Our Best Healthy Lunch Hacks

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Emma Sutherland

Founder, Director, Naturopath, Nutritionist at Studio You

About Emma:
With over 20 years of experience as a Naturopath and nutritionist, Emma has helped thousands of women optimise their hormonal health and embrace perimenopause with confidence.

Her mission is to empower you to navigate this phase of life with ease, vitality, and joy.

Latest posts by Emma Sutherland (see all)

• How To Prevent & Treat Urinary Tract Infections - December 1, 2023
• Find Out How To Reduce The Risk of Eczema by Almost 50% - November 10, 2023
• Nurture your baby: Nurture your microbiome - November 10, 2023

Like everyone else, some days we struggle with our food but most often it’s getting a healthy lunch on the table. It’s usually a situation of either; not enough time, or not enough organisation. Buying lunch everyday is an expensive habit and you can never be sure what you are really eating. Hidden hydrogenated oils, sneaky sugar, before you know it your “healthy choice” is no longer looking so healthy.

Our Fav Healthy Lunch Hacks

• Have a list on the fridge with all your lunch options – it’s easy to forget about options when you don’t have them infront of you
• Find a lunch buddy and commit to making healthy lunches for each other – accountability will keep you on track!
• Double your dinner – this is the easiest hack of them all. But make sure you put your leftovers in a container BEFORE you eat dinner, then you will avoid going back for seconds.
• Bento boxes are a handy tool – we love Seed and Sprout
• Have all the ingredients ready – then just assemble in the morning. Make sure your vegetables are cut up, your lettuce washed and rice or quinoa cooked.
• Make a list of 3-5 back-up lunches you commit to having on standby at all times in your home
• Make sure your weekly grocery shopping list always contains the ingredients for your committed back-up lunches
• Walk first and then eat second – always go for a walk before eating your lunch. This stimulates your digestive system and ensures you are ready to absorb your nutrients
• Add up how much you have spent in the last week on food outside the house – and then don’t pass out! This can be a confronting exercise but it’s worth it. The motivation you will receive will make lunch prep easy.

Essential Elements of a Healthy Lunch 

1. Protein – Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, leftover meat, chicken, seafood, tofu, boiled eggs, quinoa, lentils, beans, haloumi
2. Fats – avocado, eggs, nut butters, flax seed oil, extra virgin olive oil
3. Fibre – avocado, pears, chia seeds, kiwi fruit, green leafy vegetables
4. Carbs – brown rice, quinoa, whole gran wheat, oats, root vegetables, corn, sweet potato
5. Water – 33ml/kilo of body weight. Example for a 70kg woman, you require 2.3 litres of filtered water daily

Healthy Lunch Menu Ideas

• Picnic plate – boiled egg, avocado, red capsicum, cucumber, fetta
• Salad in a jar – protein at the bottom, then harder vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, add salad leaves, dressing on the side
• Frittatas – pre made with fetta, spinach, capsicum
• Pre-cut veg sticks – easy snack with hummus
• Open sandwiches – reduce your bread intake by 50%
• Ditch the mayo – use avocaod or mustard instead
• Dressing always on the side, never on top
• Avoid dried fruit – it will put you on a blood sugar roller coaster and slam dunk you with afternoon fatigue
• Soups in winter – easy to batch cook
• Salad of organic chicken, avo, spinach, sunflower seeds. We love a simple dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar
• Meatless Monday – make a Buddha bowl from a selection of quinoa/rice, chickpeas, toasted seeds, cucumber, spinach, fermented vegetables
• Lettuce wraps – add your protein, avocado or egg, and then fresh herbs
• Flat bread wrap or sandwich with combo of organic chicken, tuna, salmon, egg, white cheese, nut butter, hummus, avocado, salad

Our Healthy Lunch Planner

If you want us to make it super easy then take a look at our meal planning service. You will get: