Making the most of your lunch break

Press, 30 January 1986, Page 17

Making the most of your lunch break

By

JUDI SHEPPARD

MISSETT

Lunch time is an important break from our working day for several reasons. It’s a time to get away from our desks and clear our minds, while we give ourselves a nutritional boost.

Many of us don’t take full advantage of this opportunity to “refuel.” There is a tendency to skip lunch and grab a snack. Those of us who patronise the local fastfood outlet often get a full meal, but little nutrition per calorie — not to mention the added cost of dining out.

One answer to this highcost, low-nutrition dilemma is to bring a lunch from home. The everpopular, packaged lunch has sufficed for our children for years, why not us?

Almost any packed lunch will reduce your weekly food bill. Guaranteeing a more nutritious lunch, however, will take a bit of planning.

Certain nutrition rules hold true for any meal, whether you’re eating at home or taking it with you. Choose foods that are low in fat. Chicken and fish are better choices than prepared luncheon meats. Include fibre whenever possible. Complex carbohydrates such as whole-wheat breads and whole grains can complement a sandwich or soup. Include fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks and desserts. Creative lunches can be

made from dinner leftovers, especially if your office has a microwve oven. It is important to refrigerate leftovers during the morning hours before lunch, however, because micro-organisms have a greater chance of growing in prepared food.

Baked potatoes, which take only minutes to cook in a microwave oven, are a great base on which to build a “leftover lunch." Take last night’s spaghetti or chop suey and top off your potato for a tasty meal. Almost anything you can for dinner can be converted into a great lunch.

If your office does not have a microwave oven, or even a refrigerator, you stil can bring food from home and keep it fresh. You may want to invest in a small cooler and refreezable ice packs to keep your food cold. Or, choose from the many thermal food containers on the market.

For light eaters, soup is an easy option. Simply heat up your favourite homemade or canned soup while you’re preparing breakfast and fill a thermo's. Your soup will stay hot for several hours. Take a piece of fruit — an apple, orange, banana — for dessert.

Lunch time also is a good opportunity to socialise. You can leave work behind and catch up

on more personal conversation. In some companies several employees get together two or three times a week and take turns preparing lunch. Each dish brought in generates new ideas for packed lunches.

Finally, lunch hours can be a wonderful time to get a little exercise before or after you eat. You can take a quick walk, join an exercise class, do a few relaxing stretches or work on some muscle toning with the following exercise done to “The Real End” by Rickie Lee Jones.

Taking a break during your lunch period has a profound impact on the rest of your day. Make the most of it!

Copyright, Jazzercise Inc.