Remember trading your lunch when you were a kid? Maybe you had oatmeal raisin cookies, and really wanted the Oreos your friend had. Or it was a ham sandwich again and someone else would swap it for peanut butter. Why not start your own workplace lunch club that makes healthy eating easy and as much fun as trading your lunch was as a kid?

Start Small

Partner up with a friend and assign yourselves one day each. Establish some ground rules regarding food preferences and allergies. Trade healthy recipes you’ve been wanting to try; make sure they’re meals that travel well and can be made ahead. On your assigned day, bring in lunch you prepared at home, enough for you and your friend. On her day, she’ll reciprocate. You’ll have a day off a week when you won’t have to think about lunch and on the days you make a double lunch, it’s not that much extra time.

Think Bigger

Expand your group to include two others. Once a week, make enough lunch for four people (including yourself). Think of choices like a cold grain salad with veggies or a healthy soup that can be microwaved and served with a side salad. Enjoy the freedom of having lunch made for you three other days.

Get Everyone Involved

If you work in a smaller office, why not see if you can get everyone involved in a lunch club? Try for once a week to start, and have each person responsible for everyone’s lunch. Check out this article from Cooking Light for inspiration, recipes and guidelines.

Next Week: Snacking Smart at Work

Have you ever stopped to think about how many of your meals you eat at work? Most of us eat lunch at work. And we’re still around in the afternoon, craving a snack. Early birds might be eating breakfast at work too. This means you’re eating most of your food in your workplace. Are you giving those choices as much thought as you are to your dinner? Maybe not. All this month, we’re looking at healthy eating in the workplace.

What’s For Lunch?

Lunch is an important meal because it sets the stage for the rest of your day. Eating a good mix of complex carbohydrates, lean protein and a little healthy fat will help keep you energized throughout the afternoon. Your best defense against the urge to nap in the afternoon is a good lunch.

You have choices when it comes to deciding where your lunch comes from. Maybe you brown-bag it. Or your office has a cafeteria. Maybe it’s a stop at a fast-food restaurant or a business meeting at an upscale place. No matter where you get your lunch from, you have great options to make it healthy.

From the Grocery Store

• Many stores have an in-house sushi bar. Try a California Roll made with brown rice and a side of edamame.

• Hit the freezer section for an organic black bean burrito (Amy’s is a good brand) with prepared salsa from the produce section.

• Keep a couple of Kashi frozen entrees in the office freezer if you have one. They’re also good choices for when you have to unexpectedly work late.

• Keep foil packs of tuna and salmon in your desk to add to salads you bring from home or from the salad bar.

From the Salad Bar  A good formula:

• leafy greens
• cooked whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat pasta or couscous
• lean protein, especially grilled chicken or shrimp, tuna or salmon, cooked beans, hard boiled eggs, tofu
• cut veggies, such as broccoli, snap peas, green beans, scallions, tomato, carrots
• fresh herbs, such as basil, cilantro
• ¼ cup cheese

Please always remember that Caesar Salad is ridiculously high in fat from the dressing, cheese and croutons. I love Caesar salad, but I only allow myself to eat it at one particular restaurant where they make it table-side, using fresh ingredients and the traditional method. I enjoy the spectacle, then I enjoy the salad.

From Fast-food Chains:
Here are some of the better choices from a couple of national fast-food chains. Most establishments have a website with nutrition information, so check it out before you go.

Subway:
Any of the following 6 Grams of Fat or Less 6” subs on 9-Grain Wheat bread are decent choices. The better choices (because they’re lower in sodium) are listed below. Skip the creamy sauces and load up on the vegetables:

• Veggie Delite
• Oven Roasted Chicken Breast
• Roast Beef
• Turkey Breast

Wendy’s:

• Broccoli Stuffed Potato with either Cheese or Sour Cream or Buttery Spread
• Sour Cream & Chive Stuffed Potato

At fast food places, look for grilled items and salads (but watch additions like heavy dressing, crispy noodles, croutons).

From the Deli:

• Ask for whole grain bread or wraps.
• Skip the mayo, or ask for a little mayo and mustard.
• Pile on the veggies.
• Many places will make your sandwich “slim”, with less meat. Healthier and cheaper.

Bringing in Leftovers:

• When you make a healthy dinner, make extra for lunch later that week.
• When grilling or roasting, always throw extra veggies, chicken or fish into the mix to throw into a salad.

Remember trading your lunch when you were a kid? Who says you can’t do that any more?

Next week, we’ll look at lunch clubs that make healthy eating fun.