Grab a sandwich and go. Grab a hot dog and go. Grab a salad and go. Grab a cup of soup and go. It's go go go at lunchtime, so we grab grab grab. Unfortunately, we are so conditioned to grabbing what we always have, we don't think twice. We're in a hurry so we return to the old reliable convenience foods.
The trouble with that is we often find ourselves eating high sugar, high salt, and high fat lunches. At 3:00 we feel worse than before we ate; not to mention the health risks we're taking. How can we break our convenience food habits? By finding alternative foods that are just as convenient. Here are some food items that you can easily substitute for healthier choices:
Bread vs English Muffins
Even so-called healthy multi-grain breads can be loaded with sugars, fats, and high in cholesterol. If you want a hearty bread that is low fat, with no cholesterol, no trans fat, and no high fructose corn syrup, try English muffins. They are sturdy, solid, and toast nicely. And, because they are so sturdy they transport well, making them a perfect sandwich choice.
Mayonnaise vs Yellow Mustard
A little dab of mustard goes a long way toward flavoring and moistening a sandwich. Prepackaged mayonnaise is high in fat, salt, and sugar. If you want to cut the sharpness of the mustard, mix in just a bit of low fat yogurt, sour cream, or even plain hummus, then spread on your sandwich.
Lunch Meat vs Tuna
You've got to be careful with lunch meat, either prepackaged or cut at the deli. Many are high in salt, sugar, and nasty additives like nitrates. You can avoid all that by opening a can of tuna. Mix drained white tuna with chopped onion and cucumber and spread on a toasted English muffin. Top with a slice of low fat Mozzarella cheese for a quick healthy and nutritious meal.
Childhood Hot Dog vs New Age Hot Dog
If lunchtime is the right time for you to enjoy a good old fashioned hot dog, you can make choices that are healthier, yes, even with a hot dog. Instead of grabbing the same old package of hot dog that you remember from your childhood, look for the new improved and healthier hot dogs. For instance, you'll find turkey hot dogs and vegetable hot dogs, many of which are free of additives. Choose wisely and enjoy the taste of summer with a little more nutrition thrown in.
Buns vs Tortillas
Part of the battle of eating our favorite convenient foods is that the traditional elements that make up our sandwich can be made with lots of salt, sugar, and fat. Eliminating the bun from the hot dog entirely doesn't give nearly the same experience; I mean, how do you pick it up and eat it? Using healthier alternatives can solve the problem. Try wrapping a toasted tortilla around a hot dog for a new healthier twist on an old favorite. It's easy to warm up or toast a tortilla. Just put it in a dry skillet and heat it quickly on both sides. Then lay the hot dog on, add your favorite condiments, and wrap it up. Using tortillas to replace bread and buns is something we've been seeing more and more with the advent of 'wraps.' Think of just about any sandwich you like and I'll bet you can wrap it up in a tortilla and eliminate the bun.
Salads Gone Bad vs Good Greens
Salads call for a variety of ingredients, some which are better than others. Choose a bag of mixed greens, including spinach and a variety of vegetables, instead of iceberg lettuce which has no nutrition. To add some nutrition add some chopped up veggies, which you can chop with a food processor such as one of the KitchenAid 700-Watt 12-Cup Food Processors.
We also must have our crunch, but are prepackaged croutons the best choice? How about adding crunch and nutrition with sunflower seeds and chopped nuts. Be sure to use natural, unsalted seeds and nuts so you can add as many as you want without worrying.
Are you a cheese lover? Choose shredded Mozzarella made from skim milk. Now that you've got your healthy ingredients, don't drown your salad and all your good efforts with dressing loaded with fat, sugar, and salt. A quick whisk of a couple good ingredients and you'll have a healthy alternative in less than a minute. See how quickly you can zip through a healthy salad? There really is no need to throw out all your good intentions of eating a healthy salad by choosing unhealthy ingredients.
Open One vs Open Two
It's awfully hard to find something as convenient as opening up a can of soup for lunch. However, when you read the label, you may not want to eat all those 'ingredients.' Is it really that much more work to open two things than opening one? How about opening a can of clear broth and a can of navy beans or black beans and mix them together for a hearty bowl of soup? Or, open one can of broth and one can or bag of veggies and bring the mix to a simmer. You've got lunch hot and ready in minutes, and all it took was opening two things instead of one.
When you reach in your refrigerator or pantry for lunch, you want to find something fast. If you stock your kitchen with healthier choices, you'll be grabbing the same fast foods you've always enjoyed with a lot healthier results.
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