How to be a lunch legend

In the last issue of actv8 we gave you some tips for getting a good start to your day. Now Fuelled4School brings you an insider's guide to a lunch your friends will envy, and your body and brain will love. All it takes is a bit of forward planning.

 

 

Eating out

Another good thing about regularly taking lunch from home is that when you have the occasional disorganised day, you can afford to buy a decent lunch. Great choices that will help you stay on top of your game include sushi, lean meat or chicken sandwiches, shish kebabs or rice or noodle options with plenty of veges.

To get you through the day, your lunch needs to not only taste good but to give you sustained energy. A lot of standard lunch combos are high in complex carbohydrates, which are important for energy and satisfying hunger. But you also need lean protein if your body and brain are to perform at their best. 

So, where to start? Assuming, like most of us, you can’t afford Subway every day it all begins with what you have at home.

Let’s go shopping

Nope, not to the mall. You need to get along to the supermarket from time to time. Not only will your family appreciate an extra pair of hands to carry the bags, but you’ll get a say about what goes in the fridge — and in your lunch.

And, on the weekends, when rising early is really beyond you, you can always put your lunch order in knowing what’s on offer. So, what’s on your shopping list? For a start, wholemeal or wholegrain bread, rather than white; go for the stuff that fills you up. If you really can’t face the brown stuff, try a white bread that is fibre-enriched.

It also pays to have some variety in the freezer, so you don’t get bored. Wholemeal pita bread and bagels are good choices.

Now for fillings: a mix of lean protein and veges is a perfect combination to get you through the day. So, where do you get your protein? Lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, peanut butter and Edam or low-fat cheddar cheese are all good sources. Eggs are great mashed, with a little reduced-fat mayo and a dash of pepper.

So is skinless sliced chicken or tinned tuna (get the stuff in water, not oil, though). Chopped lettuce, or cabbage and grated carrot finish it all off nicely. Hummus, lettuce, carrot and Edam cheese, with a drizzle of lemon juice, is another great combo.

If you like yoghurt, grab a six-pack or, for an even cheaper option, go for the big containers. Natural, unsweetened yoghurt makes a great alternative to mayonnaise or sour cream in savoury combos and you can mix it with fruit for a sweet treat.

Stock up on fruit and veges, especially when they’re cheap. If the fruit you want isn’t on special this week, go for tinned — just look for the stuff in juice (tinned or frozen fruit and vegetables can be just as good for you as fresh). Now, when it comes to snacks, the bulk food bins are your friends.

Any kind of nut is a protein package, but avoid salted ones or you’ll be gasping by the end of the day. If you want extra flavour, try dry-roasting nuts on an oven tray. If nuts aren’t your thing, pumpkin or sunflower seeds are also great dry roasted. Mix with dried fruit if you have a sweet tooth. See ‘smart snacking’ for more ideas.

Final stop: get some small cheap plastic containers with lids, and, if possible, a drink bottle that doesn’t leak. Now, to assemble your legendary lunch…

Eating out

Another good thing about regularly taking lunch from home is that when you have the occasional disorganised day, you can afford to buy a decent lunch. Great choices that will help you stay on top of your game include sushi, lean meat or chicken sandwiches, shish kebabs or rice or noodle options with plenty of veges.

Smart snacking

If you go too long without eating, you’ll be more likely to grab fatty, sugary snacks like chippies or sweets. When making your lunch, don’t forget snacks for morning and afternoon break. Bananas and apples are great carb sources, as are rice crackers, bread and plain popcorn.

Or you could go for Edam cheese on crackers, or nut, dried fruit and seed combos. If you’re feeling energetic at the weekend, pikelets or fruity muffins are easy to throw together, and make yummy snacks for the week.

TIP ONE: Get it together the night before

Don’t kid yourself, in between doing your hair, retrieving your homework and checking your Bebo, while forcing down some breakfast, you’ll never get around to packing your lunch in the morning.

TIP TWO: Think inside the box

Sick of squashed fruit? Put it in its own plastic box. Hate soggy sandwiches? Put your filling in a box, keep your bread separate and assemble them at lunchtime to say goodbye to the limp factor. (Make up extra filling and it’ll keep in the fridge for three days in an airtight container, so you’ll have lunch sorted for most of the week.)

You can also use your boxes for salads or sushi on days when you don’t feel like bread. (Greek salad is easy and delicious — just chop cucumber, tomato and feta cheese, then add a splash of olive oil, wine vinegar and pepper.) And chuck in some yoghurt and fruit puree for an afternoon ‘pick-me-up’ (don’t forget the spoon).

TIP THREE: Keep it cool

The weather is a lot colder now, but unless you’ve got access to a fridge at school, you risk your lunch getting unpleasantly warm in a sweaty schoolbag. So, to avoid slimy sandwiches and making yourself sick, you need to keep your lunch cool. How do you do it? Just fill your water bottle and freeze it overnight, then wrap it up in a bag with your lunch in the morning. Everything should still be fresh, even at afternoon break — the water tastes a lot nicer, too.

Also, pack food that goes bad quickly (especially chicken, meat or egg sandwiches), between cold items like yoghurt or salad.

Lovely leftovers

Check out what’s left over from dinner — it can often make a great lunch, especially if it’s rice, lentil, bean or noodle based. Just chuck it in a box and shove in a fork. Chopped-up leftover roast veges also make a great snack, or mix with some natural yoghurt and herbs, and you’ve got kumara or potato salad.