Today's blog is going to be another practical one. How do we put together a healthy Zone lunch? And what if you work outside the home and need to pack a lunch to go?
First of all, for most women, a Zone lunch will be 3 blocks. This is the size of my own lunch, so I will use the 3 block lunch in my examples. This amounts to approximately 3 oz. of lean protein, such as chicken breast, turkey breast, lean roast beef, tuna, salmon, etc. An ideal lunch is a salad composed of 3 cups (at least!) of fresh leafy greens (such as spinach, romaine, arugula, mache, mesclun, etc.) and 1 cup assorted raw veggies (cukes, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, etc.) plus a source of healthy fat (a tablespoon of avocado, a sprinkle of chopped nuts or seeds, and a light dressing of 1 teaspoon olive oil mixed with mustard and lemon juice). Throw the protein on top, toss, and voila!
If you are a vegetarian looking for protein to top your salad, here is a unique suggestions: make croutons from tofu! Use extra firm tofu (which has the most protein and the least fat). You will need 3 oz. per block or 9 oz. total for your single-serving lunch salad. Cut the tofu into bite-sized squares and fry in olive oil (about a tablespoon) until golden brown on all sides. Dress your salad and toss croutons on top. Delicious!
For people who are short on time, there are lots of conveniently packaged products out there that you can pack for lunch. Tuna and salmon both come in foil packages now. Look for a 3 oz. serving size or the closest to 21 grams of protein for your 3 block lunch. In addition, pack a ziplock bag of 1/2 cup baby carrots (already peeled and cut to serving size!) and an apple. For your fat, you could spread 1 and 1/2 teas. peanut butter on your apple or eat 3 walnuts.
Hard-boiled eggs are also easily portable for lunch or a snack on the go. Each egg is a perfect one block of protein. Again, add your veggies and your fruit for carbs, a few nuts for fat, and you are set.
Sorry to veer off our lunch topic, but I also wanted to share a recipe I just created this morning for breakfast. In a 500 ml. pyrex measuring cup, weight out 1 oz. of rolled oats. Add water to cover and microwave for 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 raw eggs, a dash of salt. Mix well and microwave again for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and stir. It will be HOT and soupy at first, so let it sit a bit before diving in with your eager spoon! It will thicken as it cools. You can add one block of carbs to this, such as 1/2 cup blueberries, or 1/2 cup pineapple chunks. I hope you enjoy it! (I take a teaspoon of fish oil in the morning for my fat, so you might also want to add some chopped nuts on your oatmeal.)
Have an awesome day!
First of all, for most women, a Zone lunch will be 3 blocks. This is the size of my own lunch, so I will use the 3 block lunch in my examples. This amounts to approximately 3 oz. of lean protein, such as chicken breast, turkey breast, lean roast beef, tuna, salmon, etc. An ideal lunch is a salad composed of 3 cups (at least!) of fresh leafy greens (such as spinach, romaine, arugula, mache, mesclun, etc.) and 1 cup assorted raw veggies (cukes, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, etc.) plus a source of healthy fat (a tablespoon of avocado, a sprinkle of chopped nuts or seeds, and a light dressing of 1 teaspoon olive oil mixed with mustard and lemon juice). Throw the protein on top, toss, and voila!
If you are a vegetarian looking for protein to top your salad, here is a unique suggestions: make croutons from tofu! Use extra firm tofu (which has the most protein and the least fat). You will need 3 oz. per block or 9 oz. total for your single-serving lunch salad. Cut the tofu into bite-sized squares and fry in olive oil (about a tablespoon) until golden brown on all sides. Dress your salad and toss croutons on top. Delicious!
For people who are short on time, there are lots of conveniently packaged products out there that you can pack for lunch. Tuna and salmon both come in foil packages now. Look for a 3 oz. serving size or the closest to 21 grams of protein for your 3 block lunch. In addition, pack a ziplock bag of 1/2 cup baby carrots (already peeled and cut to serving size!) and an apple. For your fat, you could spread 1 and 1/2 teas. peanut butter on your apple or eat 3 walnuts.
Hard-boiled eggs are also easily portable for lunch or a snack on the go. Each egg is a perfect one block of protein. Again, add your veggies and your fruit for carbs, a few nuts for fat, and you are set.
Sorry to veer off our lunch topic, but I also wanted to share a recipe I just created this morning for breakfast. In a 500 ml. pyrex measuring cup, weight out 1 oz. of rolled oats. Add water to cover and microwave for 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 raw eggs, a dash of salt. Mix well and microwave again for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and stir. It will be HOT and soupy at first, so let it sit a bit before diving in with your eager spoon! It will thicken as it cools. You can add one block of carbs to this, such as 1/2 cup blueberries, or 1/2 cup pineapple chunks. I hope you enjoy it! (I take a teaspoon of fish oil in the morning for my fat, so you might also want to add some chopped nuts on your oatmeal.)
Have an awesome day!
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