Health & Wellness
Jumpstart Your Weight Loss with 7 Simple Lunchtime Changes
Whether you're on a serious weight loss journey or you simply want to feel more energetic in the afternoon, making these simple tweaks to your lunchtime routine will leave you feeling light and fit and in no time.
Pack your own
To save some calories and a few bucks, commit to packing your lunch every day rather than eating out. Make sure to load up on healthy fiber and protein to keep you full all afternoon. Don’t be afraid to pack yourself a little treat too! This can help you fight the temptation of hitting the burger place next door with your friends. For some ideas to get started, try any of these simple sandwich recipes.
Up the protein
Adding some protein to your daily lunch is an easy and delicious way to keep you full all afternoon. Enjoying some protein like grilled chicken breast or a black bean burger can keep your blood sugar levels from fluctuating throughout the day. This will kill cravings and help prevent that 3:00 cookie that you’ve become accustomed to.
Try any of these satisfying, protein-packed salad recipes to get started.
Ditch the soda
Looking for the easiest lunch change to make? Get rid of that soda for good. Studies show that your daily fizzy drink can increase your risk of being overweight by 65 percent. If water is too boring for you, try an unsweetened iced tea, sparkling water or any of these tasty infused water recipes.
Heat it up
If salads have become your lunch go-to, try switching things up with a warm meal like this turkey asparagus stir-fry. When your food is hot, you naturally eat slower and realize that you are full sooner. Hot food also lets off a delicious aroma, signaling to our brains that we are satisfied more quickly.
Try a blue plate
Investing in a blue plate for your office could save you major calories each year. Studies show that eating off blue plates actually causes us to eat less at meals. Not surprisingly, the colors that encourage us to eat more, yellow and red, just happen to be McDonald’s brand colors.
Supersize your utensils
We know that eating off a smaller plate can help us eat less, but the same cannot be said for our utensils. A study at the University of Utah found that diners who used larger forks ate less, while still feeling just as satisfied. The researchers believe that using a large fork shows you that you’re making progress in that big plate of pasta, while a smaller fork wouldn’t show a dent. This signals to our brains that we’ve had enough.
Write it down
If you have fallen into the habit of eating at your desk, don’t shut that notebook just yet. Keeping a daily food journal may feel a little cumbersome, but it packs big results. Writing down everything your meals is proven to help you make healthier choices. And when your lunch is as delicious as any of these healthy meals in a bowl, you won’t mind taking a moment to record it.