Brown Bagging for Grown-Ups

So it’s 12:30 and your stomach is starting to talk. There’s a Taco Bell five-minute’s drive from where you are, a Denny’s just around the corner, and a Chinese all-you-can-eat next to that. What’s it going to be? It’s so hard to choose! If you’re concerned about your waistline at all, the best answer is “none of the above.”

When it comes to excess calorie consumption, eating fast-food or restaurant meals for lunch can be a weight-control nightmare. Fast-food is notoriously high in calories, but even with a reasonably nutritious choice from a restaurant, you can wind up eating almost all your calories for the day in one sitting. Once you add the refillable soda, maybe a beer, some butter-drenched bread sticks, an oversized serving of salad dressing, a piece of cake, and perhaps a cappuccino-to-go on the way out, you can be looking at an extra 1000 or more calories that you really didn’t want or need.

When you pack your own lunch, or even just take a frozen meal to heat in the microwave, you have far more control over how many calories you consume and the size of the portions you eat.

A healthy brown-bagged lunch is better for your waistline than eating out. But what about your taste buds?

When it comes to packed lunches, most people’s imaginations stop short at peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches – and then make a fast u-turn to the nearest pizza joint. However, if you can stretch your imagination past the peanut-butter jar, you’re in for some delicious surprises.

Start by stocking your fridge and shelves with foods that are healthy and that you enjoy, and that can be easily used for brown-bag lunches – and remember, since you’re saving money by not eating out, you can spend a little more on gourmet ingredients. Pesto sauces, olives, hummus, low-fat gourmet cheeses, whole-grain gourmet breads, gourmet salad ingredients, low-fat dips, yogurt, fresh vegetables, and fresh “splash-out” fruits such as raspberries, cherries, peaches and mangoes are just a few examples.

If you can store things at work (or wherever you usually are at lunch time) or take them in a cooler, even better. That way, you can make fresh sandwiches and salads on the spot.

 “I recommend brown-bag lunches to clients for weight and health reasons” says CalorieKing dietitian Joan Bushman. “When you make your own lunch, you can better control the type of food you eat, the portions you eat, and even the amount of money you spend,” she explains. “Of course, you still need to count your calories!” she adds.

Joan describes her favorite brown-bag lunch as something simple, with an extravagant touch. “One of my favorite brown-bag lunches has a very ‘French’ theme. A baguette with turkey, cheese, sliced tomato and fresh basil, some veggie sticks, a piece of gourmet chocolate and a handful of strawberries.”

Some of Joan’s other top recommendations for gourmet workday lunches include:

• Non cream-based soup, such as Trader Joe’s Roasted Bell Pepper and Tomato (take in thermos or heat in microwave) with some protein added, such as a small 3 oz. tin of tuna or salmon. Team with a light side salad.
• Nori rolls (such as lowfat California rolls), raw veggies or fruit, and an iced tea.
• Homemade salads with protein such as hard-boiled egg, turkey, chicken, tuna/salmon, and avocado. Have with whole-grain crackers.
• Brown rice or whole-wheat couscous salad (you can prepare a large amount at the start of the week) with dried cranberries, pine nuts, and marinated artichoke hearts and other raw veggies.
• Sandwich, wrap, or pannini on whole-grain bread, raw veggies or fruit, and iced tea.

If you have access to a microwave at lunchtime, your brown-bagged lunch just got a whole lot more interesting. Soups, frozen vegetables, soy meatballs, burritos, chili, oatmeal… all nuke-able delicacies are at your behest!

"It's so easy to keep a bag of frozen veggies and some frozen brown rice or pasta in the freezer," comments renowned CK dietitian, Allan Borushek (the "Calorie King"). "Just throw them together, add some protein such as soy meatballs, edamame beans, or canned tuna, cook in the microwave, and there you go - you have a tasty, healthy meal just like that."

Try some of these other ideas:

• Bean and cheese burrito. Add cooked frozen veggies on the side. Frozen brown rice can also be heated as a side.
• Asian-bowl meals, such as Thai shrimp with broccoli.
• Vegetarian patty and veggies or a salad. Add a whole-grain bun and low-fat cheese for a real hamburger.
• Low-fat leftover dishes.
• Low-fat meatballs or soy meatballs, with frozen broccoli, spinach, artichoke hearts, zucchini or other veggies, and spaghetti sauce.
• Freeze a loaf of whole-grain bread. When needed, pull out 1-2 slices and toast, add a slice of low-fat cheese (can also be frozen), and tomato and microwave for a mock grilled cheese sandwich!

Allan strongly recommends stocking up on fresh fruit as a snack or lunch food, otherwise "you'll be looking for a high-cal, high-fat finish to your meal such as cookies or chocolate" he says.

"Also beware of calories from soda and juice" he adds. "Keep diet drinks in the fridge and quench your thirst with water."

..we hear you say. And, of course, one of the great things about having lunch out is that you get to socialize with others, and take a break from your office or home space. But just because you take your own lunch to work, or eat lunch at home, doesn’t mean you can’t still socialize or have a break.

If your colleagues are going to a food court for lunch, it's totally acceptable to take your brown-bag lunch with you. If you feel like you need to buy something, have a coffee (low-fat!), tea, or diet soda. You can't take your lunch to a restaurant of course, but you can always eat your lunch beforehand, and go just for a drink (diet soda, iced tea, low-calorie coffee).

Don't forget that one of the bonuses to not eating out at lunch time is it frees you up to spend your lunch hour doing something other than driving and getting food. You can:

• Take a walk
• Get some shopping done
• Read a book
• Go to the gym
• Call a friend
• Take your lunch to a park and dine al fresco

Whatever you decide to do with your bonus hour, and whatever delicacies you take for lunch this week, enjoy!