This week I would like to talk about simple healthy lunches. I find that many of my patients end up eating fast food for lunch. There are probably many reasons: convenience, getting away from work, social factors (i.e. eating with the guys). Unfortunately, the standard American diet (also known as SAD) is packed with fat, sugar, and refined carbohydrates. Most of my patients know that they need to eat better and many need to lose weight but how to do this.
One way is to add more beans and peas to your diet. Legumes (like black beans, soy bean and peas) have short chain fatty acids that digest more slowly. They actually digest in the large intestines instead of the small intestines so sugar is released more slowly. This has special benefits for diabetic patients but it also benefits everyone. Benefits include reduced glycemic load, lower cholesterol (absorbed and removed), and reduced hunger because the lower gut remains full longer. Okay, so here is a simple lunch using black beans.
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½ C of canned black beans rinsed and drained
1 Roma Tomato quartered
2 pieces of Artichoke Hearts marinated in oil (Costco)
Salt and Pepper to taste (go light)
Toss the above ingredients and enjoy.
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This recipe is only 175 calories with 2.5g of fat, 23.5g carbs and 8.6g protein and is high in Vitamin A and C. Add an apple and other fruit and you have a complete meal that is much more filling than you might expect and still low calorie. If you are afraid that you might be hungry later, pack some nuts. Almonds are your top choice, but lightly salted mixed nuts in small quantity are a healthy snack. Look for more simple and healthy variations on this theme coming up.