Healthy Lunches Made at Home !!

Millions of Americans buy lunch from a vendor or restaurant during the work week, giving themselves big guts and small wallets. Making lunch at home puts you in control of exactly what you are eating and is easier than ordering the usual without the fattening ingredients.

Soup- Soup is one of the easiest lunches to make. Grab a big pot and add broth or water and vegetables. Meat, beans, and grains are optional and the sky is the limit to what you can create. Make a lot of it and eat it for lunch for the entire week, or freeze some of it for later. When you are ready to have the soup, take it out of the freezer and put it into the refrigerator the night before. Soup works for hot summers, cold winters, and everything in between. Combine vegetable broth, squash, canned tomatoes, sweet potatoes, onion, and garbanzo beans for a Mediterranean inspired vegan stew.

Peanut Butter and Honey- This is a much healthier version of peanut butter and jelly, a childhood favorite and a common comfort food for adults. Natural peanut butter comes without the partially hydrogenated oils and the sweetness of the honey mimics the added sugars of jam. Whole grain bread completes the perfect trio for an adult lunch that brings out the kid in everyone. High stress days do not match up to this indulgence of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. Add a banana, cocoa powder, or cinnamon for added flavor and benefits. Bananas are full of potassium, cocoa powder has antioxidants, and cinnamon is a calcium goldmine. We won't tell mom you put chocolate in your sandwich!

Crackers, Hummus, and Vegetables- If you have a food processor, it is not hard to make your own hummus. Place garbanzo beans, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and the optional tahini in the food processor and mix into a thin paste. Fresh hummus cannot be beat by store bought in flavor nor price. Eat it with whole grain crackers or pita bread and vegetables such as celery, carrots, green pepper, or cucumber. Hummus provides healthy fat, protein, fiber, and a hint of vitamin C from the lemon juice. Do not go easy on the garlic; it's good for your heart.

Gorgonzola and Pear Flatbread- Pizza does not always have to be bad for you. It all depends on how you make it and what you put on it. Spread olive oil on a piece of flatbread and cover it with a thin layer of mozzarella cheese. Add grape tomato and pear slices and gorgonzola cheese. You can also add chicken or tofu to add protein to the meal. Wrap it in plastic wrap and then microwave it at lunchtime to melt the cheese. The sweet and salty flavors make this pizza taste like food from an expensive spa. This lunch is full of calcium, vitamin C, and fiber. Ham and pineapple is a great variation of this recipe, so you are never stuck with the same ingredients.

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