It Starts with a Plan
For most, lunch is a quick, on-the-go meal, so identifying healthy options close to work is a must. Sushi and salad bars are great options. Best, though, is to make your lunch at home and bring it with you. A healthy sandwich and a piece of fruit will do.
Wraps Beat Rolls
When it's an option, choose whole-grain wraps instead of rolls or bread for sandwiches.
If you're really craving bread, though, always go with whole grains, which are relatively low in calories (less than 100 per slice) and high in fiber.
Snacks Are Your Friends
Smart afternoon snacks actually keep you slimmer by curbing appetite before dinner. They also top off your energy stores so you can stay productive at the office and fueled for evening workouts. (You don't need any additional supplements before exercising.) Always have one or more of these with you at work: nuts, salmon jerky, dried fruit, baby carrots, and hummus.
Power Up Your Lunch
Eating well and eating quickly aren't mutually exclusive
Brown-Bag Solutions
The Perfect Sandwich
For a great mix of carbs, lean protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, try roasted chicken, tomato, basil, spinach, pesto, and Havarti.
The Perfect Simple Sandwich
All-natural peanut butter and banana with honey on multigrain bread. Carbs, protein, vitamins, and minerals. You can't go wrong with this age-old favorite.
Covered for a Week!
Chris Cosentino, executive chef at San Francisco's Incanto, knows about healthy fueling from his days as a professional mountain biker who survived 24-hour races with peanut-butter-and-bacon sandwiches. Here he offers a more palatable recipe that can be a base for seven days' worth of lunches. Just don't try stuffing it in your jersey pockets.
Tuna Confit
1 albacore loin (about 3–4 lbs), trimmed of skin and blood line
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chile flakes
1 tbsp each coarse-ground black pepper, fennel seed, and coriander seed
2–3 sprigs each thyme, parsley, and basil
3 bay leaves
Peel of 1 lemon
Four cloves garlic, cracked, with skin on
Extra-virgin olive oil to cover (approximately 2–3 liters)
1. Divide loin in half. Cut thickest half into four logs, each with same diameter as the
tail half.
2. Season generously with dry spices.
3. Arrange in a nonreactive baking dish with sides taller than the albacore. Add herbs, lemon peel, and garlic. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate four hours.
4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
5. Remove plastic wrap and add enough olive oil to cover fish.
6. Place in oven for 30 minutes. Reduce heat if oil begins to boil.
7. Let fish cool in oil at room temperature. It can be refrigerated in oil for up to one week.
8. Serve atop bread one day, salad the next, quinoa, etc.
Problem: Making sense of all the advice and products from the supplement and sports-nutrition industries gets more daunting by the day.
Solution: Ignore all but the essentials.
Multivitamins
One a day, regardless. Even the most diligent eaters frequently miss out on essential nutrients, so multivitamins are a good insurance policy. However, since the supplement industry isn't tightly regulated, look for the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) symbol somewhere on the bottle.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Essential for cardiovascular health. If you eat right, you'll get enough from natural sources like salmon, tuna, and flaxseeds. But take two omega-3-6-9 capsules daily anyway, as backup.
Iron
Low iron is mainly a concern for women; men generally get enough from daily multivitamins and healthy eating.
B vitamins
These are crucial for metabolism, nerve protection, and the formation of red blood cells. B12 isn't available in fruits and vegetables, though. If you don't eat meat, make sure you're taking a
B12 supplement.
Vitamin D
Don't buy it. It's essential for calcium absorption, immune function, and the regulation of inflammation. But get just ten minutes of sunlight per day and you're good.
Sports drinks, bars, and foods
Great for endurance athletes. But if you are not spending two or more hours engaging in strenuous physical activity, you're most likely wasting money and gaining weight. That said, sports bars can serve as great meal replacements when your access to whole foods is limited (think four-hour board meeting).
Salt
If you're active, you quickly lose electrolytes through sweat. So shake away. Salt is essential for maintaining cellular function, transmitting nerve impulses, and contracting muscles. However, keep daily intake under 1,500 mg (less than one teaspoon) if you're over 50, African-American, or suffering from high blood pressure.
