Eat Healthy To Improve Your Productivity: A Guide To Healthy Packed Lunches
We all know by now: eating healthy makes us feel good. However, we often find it difficult to apply this information to our daily food choices at home and at work. Most people really underestimate how much our lunch choices can influence our work efficiency, and if they knew, they would likely opt for more nourishing alternatives rather than grab some ready meals or quick lunches on the go. For this reason, we decided to write this blog article and discuss how healthy packed lunches can positively impact your productivity and make sure you get the most out of your workday.
SLOW-RELEASE ENERGY
Have you ever wondered why excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates such as sweets, white bread and foods made with refined flours leads you to feeling tired? This is because these items have a high glycemic index, and rapidly raise the level of glucose in our blood. This leads to short, high-energy bouts that are quickly consumed by our body, and that is what leaves us drained and fatigued. However, opting for whole meal and unrefined bread, pasta and grains is the perfect way to avoid this from happening. The fiber contained in these foods slows down digestion, which means blood glucose concentration will stay stable across the day along with your energy levels. Add healthy fats, vegetables, and lean proteins to your meal to further improve the glycemic index of your lunch and help you stay energized through the day.
MICRO, YET ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS
When we talk about nutrition, we always talk about carbohydrates, fats, protein, and fiber, but we often forget about the importance of micronutrients, mainly found in fruit, vegetables, grains, and nuts. Despite them being small (micro!) particles, they are super important for our health. Vitamins and minerals are what makes up this category and come in different forms and each has a different role, often interlinked with each other. These nutrients are essential for the correct functioning of our body, and a lack of fresh ingredients in our diet can slowly lead to deficiencies that can make us feel tired, fatigued, or simply make us fall ill more easily. Make sure to add a variety of colorful vegetables to your lunch to get in as many nutrients as possible. You could even have different sides to accompany your meal with (these insulated lunch boxes are great for this as they offer different sized boxes or containers with dividers) and make your lunch super exciting!
FOOD FOR THE STOMACH, FOOD FOR THE BRAIN
When prepping your lunch, you need to ensure you are using foods that are going to make you feel satisfied and full for a few hours. Fiber rich foods and lean proteins are a great way to bulk up your meals and make you feel full for longer. However, it is also important to implement foods rich in healthy fats in your packed lunch, such as oily fish, avocado, olive oil, seeds, and nuts. These items not only also help you feel full thanks to our hormonal response to their ingestion, but they also feed our brain. They in fact contain Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids, which support the correct functioning of our brain. So, if you want to have a sharp, clear mind and avoid brain fogs, these foods cannot be missing from your packed lunch!
These were the main reasons why we believe you should try give packed lunches a go. Not only they can make you save some money, but you also have full control over the nutritional content of your meals, and this enables you to make targeted choices aimed at improving your health, which will also directly impact your daily productivity.
MIRA FOOD JARS
Here at Mira, we understand the importance of eating healthy and the struggles for keeping lunches on the go the desired temperature and maintaining its delicious flavors. That’s why we supply thermos food jars of all sizes and colors! Our insulated food jars keep your food hot for 5 hours and cold for 10 hours. These are perfect for road trips, adventures, work, or school lunches. For our young fussy eaters, we have a 9oz thermos kids food jar that fits perfectly in a backpack for on campus snacks.
