Whether you have kids who have just headed back to school or you are tired of eating out at the office, brown bagging it is not only cost-effective, it is also a way to control your calories, eat healthier and take charge of what you and your kids eat during the noon hour.
When doing so, keep these four tips in mind:
. Include more whole foods and less processed foods. Choose lunch items that are high in fibre and nutrients, and low in sodium and sugar. Take, for example, deli meats. Most deli meats are pumped full of sodium and nitrates.
While sodium nitrite does help prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism in humans, it is also used alone or in conjunction as a colour fixative in cured meat and poultry products (bologna, hot dogs, bacon). During the cooking process, nitrites combine with amines naturally present in meat to form carcinogenic compounds. It is also suspected that nitrites can combine with amines in the human stomach to form Nnitroso compounds. These compounds are known carcinogens and have been associated with cancer of the oral cavity, urinary bladder, esophagus, stomach and brain.
Opt instead for nitratefree deli meats (ask your deli counter person to point out which brands are nitrate-free and low in sodium), or better yet, roast a whole chicken or roast beef on Sunday and use that meat throughout the week for sandwiches, wraps and to toss into salads.
. Be creative. Your kids will appreciate it if you think outside the brownbag for their lunches, and if you're packing for yourself, so will you. I mean, do you really want another boring old sandwich to look forward to at lunch?
Instead, why don't you try a fruit and cheese plate, or a pita pocket stuffed with falafel balls and some hummus? Or, how about using last night's pasta and pack a cold pasta salad with chopped chicken.
Then there's always bean and cheese tortillas, sushi, homemade soup (or try a low-sodium brand such as "Amy's", "Imagine" or "Wolfgang Puck"), or my favourite quick lunch meal of almond butter, topped with no-sugar added jam on Squirrelly bread with some raisins sprinkled on top.
. Plan ahead. Use Sunday to plan your meals for the week and shop and buy all the groceries that you need so that you have everything on hand when you need them. I plan all our lunches and dinners on the weekend and prepare as much as I can to give me a head start for the week. For instance, plan to make a stir-fry on Monday night and then use the leftovers in a wrap the next day. Or, make a large salad that will carry you for the week and just add different toppings and dressings throughout the week.
. Don't actually use a brown bag. Invest in a lunch box with insulation and with different compartments so that foods and beverages can be kept separately. Also, purchase some small plastic containers (avoiding containers with the numbers three or seven on the bottom. These have been proven to leach chemicals into our foods - yuck!), or glass containers to store each item and a freezer pack to keep the cold foods cold. This will keep your foods both fresh and safe for lunchtime consumption.
FIVE-DAY SAMPLE MENU OF LUNCHES
*All meals are less than 500 calories
MONDAY
Three ounces thinly sliced low-sodium nitratefree turkey breast on three Wasa High-Fibre breads, a large carrot stick and a 1/2 red bell pepper sliced and dipped in a 1/4 cup of hummus. 3/4 cup of 0% fat vanilla Greek yogurt for dessert.
TUESDAY
Tuna salad sandwich: Three ounces of tuna mixed with 1/2 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt, 1 chopped hard boiled egg, 1 tbsp. green relish, spread on a wholewheat tortilla shell (such as "Weight Watcher's" Whole Grain Wrap) and whatever veggies you want to add.
One cup blueberries for dessert. If you prefer lower calories and no carbs wrap the tuna in butter lettuce instead of a wrap.
WEDNESDAY
Two cups lentil soup (such as "Imagine" or "Amy's" brand), carrot and celery sticks and an apple dipped in 1 tbsp. of almond butter for dessert.
THURSDAY
Baked potato with cot-tage cheese and chives and a side spinach salad. Chocolate Coconut "Lara" bar for dessert.
FRIDAY
Pizza roll-ups: take one-8-inch whole wheat tortilla shell, spread with two tbsp low sodium pizza sauce, 12 spinach leaves and three tbsp partly skin mozza cheese (note: you can also add veggies too).
Roll and cut tortilla into pieces. Lettuce tossed in low calorie Caesar dressing and instead of croutons (which are filled with fat and preservatives) try roasted chickpeas or salad crunchies (a mixed nut blend you can buy at Thrifty Foods).
My popular Weight Loss Challenge kicks off on Sept. 18th. So far over 1,100 pounds has been lost and over $5,000 has been awarded - just for losing weight! For more info: pj@ fitnesswithpj.com.
P.J. Wren is a personal trainer and writer in the Delta area. www.fitnesswithpj.com
