Lunch Is Where Meal Planning Falls Apart, Here's How to Fix It
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As fall routines are getting into place, I’m having many conversations with patients about nutrition goals. We’re often talking about specific foods to increase or decrease for cholesterol, ways to keep blood sugar more stable for insulin resistance, and dietary principles to consider for gut or hormone health.
These details are great in theory, but MORE importantly is - HOW do you actually do it?
We need to get nitty gritty on the follow-through of these components.
Lunch is the place where I find most people struggle. 2-3 days may be good because there are leftovers in the fridge, but the other days are skipped, are scraps from your kids plate, or are a handful of nuts + hummus and veggies thrown in a container. None of these options are adequate to fuel your brain and body for the rest of the afternoon.
So how do we make changes?
1.Shop for your lunches. I imagine you buy specific lunch things for your kids lunches or specific breakfast things for your breakfast. If we have nothing in the fridge that's intended for lunch, we're going to be left with scraps. For these lunch staples on your grocery list, we usually want to be thinking specifically about protein options and colourful foods (fruit/vegetables). The starch is usually easy for most people: wraps or bread or leftover pasta or rice.
For protein, lunch staples could include: cottage cheese, rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken, tuna in a can, lentils in a can, shelled edamame, protein powder, greek yoghurt. These are all things that can be easily thrown in a wrap, salad, bowl, sandwich, or as a side thing.
For vegetables, think about what is easy. Spinach or arugula that you can just throw a handful of onto something? Cherry tomatoes or cucumbers that don't take prep? Frozen vegetables to saute quickly if you're home? Shopping for intentional lunch proteins and lunch vegetables will allow you to make a more balanced meal.
2. WHEN are you going to make or plan your lunch? If lunch time is the first time you're thinking about it, it's usually not going to go well. At that point you’re hungry, maybe stuck in online meetings; you just need to get food in your belly and you're not thinking about what the best options might be. For many people a great time to think about their lunch is as they are cleaning up dinner. You are already in your kitchen cleaning up, and you know if there are leftovers available. If there's enough protein and vegetable left from your dinner, you’re probably good to go! If you’re short on the leftover protein, vegetable or starch, now is your chance to THINK about what those might be. Do you need to grab some of that chicken from the freezer? If all you have left is meat and rice - what vegetable can you add to balance it out? Morning can definitely be an option to pack or plan your lunch instead; we just don't want to wait until noon!
3. Do you need to schedule your lunch? If you're finding you're not getting to your food until 2:00pm, it might be helpful set a reminder alarm or block it in your work schedule. When you’re busy, cortisol production can suppress your appetite - so you may not feel hungry even if you need lunch. We want your brain to have that steady fuel at a good time!
4. Have some pre-made things ready to go. There will be days that even with the best planning and the best preparation you just don't have options. Having some canned soup or canned chili in the cupboard is great in a pinch. I'm a fan of the Sprague lentil vegetable soup and the Stagg chili from Costco. You can always increase the vegetable in them by adding some extra handfuls of spinach, arugula, or broccoli slaw as you heat it up.
5. Is meal prep helpful? Not for all! Some people do well with meal prepping on the weekends. Making one big stew or chili or one big salad. I think this can be a great option as well, but definitely takes a bit more planning and energy and has the potential to fall apart if you have a busy weekend. This could be the goal, but I would still consider all the other options above as fallbacks.
What do you think will work well for your lunches? Stay tuned for meal planning - breakfast edition and dinner edition to come!
Disclaimer:
This content is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, naturopathic doctor, or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or health concern. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read here.
Hi, I’m Dr. Janine, ND
I’m a Naturopathic Doctor currently practicing in Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
I truly believe that our enjoyment of life is closely tied to how we feel physically. When we’re healthy, we can take on anything. But when we feel off, even the simplest tasks become overwhelming. I’ve been through hormonal shifts, sleepless nights as a parent, and the stress of balancing everything. But I also know that with the right strategy, we can go from surviving to thriving—and create a healthy, thriving family in the process.
I look forward to meeting you soon.
- Dr. Janine, ND
Follow me on social media, @dr.janine.nd