Lunch should be the 2nd largest meal of the day

 Its better to have a smaller lunch and then a snack in the afternoon to keep your metabolism high than a huge meal. There are times that if we are not organised in the morning we have to buy our lunch at work, school, shopping being in the middle of the day and its easy to fall into the trap of fast food ( read through my previous blogs on how to eat fast food and not put on weight)

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Tips for Choosing a Nutritious Lunch A healthy tasty lunch should be based on wholegrain carbohydrates, protein ,  (plant proteins, such as legumes and nuts), a variety of vegetables and some fruit and water or low-fat milk/soymilk. “Meals based on these foods are nutritious, taste good and boost our sense of wellbeing. Other tips to keep in mind include:
1.Make your own lunch, its a far easier way to know what you are eating, here are some ideas

• Turkey or ham sandwich, ricotta, salad greens, dried cranberries,cucumber on whole-grain bread, 1 small piece fruit,
• Green salad with tinned salmon, tuna or chicken breast,sunflower seeds, fetta, mustard, lemon juice and oilve oil dressing,
• 1 cup pea and ham soup, side salad, wholegrain crispbreads with pesto , small tub yoghurt
• Vietnamese chicken salad (grilled chicken breast, chinese cabbage, sno pea sprouts, red capsicum, carrots,roasted peanuts coriander,( soy, fish sauce, lime juice), sesame dressing, toss with crushed toasted cornchips
• Healthy Pizza, using multigrain wraps as the base, mozzarella, olives, herbs, rocket, tomato and use up healthy leftovers from the fridge
• Make some curries, casseroles and stews based on lean meat, legumes, fresh fruit and vegetables and keep them frozen for busy days and when you cant be bothered this will assist just eating something to fill the void

2. Try and choose foods that aren’t fried or contain pastry as they often contain high amounts of saturated fat.( read my healthy fast food blog for tips
3. Portion size is important – eating large amounts can lead to excess energy/kilojoule intake, making it difficult to maintain a healthy weight
3. Processed meats, sauces and dressings can also add unwanted energy, fat and salt, so go easy on these and where possible ask for them on the side so you can add your own

4. Share the job of making lunch with friends who want to look after their health too. It can be a social meal as well as a business meal, a healthy antipasta style with dips, crudités, wholegrain breads and crackers, olives, nuts and smoked meats