BENEFITS OF PACKING A LUNCH

Short and long term success in weight management stem from our daily choices. Choices such as what to eat for lunch and how we prepare for lunch can have a great impact on our weight. If you want to have long term success in weight management develop the habit of packing your lunch and taking it to work with you.

Take Control of Your Lunch

There are several reasons why packing a lunch and bringing that to work promotes long term success. First, you begin actually taking control of what you’re going to eat at lunch. As soon as your hunger tells you it’s time to eat you have a prepared meal waiting. Most of us know what we should or shouldn’t eat, but when lunch time rolls around and we’re in our working groove we tend to make poor choices.

Curb Your Cravings

This leads us to the second reason for packing a lunch: prevent impulse eating. When you’re left to your more primal instincts and it comes time to eat, most people wait until they are so hungry they can’t take it anymore and they want to eat anything in sight. Have you ever caught yourself saying, “Hey that candy bar and chips will be great for lunch” and then you make your way to the vending machine or nearest corner store and load up on high fat foods?

Having your lunch pre-made and ready to eat provides a greater sense of fullness with the same amounts of food. Research shows that people who eat the same types of lunches achieve the sense of fullness and have greater satisfaction with their meals. When fullness and satisfaction set in our food seeking behaviors can relax and allow us to focus.

Try This

Here’s a quick recommendation for your next lunch. Pack a sandwich using 100% whole wheat bread and lean protein the night before. Add a cup of baby carrots, fresh peas or celery. Those veggies are easy to pack, fun to snack on and compliment any lunch meal. Add a small handful of almonds or cashews to balance out your lunch. Nuts are a great way to increase the satisfaction at lunch time without scarfing down potato chip after potato chip.

Hydrate

Finally, make sure to drink the right beverage. As soon as you begin to feel hungry prepare your favorite flavor of Kerisma Xtreme Tea and sip away. Start drinking your tea about 15-20 minutes before beginning your lunch and finish it during your lunch.

Adopt these healthy behaviors today and notice how you feel by the end of the week. Not only will you have made a critical investment in your health, but you’ll also be able to bring your favorite lunch box to work and show it off!