PART 3: LUNCH

I’m never going to waver on a key concept in my food posts:

YOUR HABITS DICTATE YOUR SUCCESS

AND

ROUTINE IS KING.

The BEST thing you can do is have an rotation of a few GO TO lunches. (I am saying this under the premise that you are given a set time frame to eat at work, and you have a lot on your mind that needs to get done at that job)

How many do you need?

MY RECOMMENDATIONS:

• 2 Staple Lunches
• 1 “Quick Hit” Lunch
• 1 “On the Road” Choice

KEY ASSUMPTIONS:

• You’ve had a breakfast that has adequate protein in it
• You are eating lunch 3-5 hours after breakfast
• There was no mid morning snack.

Note: This is using the model of having a breakfast at 7am and eating lunch by 12 noon.  If you were to eat earlier, and have a late lunch, you would have violated a general guideline that I would like you to adhere to, that being eat every 3-5 hours. (This might vary for certain individuals.  If you eat very early, I would schedule in a mid morning to keep within the general 3-5 hr window)

NEXT STEP: SELECT THE MEALS THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE MOST VALUE:

• Easy to prepare and pack
• Packed with quality food, while maintaining your allotted calories
• Adequate protein, as part of your regimen to meet your protein needs throughout the day and help stave off hunger and help regulate your blood sugar levels.

MY PERSONAL SELECTIONS:

When helping someone with their food, I take inventory of a person’s likes, dislikes and needs and develop a plan that caters to them. For the purpose of this article, I will share what I personally do. (You are welcome to send me a message regarding how this post applies to you lunch selection wise if you like)

2 Staples:

1. 6 0z Grilled Chicken & 2 cups Side Vegetables (Chicken was made the night before and the veggies are in a container ready to go.  It’s quick and easy)
2. 5 oz Pork Tenderloin & Side Salad (Bagged Salad ready made…. Eat Smart Kale Salad with 1/2 the dressing package) (Again, I do not have time to waste.  Nightly prep and ease of set up at lunch MUST be simple)

1 “Quick Hit”:

1. 200g 1% Cottage Cheese with 1 scoop of protein powder. (I hate cottage cheese.  The cookies and cream protein powder I use makes the concoction taste great.  This is super easy and seems dessert like.  I place the food in a container the night before so its ready to go the next day)

1 “On the Road” Choice:

1. Whole Chicken at local grocery store & 1 apple. (I only do this if I can bring the 2nd half of the chicken to work, store it in a fridge and eat the second half the next day.  Obviously this is not a good idea on a Friday)
2. Swiss Chalet Quarter Chicken (White meat) & Baked potato (with some side ketchup)

With “On the Road” selections, I have already sourced places closest to my work.  This road selection is due to last minute challenges in planning.

WHAT ABOUT THE WEEKENDS, TOM?

Weekends can be tricky depending on whether or not your routine changes from the weekdays. A general answer would be to apply the same formula on the weekends as you would for the weekdays. However, we all have different circumstances that can’t be addressed fully in a blog post.

If you are on the road, you may be anywhere.  If that’s the case, I usually go with one of 3 options that were not listed above:

1. A grilled chicken wrap of some sort with light dressing (McDonald’s works as does Tim Hortons.
2. A grilled chicken salad with light dressing (McDonalds or Wendy’s)
3. Burrito Bowl (With grilled chicken, loads of veggies, 1/2 rice OR beans (not both), and hot sauce.

If it’s my REFUEL day, I will have WHATEVER I want for lunch on a Saturday. If you don’t have a huge refuel day, I find most like to keep their refuels for later in the evening, to which I would recommend a bigger serving of healthy foods for lunch leading up to your dinner later on.

If it’s my Sunday, after my refuel day, because I have eaten so much the day prior, I will only eat dinner and a meal just after a workout.  There is no lunch on these days.

PART 4: DINNER

THERE ARE 3 MAJOR REASONS WHY DINNER TIME IS A DISASTER FOR SO MANY PEOPLE:

1. You’ve waited too long to eat, between lunch and dinner.
2. Emotions get the best of you.
3. You didn’t plan well.

IT’S 6PM AND I’M STARVING.

You are not starving.  People in 3rd World countries are starving. You are hungry, however. Most likely, you had a day in which you did not have adequate protein throughout the day. (namely Breakfast and Lunch)  Secondly, your blood sugar level is low from waiting over 6 hours to eat. (As a general guideline, you should be eating every 3-5 hours)

OF COURSE, WHAT DO YOU CRAVE IN THIS SITUATION? CARBS!

You load up on carbs, your blood sugar peaks, 3-4 hours later your blood sugar drops, and you are scrounging your kitchen for some sort of “snack” to munch on because you are “hungry again”.

KEY POINT: EAT SOMETHING DECENT BETWEEN LUNCH & DINNER

MY DAY WAS A TRAINWRECK.

You come home after a long day. You are tired.  You might be frustrated by the traffic. You might be ticked off by the day’s events.  You might be bitterly unsatisfied.  Did I describe your situation?

What will you gravitate to?  

Something that is “fun” to make up for the day.  You will escape through food.

KEY POINT: ASK YOURSELF? IS FOOD REALLY THE LONG TERM ANSWER OR DO I NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES ELSEWHERE IN MY LIFE?

THERE’S NOTHING IN MY KITCHEN TO EAT!

You should have gone shopping. You should have had a fridge of food that has some ready to go options. Prior planning was lacking, and now you are just scrambling. Is it “order in” night, or do we go with the boxed convenience food?

KEY POINT: PLAN YOUR DINNER THE NIGHT BEFORE, BASED ON THE SHOPPING YOU DID PRIOR TO THE WEEK STARTING.

ALRIGHT, LETS’ TALK DINNER STRATEGY. HERE’S THE ASSUMPTIONS I’M GOING TO MAKE:

1. You’ve gone shopping for the groceries you need for the week.
2. You have a rough template of the foods you generally eat for dinner.
3. The foods are readily available to cook somewhat quickly.
4. You’ve already eaten properly throughout the day

Note: If this is not the case, you are already in hot water.

Strategy 1: Have 3-4 “Go to” Dinner Options that you enjoy.

These dinner options are part of your weekly plan.

Here are my non-refuel weekly selections:

1. Grilled Chicken with a Ready in the Bag Salad.  (I have a few salads that I really enjoy that offer up plenty of variety.  Honestly, I can be lazy, with bagged salad being quick and easy. As for the chicken, it’s either cooked the night before or I put it on the grill to cook quickly)
2. Pork Tenderloin with Mixed Vegetables on the side and a Yam (The pork tenderloin can be subbed with any lean protein.  The mixed vegetables give me healthy greens and I can stack my plate with some high volume food.  The yam, I just enjoy and normally add cinnamon to it)
3. Omellete & Turkey Bacon Dinner. (My low-cal option when I’m low on food and I need something quick.  Again, time is of the essence. That’s my reality)

Strategy 2: Have your “Quick Pick ” Option just in case you don’t have time.

There are days when I need to be out of the house fast and just don’t have time to cook. Yes, sometimes I’m in a mood where I really don’t want to cook either.  This option works for me:

1. 1/2 Chicken (Ready-made) from Costco and a baked potato or rice. (I’m extremely busy.  Some nights I need to bring my daughter to her volleyball practice. This is a healthy, convenient option)

Strategy 3: Have your “Eating Out” Options Readily Available

1. A Grilled Chicken Wrap, packed with veggies and light on the dressing is the easiest thing I can eat that satisfies me, that does not make a mess in my car that I can get almost anywhere when I don’t have time to eat.
2. Grilled Chicken Salad. Fast food chains always have salad available.  If you ask for double meat, they will give it to you at a premium cost.  Mixed with a light dressing, you can have a simple quick meal from almost anywhere.

HERE’S THE KEY TAKE HOME PIECES:

1. HAVE YOUR GROCERIES IN YOUR HOUSE SO THAT YOU ARE NEVER STUCK FOR FOOD.

2. CREATE A ROTATION OF DINNERS THAT ARE QUICK, NUTRITIOUS AND ENJOYABLE.

3. ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN B JUST IN CASE THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS.

AS ALWAYS, THESE STEPS REQUIRE GOOD HABITS.  

SECONDLY, AVOIDING THE PITFALLS MENTIONED IN THE BEGINNING OF THE ARTICLE MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

PART 5 SNACKS:

Snacks……I prefer to call them Meals, even though they tend to be smaller than regular meals.  For the intent of this blog I will call them snacks to differentiate between bigger meals such as Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

There are no hard rules on snacks.  There are guiding principles, however, that often apply and they may differ for various individuals.

KEY POINTS:

1. Most people should adhere to the “Eat every 3-5 hrs” principle.  Snacks allow you to maintain a constant stream of nutrients in your bloodstream.
2. Snacks are used as a tool to suppress hunger cravings that will lead to a potential nightmare at dinner time.
3. Snacks often serve as a supplement to make sure you get adequate levels of protein into your bloodstream.
4. Snacks can often serve as pre-workout boosts or post-workout recovery aids.

HOW MANY SNACKS SHOULD I HAVE IN ONE DAY AND HOW MANY CALORIES?

This often depends on the individual, his lifestyle, and his eating preferences.  Some people prefer bigger meals. Others prefer smaller meals throughout the day.  Some wake up very early and need a midmorning snack whereas others have the opposite problem; they are up later in the evening and need a snack at 9pm.  Your snack choice and size of snack will be dependent on these factors.

I have devised countless plans that vary from person to person.  However for the most part, people usually select one of three basic plans:

A) Breakfast – Snack – Lunch – Snack – Dinner

B) Breakfast – Lunch – Snack – Dinner

C) Breakfast – Snack – Lunch – Snack – Dinner – Snack

The Snack choice often depends on what their protein prescription is and how they are fulfilling those needs throughout the day.  The other key factor is activity levels.

EXAMPLES:

John has protein needs of 180g per day.

John’s Protein breakdown:  Breakfast 40g  Lunch 45g  Dinner 45g

John still needs 50 grams of protein.  We can fulfill those needs in a number of ways. One way is to add another meal.  Another way is to divide the protein into two 25g snacks placed strategically throughout the day.  The possibilities are numerous.

Sharon has protein needs of 120g daily.

Sharon’s Protein breakdown:  Breakfast 30g  Lunch 30g  Dinner 30g

Sharon still needs 30 grams of protein.  She may get 25g in the form of a protein shake and get the other 5g with the almonds she has later in the day. We could also set up another “meal” if we wanted to, consisting of 30g of protein.

Once again, the options are numerous based on one’s needs.

Question: Is your snack always dependent on your protein needs?

The answer is no. Often times, we might meet all of our protein needs through 4 solid meals and use the snack strategically to meet other needs.

Here’s the MAIN POINT:

ALWAYS HAVE A PURPOSE FOR YOUR SNACKS

and…… have that purpose fit in line with the overall goals for the week and the day, with the guidance of a Coach who is well aware of your needs.

HOW I DO SNACKS…

1. Protein Boost.  I will often have a protein based source at some point in the day.  This is often after a workout but not confined solely for this purpose. That snack is usually one of the following:

• Chicken breast
• Cottage Cheese and Protein powder blend
• Protein Shake
• Protein Bar
• Greek Yogurt
• Egg White Omellete
• Whole Eggs

2. Volume Boost.  There are times when I’m just downright hungry and the only thing that will squash the hunger is some volume food like a big salad with low cal dressing. This snack can go a long way on days where I may have been extra active and tolerable hunger becomes a little intolerable.

3. Treat.  This is rare, but if I’m super rigid with my food and know that I’m in a situation where I just want the flavoured coffee or a cookie, I will subscribe to the 80-20 rule, 80 percent of my  nutrients being high nutrient yield food, thereby meeting my needs and 20% of my food meeting “emotional/psychological” needs.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Work with a trained Coach to develop a plan to meet the needs that you have and develop a plan around your daily consumption. Snacks have a place; use them wisely.