is it lunch time yet?

If you've followed the breakfast and snack routine I've outlined, then chances are that you won't be so worried about lunch time anymore. Your appetite will be lessened and you won't be as prone to overeat or eat the wrong foods.

Lunch is a great meal. Easy, quick, and tasty is the goal. I can give you a couple menus of some lunches I've had this week:

• 2 slices lowfat, high fiber, 100% whole wheat bread
• 1/2 can of tuna packed in water
• 1 1/2 TBLS fat free mayo
• 1 slice fat free cheese
• 1/2 cup no sodium green beans
• 3 oz cup of no fat yogurt

Mix tuna with mayo, spread on bread (or toast it), add green beans on top of tuna, place cheese over green beans, heat till melts. Enjoy dessert of yogurt. (spice up your yogurt cups with a 1-2 tablespoons of GrapeNuts cereal)

All I have at work is a fridge and a microwave, so all toasting is done in the AM at home and then I bag it till lunch.

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• Low fat, 100 calorie, whole grain english muffin (toasted in AM)
• Non fat cream cheese
• Sugar free, seedless, blackberry preserves
• 1 hard boiled egg
• 1-2 TBLS fat free mayo
• Handful of celery sticks
• Handful of carrot sticks
• 6 oz fat free yogurt

Very finely chop the egg (you can use a chopper) mix with mayo. Spread cream cheese and preserves on english muffin (I eat as dessert.) Dip your veggie sticks into your egg salad (celery has a natural scoop) and eat your yogurt. Very healthy, very filling.

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Now, I do like salad and you can eat that as your veggie at lunch, but I get tired of salads. Also, it's VERY EASY to have too many calories in your salad.

If you make your own, then use dark green, leafy lettuce or spinach (not iceburg), some mushrooms, celery, carrot, sprouts, green/yellow/red pepper, cucumber, onion, fat free cheese (2 oz max) or any combination of the above.

Stay away from any type of bacon bits, croutons, salad nut mixes, whole milk cheese, etc. These are filled with fat.

Also, watch your dressings. Fat free dressings can be your friend, but some are filled with sugar. Make sure your calorie count is less than about 40 cals & fat is 0-1 gram per 2 TBLS. The tip everyone hears nowadays is correct, "keep your dressing on the side, dip your fork into it, then grab a bite of salad." You'll be SHOCKED at how little dressing you really need.

As always, make sure to drink 8 - 12 oz of water (not soda) with your meal. If you must, you can drink one can of diet, caffiene free soda per day, but your kidneys and liver will love you if you stick with straight water.

I always eat a dairy, a veggie, and a complex carbohydrate with lunch (sometimes I'll add a little protein) and the combination keeps me awake and aware and able to finish my day without 'nodding off' at my desk.

If you have any healthy lunches to share... let me hear about them.