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Marek Struszczyk

Co-Founder ManagerUp

Last modified: June 7th, 2023


What would be your reaction if you are told you can prepare your own lunch, virtually every day, with some healthy lunch ideas for work to lose weight?

You will be surprised and may not even believe it! Because for any manager, every minute is precious and preparing own lunch and packing it for office, that too on a daily basis, Monday-Friday, can be considered as the waste of time for them.

But, it’s not! The recipes we will discuss here are not time-consuming and require minimal efforts.

In fact, if you look at it from the perspective of your health, you will realize you can actually save a lot of time by preparing your own lunch, lose considerable weight, and stay healthy.

Ignoring your diet and nutrition can increase your risk of obesity and related disorders. Eating healthy, low-calorie meals can help you lose weight while keeping your energetic at the workplace. CLICK TO TWEET

According to the study published in the Journal of Research of Medical Sciences, a poor diet and lack of nutrition contribute significantly to a higher risk of chronic disorders, including obesity and diabetes.

A chronic disorder like diabetes is definitely more time-consuming given the regular medications and insulin injections that need to be taken, frequent hospital visits, extended care needed to prevent complications, etc.

Hence, the need to follow a healthy diet and avoid obesity cannot be emphasized enough. If you agree, let us begin with learning healthy lunch ideas for work to lose weight for busy managers.

Healthy Lunch Ideas for Work to Lose Weight and Stay Healthy:

1. Quinoa Burrito Bowls

healthy lunch ideas for work to lose weight

Quinoa Burrito Bowls offer a perfect way to keep yourself full until the end of the working day.

Research conducted at the Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety had shown that Quinoa possesses a high amount of fibers that can improve satiety and control your food intake at work and at home.

Quinoa can also reduce your cholesterol levels, a common complication for executives and managers associated with obesity. It can also improve your energy levels and allow you to feel fresh until the end of the day by maintaining stable blood sugar levels.

Total preparation time: 20 minutes

Calories: 312 kcal

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

1/4th cup of olive oil

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Black pepper and salt

1 teaspoon of honey

For the salad:

2 cups of quinoa, cooked

1 avocado, peeled and chopped

2 cups of spinach leaves, finely chopped

cherry tomatoes

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 cup of cucumber, chopped

Black pepper, and salt

To prepare:

In a bowl, add olive oil, garlic, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, honey, and pepper and mix well.

Set it aside.

In another bowl, combine quinoa, cucumber, spinach, tomatoes, green onions, and avocado.

Drizzle the salad with the dressing. Stir it gently so that the salad is well-coated with the dressing.

Sprinkle salt and pepper. Top with corn, if desired.

2. Zucchini and Eggs with Brown Rice

healthy lunch ideas for work to lose weight

Photo by Lum3n.com from Pexels

Brown rice offers a natural source of fibers. It also has a low glycemic index. Hence, on the days you have meetings lined up one after another, due to which you may not get even a few minutes of break to eat some snacks for the evening, you can pack cauliflower fried rice for lunch.

The higher fiber content of brown rice can stimulate the fat burning rate and help you lose oodles of weight from your desk!

According to research conducted at the European Journal of Clinical nutrition, brown rice has a slower gastric emptying rate, due to the presence of the bran layer. This means your stomach will feel full for longer and you will be able to breeze through all the meetings without experiencing hunger pangs.

Total preparation time: 25 minutes

Calories: 228 kcal

Ingredients:

1 cup of brown rice, soaked in water for 3 hours and then, cooked

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 to 3 cloves of garlic

Half an onion

2 or 3 eggs

Half red bell pepper

A small amount of sea salt

4 to 5 cups of zucchini

To prepare:

In a large pan, heat butter. Add chopped vegetables and saute for about 10 to 12 minutes.  Keep it aside.

Meanwhile, whisk one or two eggs. Add sea salt. Boil the other egg and keep it aside.

Cook the whisked eggs for a few minutes in a pan.

In a large pan, add cooked eggs and vegetables and stir together.

Sprinkle a small amount of sea salt and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve with the boiled egg.

3. Turkey Taco Stuffed Avocado

healthy lunch ideas for work to lose weight

Avocado is a great addition to the healthy diet given its multitude of medicinal properties.

The potential health benefits of avocados for managers and executives are attributed to its high nutritional value.

According to a research conducted at the Critical reviews In Food Sciences and Nutrition, Avocados provide dietary fibers, minerals such as potassium, sodium, and magnesium, as well as vitamins like vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K1, and folate.

While living a busy life of an executive, ensuring your diet possesses all the essential nutrients can be too difficult. This recipe can ensure your health doesn’t take a backseat due to the lack of nutrients in your diet.

Total preparation time: 20 minutes

Calories: 210 kcal

Ingredients:

Avocados, cut into halves and pit removed

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

1 pound of ground turkey

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1½ teaspoons of chili powder

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

Salsa for garnish

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Half a cup shredded cheddar cheese

Sour cream for garnish optional

Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

To prepare:

Brown the turkey and onion on a large skillet, until the turkey is no longer pink.

Add garlic powder, cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, onion powder, and pepper.

Add the refried bean. Mix well.

Top each slice of avocado with a squeeze of lime juice.

Spoon the mixture of ground turkey evenly into the halved avocado.

Top with sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro, and salsa.

4. Creamy Spinach Soup

Healthy lunch ideas for work to lose weight

Courtesy of Recipe photo courtesy of David M. Russell

Creamy spinach soup is the perfect recipe for lunch at work on the days you would like to avoid eating anything too filling or when you are suffering from digestive problems.

Taking a leave even on a day you are down with a digestive problem can be difficult for managers, especially when they are at the helm of an important project. On such days, you can still attend to your job responsibilities by packing for yourself a lunch of creamy spinach soup.

According to research conducted at The Journal Of the American College Of Nutrition, Spinach can support your weight loss goals. It promotes the release of hormones, which create a sense of satiety thus reducing your food intake.

Additionally, the high amount of iron present in spinach will prevent anemia and improve your general health to face your duties at work.

Total preparation time: 25 minutes

Calories: 130 kcal

Ingredients:

3 to 4 Leeks of greenish and White parts

3 cups of Spinach

4 cups of water

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

1 Potato, cut into small cubes

2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

1 slice of Sourdough bread

2 tablespoons Cream

Salt and pepper

To prepare:

In a heavy pan, add butter. Add potatoes and the leeks. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

Then, add water, and let it cook for about 10 to 20 minutes.

Chop the spinach and add it to the pan and let it cook for a few more minutes.

Blend the ingredients using a handheld mixer to get a soupy texture.

Sprinkle the cheese on one slice of bread and toast it in the toaster for about 5 minutes.

Remove it from the oven. Then, cut it to make square-shaped croutons.

5. Rice and Beans

healthy lunch ideas for work to lose weight

Beans are often overlooked and underestimated, even though they are loaded with nutrients.

According to research conducted at the ISRN obesity, the high fiber content of beans can create a sense of fullness in the stomach and keep you full.

Beans also have a low glycemic index, which means, it will provide you with bursts of energy at regular intervals at work.

Hence, having rice with beans for lunch will help you avoid feeling sleepy or drowsy in your post-lunch meetings.

Total preparation time: 20 minutes

Calories: 260 kcal

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked rice

1 can black beans

2 cups of water

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4th cup onion, chopped

1/4th cup pepper, diced

1/2 cup of coconut milk

1 tablespoon red curry paste

Salt to taste

Grated cheese

To prepare:

Add salt and curry paste to coconut milk. Set aside.

In a non-stick pan, saute pepper olive oil, and onion. Add beans.

Add coconut mixture and cooked rice. Combine well and heat through.

Garnish with grated cheese.

6. Chicken with Lemon and Rice

healthy lunch ideas for work to lose weight

This recipe is reserved for the days at work you deserve a treat! After all, a happy mind is the most productive at work.

According to the study published in the Food and Nutrition Research, the chicken should be a part of your balanced diet given its high nutritional value.

Chicken also provides a source of healthy fats that can ensure your body receives a steady supply of energy and allows you to keep working at your best throughout the day.

Total preparation time: 30 minutes

Calories: 250 kcal

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

skinless, boneless chicken breasts

2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Rice:

1 cup uncooked rice

2 cups of chicken broth

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Juice of 1 lemon

To prepare:

Melt the butter in a skillet. Then, add the chicken and season it with a pinch of salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Let the chicken brown for about 2 to 3 minutes on both the sides. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Add chicken broth, rice, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning to the pan.

Place the chicken on the top, cover and let it simmer over low to medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes.

Garnish with cilantro or fresh parsley, if desired.

7. Baked Chicken with Sweet Potato and Mushrooms

healthy lunch ideas for work to lose weight

This recipe combines the goodness of sweet potatoes and mushrooms with the tasty addition of chicken.

According to a study published in the Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, sweet potatoes have a low glycemic index. This makes it a perfect ingredient to add to your lunch box when you want to avoid mid-meal snacking at the office and lose weight. It maintains your blood sugar levels within normal limits, thus preventing sluggishness and tiredness at work caused due to low blood sugar levels.

Mushrooms, on the other hand, can reduce cholesterol levels and improve energy levels. Mushrooms also have the ability to improve your concentration and attention span and help you focus better while at work.

Hence, this recipe is recommended for those working days you know are going to be hectic in the office with site visits, presentations, etc.

Total preparation time: 25 minutes

Calories: 280 kcal

Ingredients:

1/2 chicken breast, skinless

1 cup of mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon chives

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium sweet potato

To prepare:

In a 350°F oven, bake the chicken, topped with chives, mushrooms, and oil for about 15 minutes.

Microwave the sweet potato for 5 to 7 minutes as a side dish with chicken.

Conclusion

Somewhere along your quest to excel in your career, your health took a backseat. As you jump the ladder of success, your pay package increases and so does your waistline! Obesity, if not controlled and reversed, can invite to a range of disorders including diabetes, hypertension, heart attacks, and stroke.

These disorders can create obstacles in your career by causing mental stress and reducing your productivity at work.

Packing a home-cooked lunch for yourself with the healthy lunch ideas for work to lose weight, you can avoid obesity and the risk of disorders associated with it. Check more healthy recipes for lunch exclusively selected for executives!

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