Tips and Tricks for Packing a Gut-Friendly Lunch
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If you’re dealing with uncomfortable gut symptoms, packing your lunch is a game-changing way to keep your belly in check. This ensures that you have control over what ingredients go into your meal while avoiding any potential food triggers.
We also know that getting a balanced meal with a variety of plants helps support your gut health in the long run. Let’s dive into what makes a gut-healthy lunch along with some examples.
What should I include?
Protein, plants, and healthy fats are the components you can use to create a complete meal that will keep you feeling full and satisfied until your next meal.
Protein
- Lean meats like poultry, fish, and eggs
- Plant-based proteins such as tempeh and firm tofu are also great options
Plants
- Veggies like leafy greens, cucumbers, and carrots
- Fruits like berries, cantaloupe, or kiwi
- Whole grains like wild rice and millet
- Quinoa
Healthy Fats
- Dressing made with olive oil, nuts, or seeds
- Fatty fish like salmon.
Gut-Friendly Lunch Tips
1. Leftovers
Tip: Make an extra portion or two at dinner the night before so you have something for the next day.
2. Meal prep
Tip: Set aside an hour or two on the weekend to prepare for the week. This ensures that you have your lunch ready to go. Buy a few containers in a variety of sizes designated for your lunches.
3. Snack lunch
Tip: Super busy at work and have a hard time fitting in meals? Bring a “snack” lunch, which has different components that you don’t have to eat all at once or can have in between meetings (eating something is always better than skipping meals!)
4. Time Savers
Tip: If you’re short on prep time, utilize pre-cut fruits/veggies, pre-made proteins (EX: grilled or rotisserie chicken), salad kits, and frozen veggies
(If you don’t have time to roast a pan of broccoli, buy frozen! Fruits and veggies in the freezer aisle are flash frozen at their peak of freshness, so they’re actually a great choice if you don’t have time for fresh.)
5. Keeping Food Costs Low
On a tight budget? Try purchasing more produce and bulk whole grains. Frozen and canned vegetables are also great choices when you’re tight on cash.
If you’re a meat eater, having more meat-free meals and including plant-based protein sources can also help you save. Explore some new recipes that keep meals interesting but limit meat!
Lunches to Try
- Leftovers: 3 oz chicken breast or salmon filet, ½ baked sweet potato with 1-2 tsp butter or ghee, 1 cup of steamed or roasted veggies.
- Sandwiches: GF bread, 3 oz turkey breast slices (try Applegate Farms), a low lactose cheese like cheddar (FODMAP-friendly), sliced cucumbers, spread (mustard, mayo made with olive oil) with roasted bell peppers. Pair with a side of baby carrots, sliced cucumbers or cut-up pineapple.
- Salads and Grain Bowl: 1-2 cup spinach, ½ cup cooked quinoa, 1 sliced mini cucumber, ½ cup shredded carrots, 1-2 Tbsp sunflower seeds, 3 oz sliced chicken breast or firm tofu. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar.
- “Snack Lunch”: a protein bar (like GoMacro Peanut Butter) dairy-free yogurt (like almond milk yogurt) with raspberries and sprinkled with chia or pumpkin seeds. Eat components as able.