4 Easy Lunch Ideas to Lose Weight

I remember walking into the lunch room one day in the fall of 8th grade.  It is etched in my mind because it was the first time I remember being “on a diet.”

Yeah, I was overweight…most of my life growing up.

You see, I played football but never made weight limits.  Up until 8th grade they had strict weight limits – if you didn’t make them, you didn’t play with the kids in your grade.  You could play with the grade above.

But when you get to 8th grade, you either lose weight or you don’t play because playing with the high school team isn’t an option.

So there I was.  155 lbs.  And I needed to be under 135 lbs to play.  I was introduced to the term “dieting.”  Things have come full circle as now almost 20 years later I help others lose weight permanently and achieve their goals.

For whatever reason, though, walking into the lunch room on that Monday morning with a brown bag sticks in my mind…

…I was sitting across from my friend and teammate, Kevin Botfeld.  He asked what I was eating since he was well aware I needed to lose weight to play.  I was one of “the fat kids” as we were affectionately referred to by the coaches.

Tuna fish (made with mustard) on whole wheat bread, skim milk, and carrot sticks that first day.

And then I would usually alternate – the tuna fish lunch I mentioned one day and turkey cold cuts, roasted red peppers and provolone cheese, skim milk (or sometimes a yogurt), and fruit the next.

Not bad choices compared to most kids in middle school.  Or most adults, for that matter, but thinking back to those days, I don’t eat the same way now.

So what do we eat regularly?

Here are 4 typical foods we eat and 1 really common one we rarely touch (even though it used to be a staple).

Mohr Results Seal of Approval:

• Natural peanut or almond butter and banana or grapes on sprouted grain bread (great since it doesn’t need to be refrigerated)
• Large salad with a variety of veggies and/or fruit, beans, and some other lean protein (hummus, chicken, fish, etc)
• Chobani Greek yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit and raw nuts
• Half an avocado (seed removed).  Mix a can of salmon with mustard and crushed black pepper.  Fill the avocado with the mixed salmon and enjoy!

And here’s one common food we avoid:

Cold cuts (ham, turkey, salami, etc).  Yeah, sure, these are REALLY convenient.  But you know what, they’re also loaded with preservatives, like nitrites/nitrates and we’d just rather not put that in our bodies regularly.  They don’t taste like the real thing, they’re overly processed, and did you also know that it is suggested pregnant women DO NOT eat deli meats at all?  That’s scary to me … particularly since Kara is pregnant!

Now, if they have non cured options at your store, these would be better.  Or better yet, for convenience, pick up a rotisserie chicken that’s precooked, slice that and put it on a sandwich for the same level of convenience as cold cuts without all the preservatives.

With all that said, lower fat cold cuts (like turkey or chicken breast) are significantly better options than most fast food restaurants offer.  A turkey sandwich with some mustard, lettuce, and tomato is significantly better than a Big Mac, fries, and a soda, for example.

And, most importantly, do everything you can to avoid “ham, cheese, and macaroni loaf” since I learned recently that that too is an option.

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