Lunch In The Modern Rhythm Of Life - Useful, Tasty And Economical

Not so long ago, people rarely left the house with the sole purpose of eating. In Soviet times, the mother or wife cooked exclusively at home. Family dinners and lunches spent a lot of time, and a trip to the restaurant was a real holiday.

But now eating out has become commonplace and everyday. In the modern pace of life, at lunch time we are most often away from home — at school or at work . However, daily meals in cafes or restaurants cost a penny and, unfortunately, are not always affordable.

How to minimize the cost of lunch , while not starving and not resorting to extreme measures to save, but not feel deprived? Let's figure it out.

We take lunch from home

Of course, the most profitable option is to take lunch from home with you to work /study . We decided a long time ago that home-cooked food is the most beneficial from all sides - it is useful and cheap.

Most offices are equipped with kitchens with a refrigerator and a microwave, which allows you to bring lunch from home with you to work. Prepare dinner at home in the evening or in the morning. In fact, it will not require much effort, because we are not talking about exquisite delicacies. A simple and balanced lunch is enough : side dish, meat/fish, salad. Do not forget to take care of dishes - special convenient containers that store food and are convenient for transportation. There are only two requirements for such dishes - tightness and material intended for food and heating in the microwave (if necessary).

If there are no such conditions, then prepare something that can be stored outside the refrigerator for several hours - such options are also enough, or go to public catering establishments for lunch . This option, of course, is more expensive, but even in this case it is possible to save.

Don't skip lunch altogether. If it didn't seem to you, from breakfast to dinner is quite a long period of time - you will definitely want to eat. Then snacks will come into play - and even if they are dried fruits, yogurt or nuts, they cannot replace a full meal. In addition, the cost of such snacks will be more expensive than the cost of a portion of a hot meal.

Basic rules for lunch at work

• Not quantity, but quality. Your lunch while working or studying should not be large and heavy - because if you overeat, you will feel sleepy, heavy in the stomach and head. However, if you eat in moderation, you can enjoy a full dinner. Eat no more than your body needs.

• A good lunch should not be "mono" - for example, only porridge or only cutlets. Pack a few ingredients into your work lunch : complex carbohydrates to keep you feeling full longer (vegetables, whole grains), fats — vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, seeds, fiber for healthy digestion (legumes, vegetables, unsweetened fruits, bran). But it is better to avoid fast carbohydrates from high-grade flour and sweets: they fill you up for a short time, already an hour after such a meal, the blood sugar level drops so much that you want to eat another chocolate bar.

• More vegetables. About half of your lunch should be vegetables: they are easily digestible, but do not cause drowsiness after eating, give energy and, thanks to their enzymes, help to digest the whole meal .

• Beans are better than meat. A juicy piece of beef or pork, which has reached the stomach, will do everything to cool you down for your work duties: all the internal resources of the body are spent on digesting complex food. Poultry meat is better digested. But the most suitable way to gain strength during lunch is plant-based protein - beans, peas, chickpeas, tofu, lentils, nuts and seeds. And you can eat your legitimate piece of meat for dinner if you want.

• Drinks The best option is natural yogurt or kefir, provided that it is possible to put it in the refrigerator or in a cold place. In the "second place" - tea and coffee, and better - cocoa, but not soluble or from sachets, but natural. There should not be any problems with this - now many offices are equipped with coffee makers, so it is possible to brew good coffee and tea. And if not, you can always take a thermos or a thermal mug with a drink from home.