Once upon a time the little brown bag was invented (no, not Bloomingdales' little brown bag--I'm talking lunch bags). 1950's housewives dutifully packed a healthy lunch with a sandwich, apple, etc. Then the lunch box was invented and children of the 70's filled the school cafeteria trying to out-cool one another with their Star Wars lunch boxes. Most moms packed a healthy lunch, but there was always that one kid you tried to trade with--"please I'll give you everything my mom packed for me if I can just have ONE, just ONE of your ho-hoes!" So begins the love affair with lunch. No matter what, what the other guy has is more appealing than what you have.
Sure, at 9AM after you've finished your coffee with skim milk and your sensible bowl of Kashi with berries you know for certain you will walk into the company cafeteria and buy a salad. Naked. NO! You aren't going to be naked and eating the salad, the salad will be without dressing, thus "naked." You walk into the company cafeteria and 9AM was apparently a fantasy world, because you smell it, you see it, and the 5'11" size 4 beauty in the stunning wrap around dress has her plate piled full of it. Certainly if she can eat it, you can too, right?!
Eating a healthy lunch is infinitely more difficult when you have to eat out everyday (little background--for nearly anyone in a big city like NYC this is reality-- I think I know 4 people who ever pack a lunch in NYC; sure when I was living Cincinnati or Savannah or Knoxville or pretty much anywhere else I packed--never have I done it in the big city...it's just not done). You see you have a few issues to deal with:
a. Boredom--how many salads can one eat? Okay, okay, sure there are people who love salads--most of those people are like my hubby, whose salad has more calories than a Big Mac.
b. The Office Waif--she is so sneaky, sly, mean, and we love to hate her--the girl without the eating disorder who just eats and eats and eats and never gains weight--she guzzles Stella's after work, she drinks the Venti (no, not tall, and not grande either--we're talking super-sized freak) Frappacino with extra whipped cream, she eats a bacon, egg and cheese on a roll for breakfast everyday--we see her do it and stay a "less than zero" and think we can too. Newsflash--she is an alien...she was secretly sent here by the makers of Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig as a way to drum up business. Seriously--spill a drink on her at the bar one day, she'll short circuit--I swear....come on, I double-dog dare you!
c. The company cafeteria--it's just a location. Really, it is. But walking into that location between the hours of 11:30 and 2:30 can strike fear in the heart of any dieter healthy eater! There are smells that subconsciously beckon you, and the sights (ie. presentation of the food) that are so stimulating.
d. The "anti-tourist/I belong here and I'll prove it" mindset--if you have ever lived in NYC you completely understand this; if you haven't you think this sounds ridiculous (and that is pretty much because it does). Sure there are Subway fast food joints, and Applebee's and both have healthy options, but see "A" and then try to find a co-worker who's willing to attend one of the places (see "D").
Solutions:
1. See if the company cafeteria has a weekly menu that is available the week before, if possible, find out if they provide nutritional information. Then you can plan out what you're going to eat before you get there. Plus you'll know it's "Indian Day" and you can plan to avoid the cafeteria because you're a sucker for Chicken Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice, extra Naan and a side of Samosas (um, not that I know anybody like this...).
2. Have a standard set of 5-7 meals that you know are healthy and you can get when you're will power is shot.
3. Find a lunch partner who is a healthy eater. This is where I would recommend that you avoid anyone you have heard of nicknamed things like 'the cleaner' 'hoss' 'meat' 'meatball' etc.
4. Find a lunch partner who is not "Susie I'm-so-perfect-and-trying-to-help-you-diet"--this is the one that likes to comment on every food choice you make and points out how perfectly perfect she is. Avoid her--head straight to meathead's table, you're much better off! Seriously, with a friend like this, who needs enemies? Eating should be an enjoyable, social occasion. After all, if you wanted criticism you would just have lunch with your mother, right?!
5. Buy your lunch before you get to work, most Bodega's are open for breakfast and have many of the lunch foods already prepared. That way you are buying the food when you are not actively hungry (this is sound advice for grocery shopping as well).
6. Make lunch your "big meal" of the day and eat a smaller dinner (just don't plan to do this and then eat the big dinner anyway, duh!).
Meal Ideas (beyond the standard salad):
1. Japanese: sushi, edamame
2. Mexican: 1/2 burrito, 2 oz. chicken, black beans, 1/4 c. brown rice, spinach, sprinkle of low-fat cheese, loaded with salsa (hold the sour cream, guacamole and pretty much everything else).
3. Tilapia with 1/2 c. brown rice and 1 c. steamed veggies.
4. Panini: Opt for fresh made where you can choose your ingredients, avoid cheese--try a small amount of chicken with some marinara sauce.
5. Egg-white omelet: Again, avoid cheese, but load up on onions, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes, etc. If you are a sucker for "breakfast for lunch" and are a fan of the 'breakfast meat'--remember Canadian bacon--best choice, Ham, 2nd best, followed by low-fat sausage, bacon, standard sausage.
6. Pizza: Limit to one slice and opt for something with a whole-wheat crust, with lots of veggies (eggplant, onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.).
7. Italian: Eggplant (make sure it's not breaded and fried) parmesan (ask for lite/no cheese).
8. Falafel: Yummy and reasonably healthy and great for a budget conscious too.
9. Salmon: Loaded with omega-3's this is a great choice once a week for lunch (opt for pacific or wild caught salmon, avoid farmed).
10. Burger: Turkey burger, Buffalo burger, Veggie burger, Ostrich burger (avoid mayo, eat only 1/2 the bun, eat with a fork and knife, top with favorite veggies).
11. Soup: Gazpacho soup, White bean soup, Minestrone soup, Chili with lots of veggies
12. Middle-eastern: hummus with carrots (try to limit the flat bread--you can quickly eat up a ton of carb calories).
13. Greek: Lamb kabobs with lots of veggies.
14. Yogurt, apple, granola, & celery sticks (with a touch of peanut/soy/almond butter).
15. Sandwich: opt for lots of fresh veggies, limit cheese to one slice, limit lunch meats to small portions--obviously turkey is a better choice than ham which is a better choice than braunswagger which is better than bologna (did I need to tell you that, though?!).
***Be aware of the food you *drink*--don't blow all your calories on Jamba juices, frappacinos, and "vitamin" water
Please, share your thoughts and ideas too!
THANK YOU FOR THIS POST!!!! I swear- I was going to email you and ask you for a post like this.
I've been making decent choices for lunch at work lately. I get the daily soup list from Hale & Hearty and when a flavor sounds good, I look up the nutritional info online. I go for a low-fat one and then get the biggest size they have (16 oz.). Frozen meals are helpful. I just discovered this site HeatEatReview.com that reviews mostly microwavable meals that gives you nutritional info and WW points as well as rates the presentation and taste. I also keep microwavable soups at my desk so I can resist a fast junky meal.
One day recently, I went to a fancy bodega and got some grilled chicken breast and asked for double the brocoli and then asked the guy to put marinara sauce on it. It was actually REALLY delicious and I didn't feel deprived.
Posted by: Danielle | August 07, 2008 at 09:12 PM