5 tips for a balanced lunch

Let’s talk about meals. By that I mean, what meal of the day get’s your most attention and time? Did you ever look at your meals this way? Let me tell you something about my meals and how I realized the balance in my day was off, food wise. Before you read any further, please know I am not a nutritionist, food expert or alike. This is me, looking for ways to improve my daily life and lifestyle, learning by doing.

My mom taught me breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I never skip it. Breakfast deserves a blog post of it’s own, which I will write in a week or so. But, back to the topic of this post. Until about a year ago my main focus was on dinner. I think in general in our culture, meal focus is on dinner. For example meal planning, is all about dinner, right? And it does make sense in a way; it is usually a hot meal which requires cooking, multiple ingredients, at least 15 minutes prepping time on a busy time of day for most people.

However, dinner is also the meal that gets the least time to digest before we go to bed. And when your focus is on dinner for the main meal of the day, it could be quite stressful after a long day at work or school.

The big change I want to share with you today; my daily focus is on LUNCH

Lunch? I can hear you thinking. Why lunch?! Well let me tell you, I didn’t plan this shift of focus. I just realized this is what has happened in the past months. And in hindsight it makes all sorts of sense to me, that’s why I am sharing it.

Lunch I prepare mostly at home and I realized I could put some time and effort in it, to make it a decent meal and nourish myself in the middle of the day, instead of just before bedtime. So I would actually benefit from it in my afternoon and evening! It is all about that balance.

Five tips to shift your focus to LUNCH and fuel yourself for the second half of the day:

1. MAKE A VEGGIE SOUP THAT WILL LAST YOU FOR 2-3 DAYS
2. ADD SALAD INGREDIENTS TO YOUR GROCERY LIST
3. SUBSTITUTE BREAD WITH VEGGIE WRAPS, QUINOA OR COUSCOUS
4. FOR EXTRA FLAVOUR ADD FRESH HERBS, CHEESES AND FRUITS TO YOUR SALAD
5. LAST NIGHT’S LEFT OVERS CAN ALSO WORK FOR LUNCH

Ever since I started making soups for lunch, salads and veggie wraps, I took more time to prepare and eat my lunch, and also enjoyed it more. It keeps me going for a longer time than just a couple sandwiches, ánd it takes the focus off dinner, which means there is less stress at the end of the day. After all, the daily dose of veggies and fruits is already in.

My dinner meals are smaller now, they are easier to digest, and I have more time to help my kids with their dinner. My dinners are now smaller in portion size, and smaller in carbs. Less potato, pasta, rice or the like. A fresh salad could do, since I had my main meal of the day for lunch. Most of all, it makes me feel more balanced throughout the day and a big bonus; it helps me balance my blood sugars better in the evening.

If you are interested, I will add some lunch recipes for soup and salad soon. Let me know what your daily food balance is and how you look at it, I am curious!

xo Maaike