Adults Need Healthy Lunches Too, Here’s How…

With the rapid spread of coronavirus or COVID-19, most employers have opted for employees to work from home or have furloughed employees until further notice. Regardless of your employment situation, health officials are strongly encouraging folks to practice social distancing and stay home.

And with most people stuck in their homestead, daily routines have been interrupted — including healthy eating. When you’re home all day stressed about work and national news, it’s easy to snack throughout the hours, skip meals, or put nutrition on the backburner.

Keep reading for tips on how to meal prep to prevent snacking and how to get back on track.

1. Fill up on protein.
Start your morning with a hearty dose of protein. Protein is great for providing your body with energy and will help cut down cravings for that after-breakfast snack. Consider overnight oats topped with fruit or a sausage and egg sandwich. A breakfast loaded with protein is sure to jumpstart your day.

Protein can be included in any meal of the day — whether it’s a turkey sandwich for lunch or roasted chicken for dinner!

2. Don’t skip on the veggies.
Since childhood, we’ve known that vegetables are healthy. With that said, vegetables are an easy way to jive up a dish — add them as a side or mix them into your trademark pasta dish. And, vegetables are super easy to meal prep the night before. Add cauliflower or spinach to a recipe or simply pop seasoned veggies into the oven and there you have it — delicious roasted vegetables!

3. Trade out the cake for fruit.
Fruit is a simple treat that can combat that sweet tooth you get around the afternoon. While at the grocery store, grab bananas, grapes, or apples and snack on them all week long. Or you could grab a bag of frozen fruit for a cold sweet treat or a fruit smoothie. The options are endless with fruit!

And aside from fruit, you can get a dose of healthy carbohydrates by incorporating sweet potatoes, oats, or quinoa into your meals.

4. Consider drinks wisely.
To cut out mid-day crashes, you should cut out large amounts of sugar — meaning sodas and high fructose juices. Caffeine can also cause afternoon slumps.

If you want to stay energized throughout the day, water should be your best friend. Water will keep you hydrated, which in return will provide the energy needed to conquer the day.

5. Choose healthy snacks.
With the stay-at-home order in place, many can find themselves snacking throughout the day. But instead of grabbing for a cookie, consider a handful of trail mix or dried fruit. Understand snacks aren’t off the plate to maintain a healthy diet, but be aware of the types of snacks you’re grabbing for and how often.

From working in an office to meeting deadlines in your pajamas, bringing work into your home can throw off routines and habits. However, one of the main things you can choose to take control of right now is your diet. Consider these tips and start planning next week’s meals in advance!