A nutritionally balanced lunch contains a combination of macronutrients – protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. A simple lunch plate or bowl equation, is to build your plate with:
- 50% (half your plate) low starch vegetables first (about 2-3 decent handfuls) of leafy greens, carrot, cucumber, tomato, steamed greens etc
- Add a palm size portion of protein such as grilled or poached chicken, fish, legumes (lentils chickpeas kidney beans – about 1 cup), eggs and read meat (red meat less frequently)
- Add a fist size portion of starchy, slow burning carbohydrate sources such as brown rice, quinoa, steamed white potatoes, baked sweet potato, wholegrain or legume pasta
- Finish with healthy fats which can include a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few tablespoons nuts and seeds, ½ avocado
Including a balance of macronutrients, provides the body with the nutrition it needs for energy, growth, development and repair, to reduce inflammation, improve focus and cognitive function, to help keep blood sugar levels stable and of course satisfy our appetite so we aren’t delving back into the snack cupboard soon after lunch.
As a nutritionist I find most people miss adequate protein at lunch and as a result find themselves hungry within 1-2 hours of finishing. A well balanced lunch or meal should generally keep you full for 3-4 hours.
Consider the DIVERSITY of plant foods in your meals too. The average Australian adult doesn’t consume anywhere near the daily recommended intakes (5 serves) for vegetables, so I always bring people’s attention to this at lunch when it there’s an opportunity to increase intake with an extra couple of vegetables on hand to munch on whilst you’re either making lunch, or to simply bolster the meal. A carrot and cucumber with your lunch or a tomato on the side, can easily double your daily serving intake of veg with ease and without it being costly either.
Fibre, present in all plant foods, fuels the trillions of microbes housed in our gut. Gut microbes, or bacteria, play a critical role in human metabolic and immune health, and neurobehavioural traits, but without a fuel source their capacity to function is suboptimal. I like to compare the role of fibre to our gut microbes like premium petrol in a car. Let the fuel run low in a car and the engine struggles to run, fill it with premium and it’s firing. Our gut microbes are much the same.
Everyone can do with a few more plant foods (fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, whole grains) in their diet and focus on increasing the variety and quantity each day and with each meal. If you see a gap in your lunchtime intake of protein and veg consider these words as your sign to take action and change.
