Lunch and snacks

Key Points

Packing your own lunch and snacks will help ensure your weight loss journey stays on track.
The instructions for the healthy lunch and snack portions have been specifically designed by dietitians to provide a healthy and nutritionally balanced intake of:
- 3 serves of carbohydrates (view detail information)
- 1 serve of protein
- 1 serve (or more) of vegetables / salad
- 2 serves of fruit and 1 serve of low fat dairy.
The HWFL lunch and snack bag contents should be consumed over time (between breakfast and dinner) to provide a constant source of energy throughout the day - you shouldn't feel hungry!

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"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do" - Epictetus

Topics

The benefits of using the HWFL lunch and snack bag

Healthy lunch and snack portions

So much food!

Planning for healthy lunches and snacks

Introduction

One of the simplest ways to take control of what and how much you eat is to pack your own lunch and snacks every day.

With the Healthy Weight for Life™ lunch and snack cooler bag, along with the healthy lunch portions instructions, you will have delicious, healthy and satisfying lunches and snacks every day.

This module takes you through the benefits of using the HWFL lunch and snack cooler bag, as well as providing tips for creating portion planned morning and afternoon snacks, and healthy and satisfying lunches.

1. The benefits of using the HWFL lunch and snack bag

Making the effort to establish this one new, healthy habit of preparing and packing your own lunch and snacks will help you in the following ways:

You will be less likely to overeat if you prepare your portion controlled lunch and snacks in advance.

The availability of healthy food to power you through the day is guaranteed, instead of relying on take away food and drinks, which may be high in sugar and fat.

Your food and drink choices will be less influenced by your emotional state or by external factors such as weather and time pressure.

Blood glucose levels will be stabilised as energy is consistently provided to your body over time.

You will save wasting precious lunch breaks in cafe queues - you can use the extra time to go for a walk or enjoy some fresh air.

You will save money by spending less on café meals or take-away lunches and snacks.

Lunch and snack tips

Use the HWFL lunch and snack bag even if you are staying home during the day.

If your mornings are rushed, pack your lunch and snacks the night before and refrigerate it overnight.

Shop regularly, so you have fresh, healthy and tasty ingredients on hand, If fresh ingredients are not always on hand, keep a supply of healthy snacks or lunch ingredients in the freezer.

Remember to use your drink bottle. Aim to drink one full bottle between breakfast and lunch, then refilling it to drink a second bottle between lunch and dinner.

2. Healthy lunch and snack portions

In order to pack your healthy, portion controlled lunch and snacks, combine your choice of 3 serves of carbohydrate, 1 serve of protein, 1 serve of dairy and 1 or more serves or vegetables.

Examples of one serve of each food group is included below:

Carbohydrate (bread, rice, pasta, potato)

1 serve equals one of the following:

1 slice of bread

1/2 cup of cooked couscous

2 rice cakes

½ cup cooked pasta

2 crispbreads

2 Arnotts Full '0' Fruit™ biscuits

1/2 cup cooked noodles

3 Vita-weats''""

3 Arnotts Milk Arrowroot™ biscuits

½ cup cooked rice

1 ½ Saladas™ (6 quarters)

½ lavash bread

1 medium potato

10 rice crackers

½ pita bread

½ cup mashed potato

2 Ryvitas™

½ bread roll

5 hot chips

3 Cruskits™

½ English Muffin

2 Saos™

1 round crumpet

For people with type 2 diabetes, the lunch and snacks portions contain approximately 90g of carbohydrate or 6 exchanges.

This is too much carbohydrate for most people for one meal, so you will need to spread your lunchbox carbohydrates evenly throughout the day for lunch and snacks, such as morning and afternoon tea.

This will keep you energised and help keep your blood glucose levels within the normal range.

You can swap a serve of fruit for an extra serve of carbohydrate or protein.

Protein (lean meat, fish, chicken or meat alternatives)

Salad or Vegetables

Dairy

1 serve equals one of the following:

1 cup reduced fat milk

40g reduced fat cheese

200g natural yoghurt

The healthy lunch and snack portions listed are the maximum recommendations based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines. If you are not achieving the goals you've set for yourself, please call your Healthy Weight for Life Support Team.

If your hunger is satisfied with less, don't feel that you need to finish everything. Listen to your body and stop eating when you feel pleasantly full.

For tasty lunch and snack ideas, refer to the Recipes and Ideas section in your HWFL Week by Week Guide.

In addition to your HWFL lunch and snack bag contents, remember the following 'free foods' that you can eat throughout the day:

• bowl of diced strawberries, blueberries and raspberries

• leafy salad with fat free dressing

• homemade vegetable soup or broths

• balsamic and garlic mushrooms

• soy and sesame mushrooms

• dry roasted vegetables (beans, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin, broccoli)

• vegetable dips or salsas with vegetable sticks.

3. So much food!

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People often ask "Why is there so much food in the HWFL lunch and snack bag?"

The contents and portions have been designed by dietitians to satisfy your hunger, nutrition and your energy needs throughout the day.

The contents of the lunch and snack bag will ideally be consumed over time - between breakfast and dinner. They do not need to be consumed all in one sitting (for people with type 2 diabetes - refer to note in the Carbohydrate section above).

Planning ahead and having a packed lunch and snacks near you during the day will help you resist the temptation to snack on high sugar and high fat foods. You will have nutritionally balanced, healthy food on hand.

4. Planning for healthy lunches and snacks

Think of some healthy alternatives to any unhealthy snack foods that you may eat
(eg: I usually snack on biscuits. I can snack on salsa and carrot sticks instead.)

Look at the lunch and snack ideas in the recipe section of this book. Do any ideas appeal to you? What ingredients will you need?