What's the most important thing about a lunchbox? Is it the size? Or how about the colour......shape.....durability......dare I say it again....size???
Well I'll tell you and settle this debate for once and for all. It doesn't matter how big it is, what really matters is what it contains. If you want a lunchbox like this fine specimen to the right, then you need to think of quality over quantity. The saying that 'abs are made in the kitchen' is 100% accurate. How hard you push yourself in the gym, how much you train to excel at a specific sport - it's all for nothing if the fuel for the engine isn't up to par. I'm pretty sure that Mr Craig's lunchbox doesn't consist of the basic meat and two veg...or plain old ham sandwiches.If you want a lunchbox that is going to fuel body and mind, then there are 3 simple criteria that need to be filled;
1. Nutrition
We hear about the concept of a 'balanced diet' all the time. The problem with this is that the phrase doesn't come with a list of instructions. Balanced to most people is a ham sandwich with a slice of lettuce. Bread=carbs, meat=protein and lettuce=???? vitamins/minerals/fibre....whatever all that good stuff is called....That's balanced, right? Well it really all depends on what your activity levels are like. If you are sitting in an office for most of your day and when you go home, you sit in front of the tv to unwind, then really, the largest portion of your meal should be the 'good/green' stuff, with carbs being the smallest portion.
I could go into the very tiny specifics of how many grams of protein per kg of body weight etc - but lets face it, if you are reading this and you are a pro athlete, then you already have a nutritionist. If, like me,
you want to maintain a healthy, lean body and do the same for your children, then the basics will suffice. If in doubt, fill the main portion of your lunchbox with vegetables/salad/fruit, add a good portion of lean meat (not generic sausages, not duck with the skin, not black pudding....be sensible please) and finish off with a portion of carbs or fats appropriate to your activity levels.
"FATS"....."DID SHE JUST SAY FATS"????
Yes, I did. My last sweet pearl of wisdom on the nutrition front is this - do NOT choose 'LOW FAT' anything. Avocados, perceived as bad because they are 'full of fat', are NOT a big 'no no' because you have high cholesterol. However, if breakfast consisted of a fry followed by coffee with a doughnut, followed by lunch from the chipper, then adding an avocado to your diet so that you get some 'good fats' is an absolute waste of time. Everybody needs cholesterol for our bodies to function correctly. It's not the egg yolks you need to drop from your diet, its the deep fried chicken and the 3 pints of beer 4 nights a week.
A handful of nuts, a sprinkle of seeds on top of a salad, some avo sliced on bread or as a dip are all delicious additions to a lunchbox.
2. Variety
Not only do we require food to sustain strength and concentration, but we should also be interested in the process of eating. If you are trying to shovel a sandwich in as you drive the car, you can be sure that digesting your food isn't your body's top priority. Being interested in your food gets all the good digestive juices flowing (think of the term 'mouth watering') and brings you closer to maintaining a good, healthy digestive system.
Well, it is the spice of life, isn't it? Advice from Alva of OSC Consulting is to pop a small portion of dinner into a lunch size portion before serving up the main meal of the day. You have a ready made meal for lunch the following day. This is ideal when you may be stuck for time to prepare something fresh every day. When I say variety, I am referring to changing your lunch choices on a day to day basis. Don't have a chicken sandwich with fruit every day, you will soon get bored of it and eating too much of the same food all the time can actually encourage you to develop sensitivities to certain foods. 
You also need to look at variety within the lunchbox. As appetising as a lunchbox full of fruit might look, it won't be as satisfying as you would hope. Most fruits have a higher content of sugar than vegetables do, so you may also suffer that 'sugar low' in the hours after your meal. While you may experience that feeling of instant gratification with a selection of carbohydrates (bagel with philly, pasta salad, pkt of salted crackers.....sample taken from a client's food diary with their permission), you will most definitely experience a slump mid afternoon if you make these choices. As well as this, when we ingest carbohydrates, our brains release serotonin. Think 'Christmas Day dinner' - who wants a snooze? This really does not make for a productive afternoon at school or at work!3. Portability
For us grown ups, we really need to think about where we are going to be eating, whether it will be off our laps or at a table, and whether the food type we choose is likely to end up all over our faces or our starchy white shirts. The old bits of advice are usually the best - never go to a mexican with your boss or on a first date (tacos are tricky) and never bring a banana as a snack into a meeting.
Kids will eat virtually anything if you put it on a stick - you just need to make sure that the pointy end is removed from any skewers you use for safety. Chicken, ham and cheese, fruit and even pasta can be assembled as a makeshift lolipop taster! This is a great idea if you have fussy eaters! Baby skewers with sausage and peppers look and taste delicious. They are nutritious and they are easy for kids to handle. Even with these wonderful quality homemade sausages, I like to oven roast them with a resevoir in the bottom of the roasting pan. This allows excess fat to drain away from the meat and is a better option than frying. Making an omlette is as simple as whisking some eggs with a small drop of milk and frying on a low heat. Add whatever veg or meat you like and cut into slices like a pizza - my kids love when I fry some small slices of bacon first, then add the omlette mix on top. They have a triangle of omlette in their lunch box. Finally, I love this yoghurt! It is sugar free - just 100% probiotic yogurt. Add some fresh vanilla to the pot the night before and sprinkle the top with flaked almonds or whatever is to your taste....it could be fruit/muesli/ jam.
So, now that you have the magic recipe to perfecting 'The Lunchbox' and I have used every double entendre in my repetoire, I need to give you some healthy food ideas to keep you nourished and satisfied.
Speaking of satisfaction, nothing gets the digestive juices flowing like good quality meat.
I am so lucky to live in a town where our butchers take as much pride in the produce they sell as the farmers take in rearing it! When you go to your local butcher, buy big. Instead of buying 2 packets of 5 slices of ham for €5.50, you could get a whole joint of ham to bake yourself at home for €7.50. I usually get the whole week out of this between 3 kids. This week, I bought 1 joint of beef (melt in your mouth with no fatty bits), 1 joint ham, 6 chicken skewers and 6 delicious homemade 85% pork sausages with Italian herbs....all for €27.15. This works out at less than €7 for lunch for 3 children and 2 adults over 10 school days. For those of you on a tight budget, a cheaper cut of meat works equally as well, you just need to cook it for longer on a lower heat. If your butcher is as good as mine, they will even advise you of the correct cooking time and temperature.
Roast, honey glazed ham straight from the butchers has fantastic flavour, protein content is high and the only other ingredient it may contain is salt (you can get some low salt options if you ask your butcher as I did in this picture). If you are buying packet ham, the one piece of advice I have for you is DON'T! A quick glance at the list of ingredients on the back will tell you that you are filling yourself with chemicals and who knows what pieces of animal have been shovelled into the pounding grinding process in order to produce those perfectly round shiny slimy slices.
Meat doesn't have to be served between two slices of bread - think Italian tasting plate! Add some cheese and olives and you have a delicious midday meal that will keep you energised until evening.
If you do really love your bread and it doesn't cause you bloating or cramping (as so many people are experiencing these days due to gluten and wheat sensitivities), then sliced Brennan's isn't your only option. White bread is about as nutritious as a slice of cardboard with salt and sugar sprinkled on top.
Bread products are wonderful for holding things together and they are an easy option for the lunch box, but just remember to vary what you use. Oat cakes with a dip or spread (guacamole, hummus, bruchetta type mix) are an ideal option. Or perhaps you might find a good recipe for a tasty flatbread online and actually give it a go yourself! Bread is surprisingly easy to make. Its not all the 'knead it for 4 hourse, then let it rise for 3 days, then sacrifice a goat in the light of a full moon' type of stuff. The Lettercollum in Clonakilty hold the most wonderful classes - not only do they teach you how to cook everything, but you get to sample every morsel too.
I'm sure you remember my breakfast post (What's the first thing you put in your mouth in the morning?), well pancakes can also be used as a higher protein wrap! Savoury pancakes are a yummy option for lunch. Stirfry some mixed peppers and add a handful of sesame seeds and a splash of soya sauce for a yummy & colourful lunch option. Fill a pancake with smoked chicken, rocket and roast red peppers for another nutritious meal. Whatever you choose, try to buy as close to a product's original shape as you can get. What I mean is, buy fresh, loose veg with as few air miles as you can. If it is in a plastic bag, has been washed, chopped, peeled and who knows what else, it has probably been washed in some kind of chlorinated antibacterial solution. Just buy the dirty option and wash it yourself!
Kid's Lunchbox List - Pick a small selection; (but perfect for adults too)
Slices of baked ham/beef
meat on a skewer
slices of manchego cheese
1 small tub of yogurt with nuts/fruit
small tub of blueberries & strawberries
ricecakes with hummus
sliced cucumber/carrots
oatcakes with guacamole
slice of omlette with bacon
pancake with smoked chicken & rocket
chicken and pineapple skewers
What are the take home points from this blog? Quality over quantity is the key. My ideal lunchbox will always have a big portion of lean meat accompanied by at least 2 portions of fruit or veg, a handful of nut and something tasty to finish.
So, in the words of a famous bunny, ...'that's all folks'.
Really interesting fi! Just recently found out how terrible packaged meats were for you and loved your idea about roasting the joint of ham and using it for the week. I do the same with chicken, surprisingly cheap here :)
ReplyDeleteI know Rob. It's a much more economical way to go really. If I'm feeling bold, I cook a nice fillet and use it over 2 days for snacks!
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