The Importance of Eating a Healthy Lunch
Why Eating a Healthy Lunch is So Important
We hear a lot about the importance of breakfast, but the morning meal isn’t the only one that matters. Having a healthy lunch is important as well. Here are a few reasons why.
Lunch Re-Energizes your Body
You need energy to get through your day, and a nutritious lunch can provide that. Eating lunch keeps your metabolism active and that can make it easier to get through the day. Plus, you’ll have a better time focusing on your work if you’re not thinking about being hungry.
A Healthy Lunch Keeps you from Crashing
Simple sugars and simple carbohydrates can cause you to “crash”, meaning your energy and productivity levels will drop. However, you can also crash if your metabolism drops due to not eating for a while. If you eat a healthy lunch, you give yourself the energy you need to keep going for the rest of the day without crashing.
Lunch can be a Good Break
Taking the time to sit and have lunch can be a good break during your day. Even if you don’t have much time, sitting down to eat lunch for even five or ten minutes can help refresh your body as well as your mind.
What is a Healthy Lunch?
One problem many people have is that they may eat something at lunch time, but it’s not a healthy lunch. If we’re busy or rushing through our day, it’s common to eat something quick, such as a fast food option or a selection of processed snacks.
However, a healthy lunch is much more beneficial. For instance, combining complex carbohydrates (those found in peas, beans, whole grains, etc.) with a lean protein (skinless chicken or turkey, low-fat dairy, eggs, etc.) is a good start. Try to include some vegetables and fruits as well.
Avoid high calorie meals and meals that contain a lot of sugar or sodium. Not only are these foods less desirable for a number of health reasons, but eating too many foods from these categories can leave you feeling tired or sluggish not long after your lunch is done.