. Pick up a few treats |
| anything heavy; there are lots of easy Filipino | | | | for variety, but don't make them your entire |
| recipes you can prepare at home. Here are a few | | | | meal. But to avoid the problem altogether, don't |
| tips to help you get started. | | | | shop with an empty stomach-when you're |
| Plan ahead | | | | hungry, your mind goes wild at the sight of food. |
| Planning is the key to preparing healthy lunches | | | | The best times to shop are usually late morning, |
| and to healthy eating in general. When you know | | | | just after breakfast or your midmorning snack. |
| what you're having for the next few days, you | | | | Watch your portions |
| won't be tempted to pick up that extra soda or | | | | Some containers may not look big, but they hold |
| grab an ice creamfor dessert. At the start of the | | | | a considerable serving. Be careful not to overdo |
| week, list down your lunch choices and make a | | | | yourportions, as many tend to do when |
| shopping list based on yourpicks. Buy more than | | | | pre-packing. Again, it's best to pack when you're |
| you need so you can pack a little extra for | | | | full so your cravingsdon't influence your serving |
| mid-afternoon munching. When planning your | | | | sizes. Get containers that hold only the |
| meals, consider the time you can spare each day | | | | appropriate portions, or have a small |
| for cooking. A half hour is all you need to fix a | | | | 'portion bowl' approximately the size of a regular |
| sandwich or toss up a quick salad. On really busy | | | | serving, so you can measure your servings |
| days, you can just buy frozen food and packed | | | | before packing them. |
| drinks. | | | | Pack light |
| Alternatively, you can prepare and pack your | | | | A lot of Filipino cooking recipes come with heavy |
| lunches in advance on light days, so you can just | | | | sauce or soup, which makes them hard to pack |
| pick themup when you're in a hurry. | | | | forlunch. If you've ever spilled lunch inside your |
| Have something fresh | | | | bag, you'll know how important it is to use the |
| Make fresh fruits and vegetables your lunch box | | | | good, tightlysealed containers. Better yet, don't |
| staples. Remember, lunch has to be lighter than | | | | pack heavy lunches to avoid the risk. You can |
| breakfast; otherwise you'll feel drowsy all | | | | keep sauces and condiments for dry food in your |
| afternoon. Fresh produce fills you up fast but | | | | office, so you don't risk spilling them on the way. |
| doesn't slow downyour body. Salads and veggie | | | | If you do pack saucy dishes, try packing the solid |
| wraps are a great way to work vegetables into | | | | and liquid parts separately. Use a disposable |
| your meal. If you're watching your weight, you | | | | containerfor pasta or vegetables, and a regular |
| can replace heavy Filipino desserts recipes with | | | | suction-sealed one for the sauce or dressing. |
| fresh fruit. A chilled apple or a couple of melon | | | | Invest in containerswith tight rubber seals. They'll |
| slices can satisfy your sweet tooth without piling | | | | cost you more initially, but it's well worth the |
| on the calories. | | | | trouble you save in the long run. |
| Most groceries sell fruits and vegetables packed | | | | |