A sandwich, a glass of juice, and some dried fruit for dessert…is this a healthy lunch?

Beware these four food “traps” that can make your lunch less healthy than you think.

Bright white isn’t right

Flour and rice are processed to appear bright white in colour.  This processing reduces the nutritional value and minimizes the dietary fibre, all for the sake of making the food more “visually appealing.”  Choose brown rice, brown flour, and whole wheat bread over bleached, white options.

Similarly, when you must use sugar, opt for brown or golden over white.

What’s in the sandwich?

Use the right ingredients and your sandwich will be a nutritious and healthy lunch!

Deli meat is often highly processed and loaded with salt, preservatives and saturated fats.  Some of the worst offenders include salami, pepperoni and mock chicken.  Choose shaved chicken breast, tuna salad, egg salad or thin slices of turkey over deli loaf.

Go easy on the mayonnaise and ranch dressing.  Try avocado, mustard or hummus instead.

We eat too much sugar

Processed foods often have added sugars to make them more appealing to customers.  Our bodies aren’t designed to handle the amount of sugar that the average person consumes in a day.  Health complications result.  Most of us get all the sugar we need from naturally occurring sugars, such as those in dairy products and fresh fruit.

Choose fresh fruit over fruit juice or dried fruit, both of which are higher in sugar.

We don’t get enough water

Juice and milk don’t hydrate the body nearly as well as pure, fresh water.  Meanwhile, coffee, black tea, soda pop and alcoholic drinks serve as diuretics, dehydrating us even more.

Don’t wait until you feel thirsty.  By that time, your body has already become dehydrated.  Get into the habit of drinking fresh water regularly throughout the day and your health will thank you.

Finally, save money and help the environment by skipping little plastic bottles of water and simply refilling a glass or reusable water bottle from the filter or tap.

It’s all in how you make it

In conclusion, a sandwich can be a very healthy lunch, or the equivalent of fast food, depending on the ingredients you use.  Choose fresh fruit over dried fruit and drink plenty of water, and you can enjoy a convenient and healthy lunch.