We say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but dietitian Susie Burrell says it might be time to reconsider. Here are five ways a well-balanced lunch can change your entire day.
For many years, we’ve been told that breakfast is of utmost importance to break the overnight fast and boost metabolism. And we tend to take dinner seriously, as the largest and last meal of the day.
But when did we stop paying attention to lunch?
Lunch done well has the power to quell sugar cravings in the afternoon slump, assist with intuitive eating at dinner, and give you the fuel you need to perform all afternoon. So it’s time we started giving this meal the time and consideration it deserves.
Here are five benefits of lunch done well.
A well-balanced lunch supports calorie and weight control
The human body is programmed according to a circadian rhythm or 24-hour clock – this means that the body naturally burns more calories during the day when we are most active, and is more likely to store calories at night.
Eating late in the day or many hours after your first meal fails to tap into the metabolic boost we naturally get during the first half of the day. For this reason, the earlier you have your lunch, even in place of a late-morning snack, the better it will be for your metabolic rate.
If you are hungry at 11 or 1130am, you are much better to eat a decent meal then, rather than continually snack on high-carbohydrate foods like biscuits and bars that are easy to overconsume.
A well-balanced lunch helps to reach your nutrient targets
When we need to moderate calorie intake without missing out on key nutrients, a nutritionally balanced lunch that includes plenty of salad and veggies, lean protein and wholegrain carbohydrates, can make all the difference.
A well-balanced lunch helps to tick the box on a number of key nutrients busy women need daily, including dietary fibre, zinc, iron, protein and good fats. While busy lives mean that we may grab a quick meal on the go, like sushi or a simple salad, over time, it will mean you are falling short on a number of key nutrients we need daily for optimal health.
A well-balanced lunch reduces afternoon snacking
If there is one common food habit that evolves when lunches contain insufficient amounts of protein, it is late afternoon cravings and extreme hunger that occurs courtesy of low blood glucose levels 2-3 hours after lunch. This often sees us grabbing multiple snacks throughout the afternoon, or when we walk in the door in the evening, which can completely blow out calorie intake – especially when loads of cheese, dips and snack foods are consumed.
Once you commit to a well-balanced lunch meal, you will notice that you are no longer craving sweet food all afternoon.
A well-balanced lunch helps to avoid overeating at dinner
For weight control and digestive comfort, dinner should not be the largest meal of the day, but it often becomes the largest as we have consumed insufficient calories throughout the day. A well-balanced lunch that is a meal rather than a light snack, will mean that you are no longer ravenous at 6 or 7pm, and can enjoy a lighter meal while still feeling satisfied.
Smaller meals at night will aid sleep quality, and help to ensure you wake up hungry the next morning, helping to shift calorie intake towards the first half of the day.
A well-balanced lunch supports glucose control
Eating a lunch meal that contains a mix of protein, good quality carbs and salad veggies will help to keep blood glucose levels controlled throughout the afternoon, helping to prevent sweet cravings. Carb-heavy lunches such as sushi, large sandwiches or fast-food meals may initially give you a bit of glucose, but this is followed by a subsequent lull, which can result in a craving for more, calorie-dense sweet foods.
On the other hand, a lunch mix of protein, a small portion of good quality carbs and fresh food will avoid glucose highs and lows, which is beneficial for both appetite control and the health of the body’s cells long term.
