Lunch

If your day is all about deadlines, meetings, and squeezing in a workout, it's no wonder you barely have time to hit the bathroom, let alone sit down to eat lunch. But what you eat for your midday meal can play a huge role in whether you reach your weight-loss goals. Here are some ways that innocent little lunch box of yours can help you fit into that polka-dot bikini by Summer.

• No more skipped lunches: Sounds simple enough, but many women skip lunch thinking they'll lose weight faster. Unfortunately, this isn't the case; skipping meals slows down metabolism, resulting in fewer calories burned. Having a healthy lunch waiting for you means there's no excuse to ever skip this midday meal. Need some ideas? Pack these vegetarian sandwiches or one of these delicious low-calorie soups.
• No more hidden calories: It's fun to go out to lunch every once in a while, but restaurant food tends to be high in calories. Packing a lunch from home means you aren't forced to hit the local café and order a who-knows-how-many-calories-are-in-that soup and sandwich. You also won't be tempted by the high-calorie desserts on the counter calling your name. Instead, you'll know exactly what went into that homemade meal of yours.
• Portion control: When you pack a lunch, you're in charge of how big it is and how many calories you consume. Using cute storage containers like these BPA-free ones can help encourage you to pack smaller portions of your favorites to keep calories in check. Be sure to choose high-fiber foods to keep you feeling full for longer.
• More energy: Eating a nutritious lunch packed with protein and complex carbs maintains blood sugar levels. So say goodbye to that afternoon slump that makes you crave a sugary pick-me-up, and say hello to the crazy amount of energy you'll have to hit a 300-calorie-burning workout after work.

Source: Flickr User trupastilla

If you want to stay energized all afternoon, then choose your lunch wisely. Meals made of verve-inducing foods like lean protein, iron-rich leafy greens, and healthy fats will keep your spirits up well into the evening. Here are four energizing lunches to try this week.

Tuna Salad Pitas

Tuna salad can quickly quiet hunger, but the mayonnaise found in traditional recipes racks up (empty) calories fast. Instead, make this protein-packed tuna salad pita sandwich to reduce fat and calories but not flavor.

Quinoa Avocado Salad

Quinoa is a great source of protein and fiber, both of which help fuel the body throughout the day, and avocados provide sustained energy through their high amount of healthy monounsaturated fat. Both avocados and quinoa are also good sources of potassium, which is important for metabolism and muscle growth. Keep your body's engine running smoothly with this quinoa avocado salad recipe, which contains nuts and dried fruit for even more energy.

Get two more energizing lunch ideas after the break.

When it comes to lunch and weight loss, you've got to choose wisely. Barely eating anything or skipping the meal altogether can lead to binge eating later in the day, but filling up midday doesn't bode well for your weight-loss plans. Instead of either, make smart choices at lunch that save calories while ensuring you stay full and have adequate nutrition. Keep these two quick tips handy to save up to 300 calories during your midday meal.

• Skip these, save 100: Make your healthy lunch choices a no-brainer with these tips that save you around 100 calories without much thought. Skipping the mayo, for example, will cut 90 calories from your meal, while going for avocado but skipping the cheese will save you even more. Check out more foods to skip at lunch to save 100 calories here.
• Swap these, save 300: Think that sandwich or veggie burrito is healthy? It may not be. You can save even more calories with smart swaps like a vegetable-filled taco salad instead of a burrito or a protein-filled chickpea salad instead of a creamy chicken salad sandwich. Save 300 calories now with these lunchtime swaps.

If you've been cooking more and eating out less in the New Year, you've probably realized not only how much money you're saving on dinner, but on how just making a bit more can save you money, time, and calories when you bring those leftovers to work for lunch. But one problem with making a huge serving of delicious dinner is that all that food can tempt you into eating more than you'd like to. The solution? Box up your leftovers at the same time you're serving dinner.

Have your lunch container ready (we like these BPA-free options) when you're done cooking, as soon as you serve out your dinner; portion your leftovers into your lunch container. You'll be less tempted to go back for seconds that you don't really need or to graze later on in the evening when you're finally packing your lunch. For more healthy lunch to-dos, read our tips on bringing leftovers to work here.

Sometimes, it happens: you pat yourself on the back for choosing a healthy lunch, only to be starving by the time afternoon rolls around — hello, vending machine! While your midday salad may be healthy, if it's not filling you up, chances are you'll reach for something less diet-friendly instead. Here's how to ensure you stay full and keep calories low at lunch.

• Not just any salad will do: That bowl of mixed greens may be low-calorie, but if you don't have a good mix of fiber and protein in your salad, you'll probably have a grumbling stomach in no time. When making your salad, toss in healthy toppings like beans for protein and fiber, avocado or sunflower seeds for healthy fats, and slices of fresh fruit for energizing nutrients; all of these will help keep you full without adding too many calories. Keep tabs on how much your salad is costing you, calorie-wise, with this chart of calories in common salad toppings.
• Break it up: Many nutritionists recommend grazing, or eating several small meals a day instead of three large ones, as a weight-loss strategy that works. Instead of eating all your meal in one sitting, break it up in half and eat the rest in the afternoon to train yourself away from reaching for an unhealthy snack after lunch.
• Eat these: Build your lunch around healthy, filling foods that suppress your appetite or digest slowly to keep you full. Toss an apple into your lunch bag, or play up the spices in your leftovers for a satisfying lunch. Check out our list of 25 filling foods for more ideas.

Our readers love sharing photos of what they're eating via Instagram! After such a great response to our Instagram breakfast challenge, we thought it was time to see what our readers are eating once the afternoon rolls around. Grab your iPhone or Android, snap a pic of whatever healthy food you're eating for lunch, and upload the pic to Instagram. Make sure to caption your lunch photo with the hashtag #FitSugar; we'll grab our favorite shots from the upcoming week and share them with you here on the site. If you can't wait to see what pics readers are submitting, just search #FitSugar via the Instagram app.

Make sure to follow FitSugar on Instagram (username: FitSugar) for daily fitness inspiration and tips. Also, keep an eye out to see what our own editors are enjoying when lunchtime rolls around!

School has been in session for a few weeks, but if packing healthy lunches feels like a pop quiz you're failing, we have a some simple swaps to suggest. And we know brown bagging it isn't just for the little ones either. Read up and see how to make sure your lunch box is full of healthful food.

Keep on reading to find out what else you should skip when packing lunch.