Lunch break outside the home, how to adjust?

Some healthy suggestions to not lose fitness while eating something good, and above all varying as soon as you can.

The hectic life of our days does not allow us very long lunch breaks, generally it is just over half an hour, especially if you do not want to return too late in the evening.

So especially those who work away from home are forced to hastily eat lunch in the canteen or at the bar, restaurant, or pizzeria.

A good step forward could be to get used to always having a nutritious and varied breakfast, nothing too heavy, but not too poor either.

In practice: a hot drink to taste (tea, black coffee or latte, better if the milk is partially skimmed) plus a low-fat yogurt with cereals, a fresh fruit and even a couple of rusks.

A breakfast so composed serves not to suffer too much from stomach emptiness during the morning, blooming snacks of dubious nutritional value and generally too caloric, and to improve concentration during work.

But, since most people drink a coffee standing before getting in the car and then can do nothing but wait for 13 pm to catapult themselves to the bar below the office for the usual stuffed sandwich, here are some tips to avoid nutritional errors that sooner or later are expensive.

The “salads”: a real deception

Those who are convinced to stay in shape, or even to lose weight, eating only a salad for lunch and a rich and abundant meal in the evening, are wrong.

The “salads” have become fashionable, especially among adults who, for work needs, eat at least five meals a week at the bar.

However, this makes basic mistakes. The salad, for its nutritional value and fiber content, should be only vegetable (and no more than 100 grams), seasoned with a tablespoon of oil, a little salt and a few drops of vinegar or lemon and be part of a complete meal as a side dish to a second.

Instead, the mixed salads that are the most popular today, are usually too seasoned, perhaps with a non-extra virgin olive oil and are rich in cheese, tuna, boiled eggs and egg sauces. A real dietary deception if you think that a salad of this type is equivalent to a meal of 500-600 kcalories (kcal), but not balanced, indeed definitely too rich in fats and proteins of animal nature.

Optimal: a first course and vegetables

Much better a good first course at lunch, for example pasta (80 grams) with tomato and basil which is equivalent to 295 kcal. Perhaps preceded by a boiled vegetable (100 grams – seasoned with a little oil and lemon juice) or another 60 kcal at most.

In the evening, at home, there will be room for a second not too demanding to digest (fish 200 grams and raw vegetables at will in pinzimonio – a tablespoon of oil, a pinch of salt and pepper) a sandwich (50 grams) and later a fresh fruit (apple 150 grams).

So eating, the total of the day would amount to about 1,200-1,300 kcal which are fine even for those who have to pay attention to the line.

Instead, those who do not have weight problems can add a small glass of red wine and even a small portion of homemade dessert (about 300 kcal) without risk of making mistakes.

Sandwich or pizza?

Those who are forced to the stuffed sandwich or at most can opt for a pizza it is good to choose from the following alternatives.

And finally, for pizza lovers: a whole round margherita pizza (total about 280 grams) can even reach 600 – 700 kcal. And it can be fine for just one meal a week.

But it is not prohibited, not even in slimming diets, provided that the other meal of the day is judiciously restricted (a portion of mixed vegetable soup and a slice of grilled turkey breast, no bread and no condiments).