Paper bags and healthy meals – ecology in the service of health
Due to the hectic lifestyle and too many obligations we often don’t have the time for a healthy diet at work. Most often we are forced to buy something from the bakery or order the delivery at work. With this type of diet, most of the people get the infamous “heavy feeling” and just want to sleep after the lunch time.
Many things can happen between the breakfast and dinner. All kinds of meetings, obligations and a pile of papers. Therefore, it is very important that you give to your body and mind a healthy source of energy. Instead of ordering fast food, make your own lunch at home and take it with you. Most of us remember this habit from the primary school when our mothers packed our lunches in paper bags. They knew what they are doing.
Recent studies have shown that plastic containers are not the healthiest for storing food. It turns out that the good old paper bag is the best and Eco-friendly solution. There are many kinds of meals that can be prepared and easily carried in the paper bag. Here are some ideas:
Chicken salad
Chicken breast makes an ideal protein rich meal after which you will not be hungry nor tired for hours. Bake or grill the chicken breast and cut various vegetables, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, corn, zucchini, lettuce etc… Stir well and season with a teaspoon of olive oil, lemon juice, Himalayan salt and pepper. Pack in a glass jar which you can place in the paper bag with some integral bread and a fruit of your choice.
Popped Amaranth
Nutritional composition of amaranth is extremely valuable. While it is often placed in the family of cereals, amaranth is actually richer in important nutrients than average cereals. For the meal that you will take to work opt for popped amaranth. If you cannot find popped amaranth in your local healthy food store, you can easily prepare it at home. Use a dry pan and pop the amaranth grains on medium heat and place them in a smaller paper bag. It will taste like popcorn and can be easily mixed with yogurt or milk when you are at work. Even though it seems like an incomplete meal, this is actually giving you all the necessary nutrients. You can add some crushed nuts too.
Baked broccoli or cauliflower with eggs
Bake the broccoli or cauliflower for a few minutes in the oven and boil 2 eggs. Using the food processor, blend the baked vegetables with eggs and a spoon of cream cheese. Add spices of your choice. You can even experiment with chili pepper if you like the hot taste. Place the dip in a glass jar and add some crushed integral crackers at the top. Place the jar in the paper bag, and bring a fruit or dried apricots for dessert.
Stuffed Peppers
Cut the peppers and clean them from seeds. Cut a large tomato and mix it with cream cheese and Mediterranean herbs. Stuff the peppers with this mixture and wrap with paper napkins. Place the peppers in the paper bag and bring along some fruit or nuts.
Good Old Tomatoes
The simplest salad that can feed you well is the salad made of feta cheese and tomatoes. If you add a lot of lettuce or rocket, your nutritional bomb is ready. Salads can always stay fresh in glass jars, but if you want to have freshly cut salad, and if your workplace allows it, bring the whole tomatoes in the paper bag and feta in its own container. If you don’t like feta, you can use any other cheese. When your lunch time comes, just cut the tomatoes and enjoy with cubes of cheese.
Whole Bread
Sandwiches are the simplest choice when it comes to lunch. If you make a sandwich of whole grain bread that is abundant in fiber, you will be sure that your lunch is on the healthy side. The best choice would be a protein-rich buckwheat bread with seeds and nuts. If you cannot find such a bread in your local bakery, try to make it at home. It’s actually really easy to make it if you are accustomed to baking. Replace the half of the flour of your usual recipe with buckwheat flour and add some seeds and crushed nuts.
Greek Yogurt
Greek Yogurt has a thick consistency and it’s usually packed in cups which make ideal portions. Bring a cup of Greek Yogurt, some nuts and fruits and you will have a complete and easy meal right from your brown bag.
Canned Tuna
Canned tuna is a great choice because it does not require the prior preparation. It is a perfect quick and easy meal. Opt for ones that are not soaked in oil, but in water because they have fewer calories. You can also add a little mustard or low-fat mayonnaise for additional flavor. Bring some integral crackers or a few slices of integral bread and your lunch is ready!
With these great ideas, you can combine various different ingredients. By trying to stay fit you will learn what are the fitness friendly foods. Always remember, it’s important to have a balanced nutrition that will feed both your body and your mind. For optimal concentration and memory, nuts are your best friends. Always have some nuts in your paper bag.
Happy and healthy working can become your everyday routine. All you need is a paper bag and a grain of imagination.
