Power Lunch
Power Lunch
What to eat for lunch to avoid the afternoon energy dip?
We all know the feeling that hits us somewhere around 16:00. This is the time when many people crave something sweet to match our cup of coffee that we need to stay awake. The dreaded afternoon, post-lunch energy slump…. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We actually can control to a large extent our energy level throughout the day by what and when we eat.
It all starts with breakfast. See my blog post. In a nutshell, load up on protein and fat, limiting carbohydrates. Breakfast, if well balanced, should keep you full and provide you with a steady energy for a minimum of 3-4 hours. Then, try to drink 4 glasses of water (or tea) before lunch. You can read more about water intake in my blog post.
And then onto lunch….Well balanced lunch should provide you with a steady energy in the afternoon. Get it wrong and your energy level will plummet partly due to the fact that your body will be very busy digesting a heavy meal. It will not surprise you if I tell you that if your lunch consists of a big bowl of pasta with a rich, creamy sauce and a glass of wine, you will feel like you need a nap right after and will not feel very energetic in the afternoon. I have nothing against pasta from time to time but probably not an ideal lunch choice if you want to still get some work done in the afternoon. So what would be a better choice?
The key is to focus on getting sufficient amount of good quality protein and healthy fat combined with nutrient dense vegetables (ideally from different groups and of different colours: leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and other non-starchy vegetables). High quality protein would include wild fish (can be canned or smoked), grass fed/organic meat, eggs, tempeh, beans, and nuts and healthy fat could be olive oil (but you can also experiment with other oils such as argan oil, avocado oil, macadamia oil, etc.), avocado, nuts and seeds. Optionally, you could also include complex carbohydrates such as quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and beans. Quinoa is one of my favourite. It is packed with more protein than any other grain and, even more importantly, it is considered a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. In addition, it is also a rich source of iron, magnesium and manganese (quite important for energy as it supports mitochondria – the batteries of your cells).
There is plenty of recipes out there and I have included a few links underneath to give you some ideas. My go to lunch that I bring to work every days consists of:
vegetables - a base of leafy greens, some shredded cabbage (I like the red one) and any other vegetables (raw or cooked that I have on hand) – aiming for around 1-1.5 cups
protein - I don’t eat meat, so usually it is smoked/canned or leftover cooked fish, chickpeas, boiled eggs, lentils, etc., aiming for at least 20g of protein (it should be about 1/3 of your daily need if you eat 3 meals a day)
some seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp seeds, etc.) - for the added crunch but also helping me to reach my target protein level (see above) and some added fat
dressing - lemon juice and olive oil (but you can also get more creative here, while avoiding adding sugar)
optional: complex carbohydrates (in my case it is usually quinoa and or lentils (about ½ cup cooked – both also good source of protein, so you get 2 in 1…)
optional: extra fat, i.e. ½ sliced avocado; some garnish (sprouts, fresh herbs, kimchi – get creative and add extra nutrients)
I usually make it the evening before, store it in the fridge, and add olive oil and lemon in the morning to avoid the greens getting soggy (or keep it separate). One side note, in order to have these ingredients easily available – ‘on hand’ – I make sure I stock up on a variety of vegetables during the weekend and I usually do some preparatory work on Sunday evening to be ready for the week. This is a topic for another blog but that could include washing the greens and preparing them for storing in the fridge, cooking the quinoa and/or lentils, roasting vegetables, etc.
So, there you have it.
A few links for inspiring recipes below:
https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/19-healthy-make-ahead-lunch-bowls/
Hello! I am Magda and I work with people that are ready to transform their health and wellbeing. What are your health goals that you have not been able to reach? Read more about me and my services.
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