An increasing number of colleagues are giving up dining out and instead bringing their own boxed lunches to enjoy their lunch break. Of course, on one hand, this ensures the lunch is clean and hygienic, and on the other, it's a chance to show off their cooking skills—what's not to love! However, there are different ways to pack a lunch, whether you choose the easy way or the time-consuming one!
Note 1: Healthy pairings require careful preparation
A two-dish, one-soup meal with one meat and one vegetable, plus a fruit, is almost a luxury for office workers, but it requires you to prepare it patiently in advance.
Nutrition experts say that the midday meal should be substantial in both quality and quantity—you should eat well and eat enough. However, for office workers, eating until you are 90% full is sufficient. This is not only better for your body but also won't affect your normal work in the afternoon.
After a busy day, it's unlikely you'll want to put in a lot of effort for a lunch you won't even eat until the next day. But to achieve a two-for-one effect, you might as well put some thought into your dinner menu from the night before. For example, prepare a meat dish with appropriate vegetables, making an extra one-third portion for the next day. Even if it's just one dish, as long as the pairing is reasonable, you won't need to prepare anything else.
Tip: Nowadays, there are all kinds of sealed lunchboxes that can help you with your lunch plan. For a healthy boxed lunch, you'll need to prepare a few more boxes to avoid mixing dishes and rice, which can affect the taste. Note 2: For a hassle-free pairing, do your homework the night before
When your parents are around, they will prepare the food for the next day's lunch before dinner is served, without you even having to ask. However, most of the poor office workers nowadays have to be self-reliant, so they can only take a few minutes while feeding themselves the night before to prepare for the next day's lunch.
Some people are simply too lazy to queue with colleagues for lunch at noon, so you can easily buy a refreshing cold dish from a small restaurant near your home the night before, and then pack the leftover dishes and staple food from home together. It's very convenient.
Of course, you can also follow the Japanese bento style and bring sushi or hand rolls for lunch. However, nutrition experts advise that such foods must be heated in a microwave oven. Even if the storage conditions are perfect, you should still prevent the food from spoiling during idle time, which could affect your health.
Tip: Consider simple and classic dishes like scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Don't let the staple food be too monotonous; vary it to meet nutritional needs. Note 3: Prepare extra for Chinese-style main dishes
Remember that many Chinese dishes can be made in large batches. Generally, under suitable storage conditions, you can make enough for three or four days. Then, by pairing them with different vegetables, you can save time and effort.
The most classic main dishes like braised hairtail, stewed chicken wings, stewed beef, and pork ribs can not only be eaten as main dishes on their own, but chicken wings, beef, and ribs can also be paired with cabbage, potatoes, Chinese yam, etc. One dish can be transformed into different kinds of meals. It won't get boring over time and can also meet the standards of a healthy diet.
Tip: Prepare more stewed meat dishes. However, if you add vegetables, they should be cooked just before eating. This not only ensures the texture of the dish but also prevents the vegetables from losing nutrients over time. The Ultimate Guide to Boxed Lunches: Know What to Bring and What Not to
The variety of homemade boxed lunches is actually limited, but the good news is that they don't cost much, they're clean, and you have control over what you eat. So you can work around the limitations and pair your lunch freely with foods that are beneficial to your health. 1. Relieve fatigue and prevent post-meal sleepiness
You must have a good lunch to not only replenish nutrients but also relieve the fatigue from a morning of work. To do this, you need to eat more protein that can relieve fatigue, such as rice, meat, and bean products, which are the best choices.
Nutrition experts also point out that most office workers feel sleepy after lunch mainly because they consume too many high-fat, high-calorie, and high-sugar staple foods at midday. These can reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, making people feel tired easily. Therefore, to prevent drowsiness, you should eat more vegetables. The correct order for lunch is to eat meat first, then vegetables, and finally staple food. 2. Cook vegetables until they are about 80% done
Nowadays, offices are equipped with air conditioners, refrigerators, and microwaves. So once you bring your own lunch, you must heat it in a microwave oven. To prevent this step from affecting the overall nutrition, you only need to cook the food to about 80-90% done when preparing it. This way, it not only saves time during preparation but also preserves more nutrients for lunch, achieving two goals at once. 3. It's best not to bring leafy green vegetables
In a restaurant kitchen, leafy green vegetables are generally not cooked for too long to prevent nutrient loss. Therefore, for a lunch that has to be heated twice, it's best not to bring leafy greens, as they are not good for your body after reheating.
Weight loss rules for the boxed lunch crowd
Soybeans, mung beans, peas... are all very nutritious. Although they are vegetables, their protein content is as rich as meat, and their calorie count is low. Beans: Soybeans, mung beans, peas... are all very nutritious. Although they are vegetables, their protein content is as rich as meat, and their calorie count is low.
Eating scientifically is an endless process. Now that it's popular for office workers to bring their own lunches, they must consider how to eat healthily and lose weight. Don't let your weight loss plan be ruined by your lunchbox. The first trick: be selective in your food choices
In addition to the well-known principle of "eating less sweets and greasy foods, and more fruits and vegetables," you must eat more foods rich in dietary fiber, such as celery and konjac. They can make you feel full without gaining weight. Eat more low-energy foods like winter melon, kelp, and cucumbers, which can help resist fat absorption. Also, choose low-calorie foods, but you must eat staple foods. Strictly limit your salt intake to no more than 6 grams per day.
The editor reminds that spring is a good time to protect and nourish the liver. It's not advisable to eat too many sour foods; it's better to eat more seasonal vegetables that are pungent and warm in nature, such as chives.
Soybeans, mung beans, peas... are all very nutritious. Although they are vegetables, their protein content is as rich as meat, and their calorie count is low. Recommended weight loss foods:
Spinach: Low in calories, rich in vitamins and iron.
Chili: Chili is a great weight loss food. It contains fiber, is low in calories, and can supply various vitamins and minerals.
Beans: Soybeans, mung beans, peas... are all very nutritious. Although they are vegetables, their protein content is as rich as meat, and their calorie count is low.
Lettuce: Rich in water and fiber. It's most beneficial eaten raw and is a great weight loss food. The second trick: eat correctly
In addition to choosing the right weight loss foods, the correct eating method is also very important. Zong Shuqi suggests drinking plenty of water every day, eating less salt and sugar, and if you are on a diet, restrict it to only one meal. For cooking methods, it's best to eat vegetables raw, supplemented by mixing, blanching, and quick-boiling; for meat, steaming, boiling, blanching, quick-boiling, stewing, and braising are the main methods.
Many office workers are used to bringing lunch to work, which can reduce the nutritional value of the food. The correct method is to choose fresh ingredients and not let them sit for too long. It is recommended to eat three meals on time and to chew slowly.
Small, frequent meals method: It is recommended to eat three meals on time. The small, frequent meals method means that within an 8-hour period, you can supplement with some food between meals, so you won't eat too much during regular meals. Medicine believes that because the fasting time is shortened, small, frequent meals can prevent fat accumulation and are beneficial for disease prevention and health care.
Chew slowly method: Eating too fast or too slowly is not good for health and weight loss. The correct method is to slow down your eating speed to achieve the goal of losing weight. Chewing slowly allows food to fully mix with saliva and your teeth to fully grind the food, reducing the burden on the stomach. Research shows that after food enters the body, blood sugar levels rise. When blood sugar reaches a certain level, the brain's satiety center sends a signal to stop eating. If you eat too fast, by the time the brain sends this signal, you have often already eaten too much.
You must eat breakfast: Many people skip breakfast, and over time, this leads to overeating at lunch and dinner. Skipping breakfast can easily lead to lack of energy. It is recommended that those who have skipped breakfast for a long time use a gradual approach, starting with a glass of milk or a piece of bread, to slowly develop the habit of eating breakfast. The third trick: avoid mistakes Don't eat staple food:
Many people who are eager to lose weight will adopt the method of not eating staple foods and only eating a small amount of fruit to feel full. This is not advisable. Zong Shuqi says that the reasons for obesity in humans are genetics and diet. Carbohydrates in staple foods help burn fat, so you must get out of the misunderstanding of not eating staple foods.
Don't be too impatient:
In order to get a good figure, many people use various methods together, such as taking diet pills, dieting, and intense exercise. It is also incorrect to want to lose weight successfully in one month. The safest method is to lose a maximum of 2 kilograms in one month to avoid harming the heart. It needs to be emphasized that daily exercise is essential. Only by combining diet and exercise can you enjoy a slim spring and summer.