The Word on Weightloss

It’s easy to be fooled by healthy sounding lunch options; I’ve even been fooled myself! Salads and veggie wraps sound healthy, but the reality is that they may not be, depending on what’s included. Most everything can be customized these days so it’s simple to rethink what you’re currently eating which might be full of unnecessary calories and fat. I pulled together three typical lunch options and gave them a lunch makeover,  turning them into healthier mid-day meals.

The Salad
Leafy greens and lots of veggies, a salad seems like a great lunch option, and it can be if you treat it right. Lots of pre-packed salads (and especially, salad bars) contain extra ingredients that bump the calorie and fat count to double what it needs to be. By avoiding these toppings and you’ll be much better off.

• Avoid salads with excess cheese. While cheese is a great source of calcium, it’s really not needed on a healthy salad for flavor.

• Cut out the bacon. Many salads out there contain bacon because it has that great salty taste. If you eliminate the bacon you’ll not only remove calories and fat, but you’ll lose the unnecessary sodium too.

• Say no to dressing! I know I sound like a crazy lady, but you really don’t need salad dressing, especially if you have lots of healthy toppings on your salad. Enjoy the taste of your veggies and stop drowning them in the dressing.

• Add a few slices of avocado, or a half-cup of apples or grapes to add flavor and nutritional ingredients to your meal.

The Tuna Melt
Tuna is an excellent source of protein and should not be skipped, but when it’s paired with butter, mayonnaise and cheese all melted together into a gooey lunch delight, it can’t be healthy. This can be even worse when you order chips as your side.

• Consider the mayonnaise you use. Light mayo or mayo with canola or extra virgin olive oil are better options because of their nutritional value.

• Make your own tuna salad and keep it healthy. When you mix in the mayo add some slices of carrot or celery. Extra veggies at nutritional value and a crunch that will leave you satisfied.

• Substitute the side of chips with an apple cut into wedges. Apples are a great source of flavor and fiber that will fill you up and keep you satisfied into the afternoon.

The Turkey Spinach Wrap
Depending on the ingredients inside your wrap, you might be packing well over a third of your day's calories  in your wrap alone! Plus, some so-called healthy wraps use artificial flavors and colors to make the food appear to be more vibrant and nutritious.

• Make your wrap at home and use a whole-grain, high-fiber wrapper. These wraps balance calories and add fiber to the middle of your day to fill you up.

• Skip the mayo and try a lighter seasoning. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1-teaspoon capers, juice from half a lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Not only will this add mega taste, but with the capers you can leave off the cheese and not even miss it!

• Add extra veggies and spinach to fill up your wrap and fill up your belly with nutritious ingredients.