You know what time it is. The second hand inches closer and closer to that 12 figure on the office wall clock. Your stomach begins to growl and gurgle so loudly, you think the people in the next cubicle can hear you. Your mind is no longer focused on the task at hand, but drifting slowly to your lunchbox sitting in the company refrigerator.
At last, you excuse yourself and grab your lunch, only to open it and see ... a limp salad and a soggy turkey sandwich with no condiments, an apple and a bottle of water. You gaze at it for a moment, then toss it aside and run the cafe downstairs for something better.
Sounds familiar? It does for me, because that was my story.
Once I started working, lunch became the time of day I looked forward to the least, often because I didn't like what I brought with me. When I first started working as a news reporter, I thought I had a benefit of living so close to my job (literally, I could drive home in 5 minutes from my office) that I wouldn't be as tempted to buy lunch because I could go home and cook and nap. In the beginning that worked, but as a news reporter, my schedule became too inconsistent and it was easier to bring something. But when I brought those healthy meals advertised in the stores, they were so boring, bland and nasty, I ended up buying food anyway (those Ruby Tuesday burgers were delicious ... but I ate at the salad bar too, so does that help?)
As I began focusing more on my health, I had to change my thinking about lunch and realizing that lunch could be just as delicious and healthy as my dinners after I hit the gym. In fact, my lunch should fuel and prepare my body TO workout later that night. And that didn't mean I had to force dry chicken breast and steamed broccoli down my throat; it was possible to eat delicious, light, healthy and not feel like my meals were boring.
Now, this is important to me, because it is difficult to hold my attention for very long. I had to find a way to make myself focus on eating right and tricking my brain into thinking that I was eating something delicious and fresh every day; otherwise, I was going to lose. But, I also know that if I eat anything too heavy during the day, my body would want to drift to sleep later to digest everything (and napping at my office desk was not a good look for me).
There are two ways that I approach my lunch; either I take classic lunch dishes (sandwiches, salads, meal-prep meals) and remix them to make them interesting and flavorful to me, or I bring in leftovers from the night before (which often means that I have to be intentional and aware of what I cook at home too). The goal is to refuel my body to get through the rest of the day, without slowing myself down for a nap.
Usually, my lunches contain rice, vegetables and proteins. Simple for the most part, but every once in a while, I like to toss in something else. Season and weather make a difference too. When it does get cold in Florida (for like two weeks), a warming, hearty soup does the trick as well. When the summer heat kicks up, I tend to eat lighter, more refreshing dishes that don't feel so heavy on me so sitting in the sun doesn't tire me out. I also keep myself hydrated by drinking plenty of water (at least now I do, that's a recent change in my life).
The key is not making lunch boring for you. If you don't like a certain dish or food or meal, why pack it and take it with you? Now will you possibly change your mind between last night or this morning (when you packed your meal) and lunch? Probably; it's happened to me. But that's why I often pack two lunches, in case what I thought I wanted doesn't work out for me. That way, I have lunch and dinner and I'm less tempted to go and buy food unnecessarily.
We about the love of lunch, so what we grabbing to eat real quick?
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