Most of us are uncertain about what’s best to eat, what’s healthful and what’s not. Often our food choices are full of calories, yet lack the vitamins and minerals that we need for energy and to feel our best. Our wellness goal is to promote good nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle, and help everyone make better food choices. To start, let’s do lunch – a healthy lunch.
Tuesday, September 19th is the American Diabetes Association’s National Healthy Lunch Day. Washington University’s Wellness Connection encourages you to bring a healthy lunch from home, a potluck dish to share, or plan to buy a healthy lunch that day. Show us your efforts on social media #WashUWellness #HealthyLunchDay.
Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA)
Pick up a nutritious locally sourced crop box on your way home from work! Washington University’s Office of Sustainability and Human Resources Department have partnered with Local Farmer CSA. WashU staff, faculty, and students are invited to sign-up as a CSA member and receive a weekly or bi-weekly Crop Box filled with locally grown produce, fruit, meat, cheeses, yogurt, and/or other artisan goods.
Local Farmer CSA has weekly pick-up sites at West Campus in Clayton on Wednesdays from 4:00-6:00 p.m., and at the School of Medicine Farmers Market each Thursday. Learn more about the CSA crop box or WUSM Farmers Market.
planning for your healthy lunch
6 Tips for Packing a Healthy Lunch
One simple (and affordable) step to better health is to bring a good-for-you lunch from home. Here’s how:
- On the weekend, decide what you will eat for lunch for the week and add it to your grocery list. That way, it’s quick and easy to grab healthy choices when you pack your lunch.
- Consider batch-cooking on the weekend. Make a big pot of chili, soup, or a big bowl of whole-grain and veggie salad. These will keep for a few days in the fridge and can be eaten throughout the week for lunch.
- Take five minutes every night (or morning) to pack something healthy for the day.
- Use portable containers – such as a lunchbox, thermos, and various containers with tight-fitting lids – to pack and take your healthy lunch. Extra-small containers come in hand for single servings of peanut butter or salad dressings. Look for containers that are BPA free.
- Remember food safety – if you don’t have access to a refrigerator to store your lunch, insert a cold pack into the lunch box and be sure to choose foods that will stay fresh and yummy from the time you pack them until it’s time to eat lunch.
- For days you can’t pack lunch, keep some non-perishable healthy options at your desk, such as light tuna in water, whole wheat crackers, no-sugar-added canned fruit, popcorn, and nuts.
Here’s a recipe to inspire you for National Healthy Lunch Day:
Your partner in good health,
Wellness Connection
Emily Page & Nikki Hafner