The average person could probably recite the recipe for healthy eating: more fruits and vegetables, less red meat and processed foods. It sounds simple enough. Yet, Americans still struggle to follow a healthy diet.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death, and obesity rates have grown from 30.5% in 2000 to 42.4% in 2018. Adopting a healthy diet can help combat both of these, but only an estimated 22% of Americans follow the American Heart Association’s dietary recommendations.
When you have a busy work schedule, it’s not always easy to get your hands on a filling, nutritious lunch.
Eating healthy takes effort and planning — and often gets put on the back burner during hectic workweeks. Plus, if you have limited breaks during the workday, you have less time to eat a complete meal.
That’s why men who work long hours often rely on fast food, highly processed snacks like chips and cookies, or takeout meals to fill them up on their lunch breaks.
While these options are convenient and don’t require planning, they aren’t always the most nutritious lunch choices and can put a dent in your wallet as well.
Fortunately, you can choose from numerous healthy and delicious lunch options, including meal-prep-friendly recipes and deli options.
Whether you’re getting takeout from the local deli or meal prepping your lunch at home, it’s important to start with the basics.
Although men have varying dietary needs and may follow specific diets to manage health conditions, a nutritious, balanced meal should generally contain sources of protein, fat, and fiber.
Protein is the most filling macronutrient, so it’s especially important to add one or more protein sources to your lunch. This will keep you full between meals, giving you the energy you need to power through your workday (1Trusted Source).
Fibrous foods such as vegetables and fruits are also filling and provide benefits for gut health and weight management (2Trusted Source).
Despite fiber’s importance, most American men consume only half the currently recommended fiber intake of 38 grams per day for adult men ages 19–50. Low fiber intake may increase your risk of health conditions like colon cancer, constipation, and heart disease (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).
Additionally, lunches with nutrient-dense ingredients can help men meet their needs for vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds, some of which are rare in modern diets high in processed foods.
For example, studies show that men may not consume enough of certain essential nutrients, such as magnesium and vitamin C. Deficiency in vitamin C is commonly related to low fruit and vegetable intake (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
Insufficient nutrient intake may impair overall health and energy levels and even increase your risk of several health conditions (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
However, it’s easy to boost your nutrient intake by making a few small changes to your diet, such as switching to a healthier lunch option.
When planning a healthy lunch, consider the different macronutrients and how you can combine them to form a complete meal.
Here are some sources of fat, protein, and fiber-rich carbs that make great choices for lunch:
- Fiber-rich carbs: vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains like quinoa and faro
- Protein: chicken, fish, shellfish, turkey, lentils, tofu, and eggs
- Healthy fats: olive oil, nuts and seeds, avocado, full fat Greek yogurt, and goat cheese
Creating a meal with whole, nutritious ingredients like the ones above can help you meet your nutrient needs while providing a convenient, delicious, work-friendly lunch.
If you’re new to cooking or stumped over what to order at your local deli, try choosing an option from each category above.
For example, if you’re trying to find a healthier alternative to your go-to fried chicken sandwich and chips at the deli, try creating a hot plate with grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, and a vegetable mixture.
The following meal ideas are balanced options that contain a variety of nutritious ingredients. You can modify most of the recipes and meal ideas below to suit many diets, including vegetarian and low-carb.
Planning your lunches ahead of time is a good idea for many reasons.
For example, prepping your lunches at home using simple recipes may improve the quality of your diet and save you significant amounts of time and money (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
Meal prepping may also help you reach or maintain a healthy body weight. That’s because people who cook more meals at home tend to eat fewer overall calories and make healthier food choices than those who eat more meals outside the home (10Trusted Source).
If you’re new to meal prep, start by prepping a few lunches on your days off. You can even make a larger batch that covers both lunch and dinner for a few days.
Here are several options for meal-prep-friendly lunches that are perfect to bring to work.
These Greek Chicken Meal Prep Bowls from Damn Delicious are a perfect choice for those new to meal prep.
This dish is packed with healthy ingredients, takes just 1 hour to prep, and requires minimal cooking skills.
It contains plenty of protein from the chicken and the Greek yogurt-based tzatziki sauce. It’s also loaded with ingredients that are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, such as brown rice and veggies.
If you’re looking for a hearty lunch that’s perfect for cold weather, look no further than this Chipotle Turkey Sweet Potato Chili from the Real Food Dietitians.
This chili is bean-free, which makes it a good choice for men who don’t eat beans. Of course, if you like beans, you can always add them.
Despite being bean-free, this dish has plenty of fiber, vitamins, and minerals thanks to the turkey, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. This recipe is perfect for slow cookers and Instant Pots. You can make a large batch and store it in the fridge or freezer for a quick lunch option.
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