BUILDING
A H E A LT H Y
LUNCH BOX
Created by:
The Wellness Council of Arizona and the National Partnership for Wellness
Presented by:
Wellness Council Health Coach, Kelly Jones M.A., C.P.T
Brought to you by: UnitedHealthcare
HOW TO BUILD
A HEALTHY LUNCH BOX
• Get Equipped: Get a personal Igloo or insulated
carrier, Thermos and plastic ware, like Tupperware.
Check if there is a microwave available.
• Go Shopping: Look for whole-wheat breads,
natural nut butters, low-fat deli meats, tuna,
romaine or red leaf lettuce, baked chips, salad
fixings (cucumber, tomato, carrots, sweet
peppers), and fruit (apples, oranges, bananas,
grapes, berries) and healthy snacks.
HOW TO BUILD
A HEALTHY LUNCH BOX
• Prepare the Night Before: Leaving the
preparation until the AM may limit your
consistency-- pack it in the evening & be ready to
go!
• Don’t Forget the Leftovers: Soups, stew, chili,
pasta and many other entrees are great the next
day. Make more dinner than you need and be set
for a day or two of special lunches.
• Wrap It Up: Burritos and sandwich wraps are
great on whole-wheat tortillas; try wrapping
chicken, tuna or egg salad with some lettuce and
tomatoes.
HOW TO BUILD
A HEALTHY LUNCH BOX
• Put the Freeze On: Frozen entrées can be a great option if
you have a microwave available. Go healthy and look for low fat,
low sodium choices.
• Let Someone Else Do It: There are plenty of pre-packed
snacks available at the supermarket. It’s just a matter of
choosing the healthy options. Small boxes of raisins, small tins
of fruit in natural juice, dried fruits or trail mix will do.
HOW TO BUILD
A HEALTHY LUNCH BOX
• Seal in the Flavor: When toting oranges,
bananas or even apples, seal them in a small
plastic baggie. If you don’t the flavors of the
fruits permeate the rest of the items in your bag
making everything take on the flavor of the “fruit
of the day”.
• Fast but Healthy: If you do need to catch
something fast when you are unprepared,
choose healthy options: grilled chicken instead
of hamburger; hold the fries or go
small...remember, super-size applies to more
than just the food.
HOW TO BUILD
A HEALTHY LUNCH BOX
• Get “Diversified”: Change up the options from time to time.
Many people tend to eat the same thing too often and the food
loses appeal, the next thing you know we find ourselves driving
through someplace not so healthy!
HOW TO BUILD
A HEALTHY LUNCH BOX
• Toss a Salad: When toting a salad, place the salad in a large
plastic baggie with the dressing sealed in a small container or
sandwich-size baggie, placing the small bag in the larger one. At
lunchtime, pour the dressing over the salad in the larger bag,
seal tightly and shake. No soggy salad, no messy cleanup and no
containers to tote back and forth between home and work!
HOW TO BUILD
A HEALTHY LUNCH BOX
• Make & Take Mason Jar Meals: Need a grab ‘n’ go lunch that’s perfectly
portioned, but not sure how to put it together? The secret to a perfect and tasty
Mason jar salad is all in the order.
– The dressing goes in first. This is so important! This guarantees that your salad
ingredients don’t get soggy.
– Then go with a grain or a protein, or anything else big and chunky. This protects your
more delicate ingredients from getting wet.
– Then the fixings. Little things like shaved nuts, raisins, cheeses. The ingredients that you
want to stay dry until just before you eat it.
– And if you have any leafy greens, they go in last. That way when you turn the Mason
jar over and unload it all into a bowl, the greens will make the salad bed.
Genius! Choosing a smart combo of ingredients is also key.You want to mix textures and
flavors. And ideally, you’ll have a filling protein, something crunchy, and something sweet and
tangy.
SUSHI IN A JAR
Ingredients:
Directions:
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
1 tbs rice vinegar
1-2 tsp soy sauce
1 sheet nori, cut into 1″x1/4″
pieces
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup cucumber
matchsticks
1/2 an avocado, diced
lime juice
pickled ginger, to taste
wasabi paste, to taste
•
•
•
•
While rice is still warm,
pour the vinegar & soy
sauce over it and toss to
combine.
Let cool to room
temperature.
In a bowl toss the diced
avocado with just enough
lime juice to lightly coat
in order to prevent
browning.
Layer your ingredients as
follows: ½ sheet nori, ¼
cup rice, ¼ cup carrot, ¼
cup rice, ginger, avocado,
¼ cup rice, ¼ cup
cucumber, ½ sheet nori
and top with ginger and
wasabi to taste.
WALNUT APPLE SALAD
Ingredients:
3 cups mixed greens
1 stalk celery, diced
2-3 radishes, thinly sliced
¼ green apple, thinly
sliced
⅓ cup walnuts
Dressing:
3 tbs raw almond butter
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
⅛ tsp salt
1 tbs maple syrup
2 t. toasted sesame oil
Directions:
• For the Dressing:
Combine all
ingredients in a tightly
sealed container and
shake until emulsified.
• Pour 2 tbs of dressing
in the bottom of a
wide mouth mason
jar.
• Working from the
bottom up, layer the
apples, radishes,
celery, and walnuts.
• Pack in the greens
and seal the jar.
• Refrigerate until
ready to eat.
HEALTHY SNACK IDEAS
• High fiber (and portable) fruits: apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, pears
• Homemade trail mix: almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries or raisins
(unsweetened) with a cup of high fiber/low calorie cereal (the cereal is
the “base” of your trail mix) Puffins, no sugar Shredded Wheat, All Bran
• Hummus – with whole grain crackers, pretzels and veggies
• Low fat plain or soy yogurt (add your own fruit and sweetener)
• Veggies – a variety bag of carrots, celery, broccoli and sugar snap peas
• Brown rice cakes with all-natural peanut butter or almond butter
(optional: top with a half sliced banana)
HEALTHY SNACK IDEAS
• Flavored brown rice cakes – cinnamon, sesame, caramel
• Low fat corn tortilla chips (baked without oil) and chunky low sodium salsa
• Handful of almonds or walnuts
• Small handful of salt-free, dry roasted peanuts and raisins
• Apple slices with all-natural peanut butter
• Whole-wheat pretzels with roasted red pepper dip or hummus or almond
butter or guacamole
• Natural, organic food bars (example: Larabars, Kind Bars…)
• 3/4 cup of high fiber, low calorie Fiber cereal with a half cup of rice, almond, oat
or soy milk and handful of blueberries