Tag Archives: lunch

The Healthy Fix for Lunch’s Middle Child Syndrome

If meals were children, lunch would have a full-on case of middle child syndrome. If you look at breakfast as the eldest child showered with praise and endorsements as the most important meal of the day, and then dinner handled with care and doted on like the youngest, lunch is left with little to hold up its head about. Instead, you see it brooding at fast food lines or in the empty wrappers of candy bars tossed aside on desks. Poor lunch. Can’t it get any love?

The truth is it should. Lunch deserves as much respect as breakfast, if not a little more.

“Even though a morning meal is very important to let your body know it’s not starving and to energize you as you start your day, lunch may be even more important — especially if we’re doing errands and are on the go, chasing after our children, or working hard at our desks,” said Elisa Zied, RD, author of Nutrition at Your Fingertips. She continued to praise lunch saying, “We need to keep energy levels high throughout the day, and having a healthful lunch packed with protein and fiber can help you stay energized and alert to perform optimally both physically and mentally. It also provides a great opportunity to supply our brain and muscles with key nutrients to keep us healthy.”

Talk about a self-esteem boost for this mid-day meal! Breakfast might get you going but lunch will keep you going. That 3:00 lull that has you inhaling Doritos? Kiss it good-bye. If you eat lunch, especially a healthful lunch, you’ll forget 3:00 even happened. (more…)

Posted on August 23, 2023 by Natalie K

9 New Summer Sandwich Recipes That are Fresh, Simple, and Healthy

My office mates and I recently held a lunch hour sandwich-making party. We had all of the fixings, but not a lot of the standards. Mini croissants, Orowheat sandwich rounds, and whole grain bread was piled high with black bean dip, roasted red pepper hummus, almond butter, avocados, sprouts, and Craisins. What we ended up with was a colorful collection of some of the tastiest, boldest, freshest sandwiches any of us have had in a while.
The Simple Mediterranean Sandwich and the Strawberry and PB Sandwich were two stand-out favorites, and all of the vegetarians loved the Bold Black Bean Sandwich. We’re sure you’ll find at least one favorite in our collection of nine new summer sandwich recipes because they’re all winners. They’re healthy, they’re simple, and many of the ingredients could be found on a well-stocked grocery store salad bar during your lunch hour. (more…)

Posted on May 30, 2023 by Natalie K

Pack an Easter Egg Hunt in a Lunch Box for Kids

Kids are no different than adults, and it doesn’t take much for their lunch to become pretty same-ole-same-ole. Another Tuesday, another turkey sandwich. We’ll admit, making 365 lunches every year can be pretty monotonous for the preparer and the eater, so take inspiration where you can.

This week, surprise your little love bunnies with a lunch hidden inside plastic Easter eggs. It’s kind of a fun spin on a Bento-style lunch, and will no doubt make them feel very special when they see what’s inside!

This lunch idea works well to get them excited about the Easter holiday on Sunday, or to make the fun last a little longer in lunches packed following the holiday weekend.

Start by getting about a dozen plastic Easter eggs. We used a smaller size, but any will work. While you certainly don’t have to, filling their lunch pail with Easter grass makes it a lot more festive and obviously makes a safe nest for all of the eggs.

Then, organize the foods you want to put inside each egg. Keep size in mind; for instance a cheese stick won’t fit but chopping it in to bite-sized pieces will. You’re not too limited in what you can put inside; although, chicken soup and applesauce probably aren’t going to work! We made a pretty filling lunch with foods we already had: grapes, strawberries, peas, cheese, grilled chicken, olives, and sweet peppers. (more…)

Posted on April 3, 2024 by Natalie K

GoPicnic Ready-to-Eat Meals are a Healthy Alternative to Prepackaged Lunches

There’s so much to love when it comes to GoPicnic Ready-to-Eat Meals! Kids love them, parents love to serve them, parents love to eat them, they are healthy, and many are even gluten free.

These little boxes are a perfect replacement for the unhealthy cheese, meat and cracker meals found in the deli section. They are portable and fun, but they are loaded with good for you options. GoPicnic meals come in a variety of flavors such as salami and cheese, turkey stick and crunch, turkey pepperoni and cheese, sunbutter and crackers, hummus and crackers, salmon and crackers, tuna and cracker, and peanut butter and crackers.

Each box is nutritionally balanced with protein, fiber, and fruit. All products, even the dark chocolate found in some varieties, is made from whole ingredients. GoPicnic defines that by meaning no trans fats, no high fructose corn syrup, no added monosodium glutamate, and no artificial flavors or colors.

The meals are shelf stable but not because they use preservatives. GoPicnic uses high performance packaging methods that may cost more but ensure their products stay fresh without compromising the health factor.
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Posted on January 18, 2024 by Lacy

Celebrate National Panini Month with Five Healthy Sandwich Tips

August is National Panini Month and with temperatures too hot for the oven in most parts of the country, there is no better time to whip up a healthy version of your favorite pressed sandwich.

Though there are a number of ways to make a healthy panini, Chef Tiffany Collins offers some tips about how to take ordinary ingredients, combine them in inventive ways and easily grill them on a panini press for a delicious, crunchy sandwich that won’t derail your diet.

Pick whole-grain breads to make your panini healthy and satisfying. When you’re choosing bread for your sandwich, opt for bread that is rich in fiber. Some wheat breads are not actually made with whole grains, so read labels carefully before you purchase. If the first words on the ingredient list are not “whole grain” or “whole wheat,” it is not really a whole grain.

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Posted on August 25, 2023 by Maris

Guilt-Free Packaged Foods for School Lunches

Packing lunches, day after day, can quickly become tedious. After all, there are only so many different ways you can pack a sandwich and even if your child is devoted to the traditional PB&J, banana and milk combo like one of my children, you may decide that you want to switch things up a bit.

Maybe you need to pack lunches in a hurry. You need some packaged foods to toss in the lunch bag, and you want foods that are yummy AND good for your child. Look for foods that are low in sugar, all natural, with no high fructose corn syrup and no chemical additives. It’s a tall order, to be sure, but here are a few of our favorite lunch box choices that meet our tough criteria.

Whole Grain Goldfish – Every kid loves to snack, and these childhood favorites have worked hard to make themselves a healthier choice.  With 140 calories for about 55 goldfish – a perfect serving size to go with your child’s lunch – 5 grams of fat and 2 grams of fiber, these whole grain, tasty cheese crackers are both fun and a good dietary choice.

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Posted on August 18, 2023 by Carmen

An Olive a Day: 5 Ways to Eat Olives

Jen Fuchs is a member of the Lindsay Olives marketing team. She is based out of Lafayette, California. To learn more about Lindsay Olives and recipe ideas, visit www.lindsayolives.com/recipes.

As summer approaches, many of us switch from savory cooking to quick, cool meals. Here at Lindsay Olives, we support the philosophy of eating olives every day. These flavorful little fruits meet many dietary needs including vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and dairy free. They also contain no cholesterol. Try adding olives to your summer fare for a satisfying burst of flavor and an easy answer to snack and meal options throughout the day.

Need a few suggestions? Here are five ways to add olives into your summer diet in a day.

Breakfast

Olives for breakfast? Why not? Try adding a serving of medium black ripe olives to a veggie omelet. Egg whites, olives, asparagus and summery fresh tomatoes topped with a bit of feta cheese will make your first meal of the day a tasty one. Full of veggies, this meal will feel light and fresh.

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Posted on June 25, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Food Impacts Judges’ Decision Making

Ever had an important decision to make and been told to “sleep on it”? I bet you’ve never been told to “eat on it”, but after reading about this new research, you just might consider it.

The graph below illustrates the likelihood of a favorable decision from a judge based on when he or she takes a break to eat. At the start of each session, Israeli prisoners were likely to be granted parole 65% of the time, but that certainly was not true right before the judge decided to take a break.

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Posted on June 22, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

Plan a Healthy and Fun Summer Picnic

If you’ve spent the long winter and rainy spring hibernating in your home, the summer months are the perfect time to plan an outdoor activity.

Before you pack your basket and head to the park with a pretty blanket, a Frisbee – and maybe even a bottle of wine –  use these tips to make your outing simple and satisfying.

Tip #1: Plan Ahead. If you’re planning a homemade picnic meal, prepare as much as you can the night before. You can chop, wash and dry fruits and veggies so they’ll be crisp, fresh and ready for salads or snacking. To save even more time the next morning, assemble sandwiches the night before your picnic – just hold the water-based ingredients, such as cucumber or tomato, otherwise you’ll end up with soggy bread. You could also make one of these 8 creative picnic salads.

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Posted on June 1, 2023 by Maris

4 Tips for Making a Healthier Panini

Sandwiches are great for lunch and perfect when you need a quick dinner to tide you over when you don’t have time to make a traditional meal. To make that quick dinner a little more exciting, opt for panini –  sandwiches that are grilled so that the ingredients meld together to create a delicious combination of flavors.

Panini are easy to make if you have a panini press, but if you don’t have the space or resources to procure fancy kitchen equipment and appliances…

Tip #1: Use What You Have. If you don’t have the budget or counter space to afford a panini press, you can still whip up a delicious grilled sandwich. Kathy Strahs, author of the popular sandwich blog Panini Happy recommends using the appliances you already have on hand, like a pan or appliance in your kitchen, to make the perfect sandwich.

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Posted on June 1, 2023 by Maris

How To Make a Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich

April is Grilled Cheese Month!

The grilled cheese is one of the best sandwiches out there, and, let’s face it, one of the least healthy choices around. Soaked in butter and fried, often made with full fat cheeses and white bread, it can be a heart attack waiting to happen, full of fat and high in both calories and refined carbohydrates. How can you make a grilled cheese sandwich part of your healthy lifestyle?

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Posted on April 1, 2024 by Carmen