ALANNA'S HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICH, TOMATO SOUP AND APPLE DESSERT: GRADE B

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Sandwich: 1 slice provolone cheese, 2 slices ham, whole wheat bread, romaine lettuce, mustard
• Tomato soup -- 1/2 can of Healthy Request made with skim milk
• Apple

I made some good--and some not-so-good--choices with this lunch. Going with whole-wheat bread provided fiber (3 grams for this brand), and choosing romaine over iceberg lettuce was an easy and smart switch for added vitamins. I'll also get lycopene, vitamin C, and vitamin A from the soup as well as calcium (from the skim milk). But I could have made better choices for protein, which mainly comes from the cheese and ham. The problem? The cheese is high in saturated fat and the ham is high in sodium (not to mention the mustard). I also needed a few more veggies, too. Because the soup is processed, I lose a little of tomato's goodness. So the one "true" vegetable is the single slice of romaine. Of course, finishing off the meal with one of my favorite fruits, the apple, is always a good choice.

Grade: B

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ALANNA'S WHOLE-WHEAT COUSCOUS SALAD AND APPLE: GRADE A

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Whole-wheat couscous, w/ olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, broccoli, cannellini beans, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, pine nuts, and spinach
• Apple

This lunch has it all! Protein comes from the couscous, nuts, beans, and feta cheese (adding a little cheese to a healthy dish like this is fine). Choosing whole-wheat over white-flour couscous adds fiber, which the beans and nuts also provide. There are lots of vegetables for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and healthy fats from the nuts, olive oil, and olives. And, the finishing touch to my nutrition-packed lunch--an apple for dessert.

Grade: A

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ALANNA'S SALAD WITH DOLMAS, PITA AND COOKIE: GRADE C-

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Salad with Stuffed Grape Leaves
• Pita Bread
• Chocolate Chip Cookie

Grade: C-

Alright, so I'm nearing the end of the 30-day Challenge and I still hit a few bumps on the road to healthy living. I simply focus on continuing my efforts as opposed to being sidetracked by a few lousy choices. Whew, now I feel better letting you know that the only healthy thing about this lunch is the vegetables. It sorely lacks protein and the smattering of feta doesn’t cut it, not to mention that this cheese is high in saturated fat. Grape leaves (or dolmas) are typically stuffed with a white rice filling, and these were no exception. Thus, there was no source of protein, healthy carbs, or fiber there. (And although you might think grape leaves are high in fiber, according to the USDA nutrients database, there isn’t much.) Adding insult to injury, were my pita bread and cookie accompaniments. Yes, let's all say it together, "sugar crash!" I'll be starving in an hour.

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ALANNA'S WHOLE FOODS SALAD BAR LUNCH

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Salad from Whole Foods Market
  
• Orange

Grade: A-

I decided to hit up the salad bar at Whole Foods Market for lunch today. I figured that I would be able to better control the vegetable intake than when I order a take-out salad from a restaurant. The beans on the salad provide a great source of fiber, protein, and vitamins. You can never eat too many of these legumes! I went on a veggie spree, too—lots of spinach, red peppers, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, sweet potato. Kudos to me. But what’s missing: salad dressing. This may be surprising to some of you, but certain nutrients need fat for the body to properly utilize them. A drizzle of olive oil would’ve actually helped this salad. One saving grace was that the beans were dressed, and that counts for something. Of course, the orange is great—vitamin C, fiber, etc. The minus trailing behind my A mark directly correlates with the tofu. While this soybean curd topping is a great source of protein, it's clearly deep-fried in who-knows-what kind of oil. With a tad more restraint, my salad bar outing could have resulted in a perfect score!

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ALANNA'S SALAD WITH MOZZARELLA, TOMATO AND CRUNCHY SIDES: GRADE B-

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Salad with mozzarella, tomato and slice of red onion
• Sliced Carrots
• Granny Smith Apple
• White Bread Roll

Grade: B-

Let’s start with the positive—my salad was made with a mix of nutritional leafy greens. There are a couple of tomatoes in there, along with the lonely slice of onion—thank goodness for the bag o’ carrots! So the total sum of veggies in this lunch is good, as is the apple. Now for the negative. For protein and fat, mozzarella cheese is no star. If it’s made from whole milk (the salad bar didn’t indicate as much), there’s a lot of saturated fat in there. A nonfat or skim-milk version would be better. In addition, the white bread roll doesn’t add much nutrition. At least the dressing is olive oil, providing heart-healthy mono fats, and vinegar.

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ALANNA'S GREEK SALAD SANDWICH: GRADE C

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• A Big Fat Greek Salad Sandwich

Grade: C

The biggest detractor in this lunch is the pita bread—it’s a huge piece, and there aren’t many nutrients in there. Grilled chicken is a fine source of protein, although some nutritionists would argue that grilling isn’t a great way to cook it (the high heat is suspected to create carcinogens). As for veggies, the shreds of iceberg lettuce and tomato pieces don’t cut it nutritionally. Top it all with an unknown dressing—surely some Greek family recipe that no doubt is loaded with an inordinate amounts of sodium and fat—and this isn't exactly a pillar of good health. I can almost hear our team of nutritionists now, “tsk tsk.”

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ALANNA'S LENTIL SOUP, RUSSO'S SALAD AND APPLE: GRADE A+

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Russo's Salad
• Vegetarian Lentil Soup
• Apple

Grade: A+

I am so happy to finally receive a perfect score! What a wonderful little valentine for me today. This lunch is loaded with nutrient-rich veggies, like watercress, peas, red peppers, beets, and artichokes. Topped with olive-oil dressing, the salad also provides a great source of fat. My vegetarian lentil soup is an excellent source of protein and additional fiber. And, the apple—rich in healthy compounds and fiber—is the icing on the cake, so to speak.

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ALANNA'S GREEK, TUNA AND FRUIT SALAD TRIO: GRADE B+

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Greek Salad with romaine lettuce, red and green peppers, olives and feta; olive-oil dressing
• Tuna Salad
• Whole Wheat Crackers
• Fruit Salad

Between the romaine lettuce, peppers, and fruit salad, this lunch gets high marks for vegetable and fruit content. The whole-wheat crackers are high in fiber (and, of course, free of trans fats). The olives and olive-oil dressing add a splash of healthy fats, too. I ordered the tuna salad because it is a good source of protein. Unfortunately, I opened it to discover that it was basically drenched in mayonnaise, making it high in fat. If you make it at home, you could use about 1/3 that amount—or none at all. Also, with tuna as a protein source, you don’t really need all that feta cheese, either, which is high in saturated fat.

Grade: B+

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ALANNA'S JAPANESE BUSINESS LUNCH: GRADE B

Posted by Alanna Fincke

First readers, I must apologize. Even under scrutiny, my lunch habits are falling prey to my crazed schedule. Convenience taking precedence over variety, I often frequent this little Japanese restaurant around the corner from my office. It's a great sit-down place for a quick business lunch. Alas, I love it. So here's what I munched on while coming up with new ideas for future issues of Body + Soul.

• Salmon Teriyaki
• Mushrooms and Asparagus Noodles
• Side Salad
• Green Tea Miso Soup

Grade: B

Here's what would have made it better:

• Opt for boiled Soba noodles instead of these rice noodles, which were fried (I just didn't eat them).
• More vegetables. The salad only had iceberg lettuce which lacks in nutrients and didn't have much else to offer besides some tomatoes.
• Less teriyaki sauce, which is high in salt and probably sugar (I pushed mine to the side so I could have a good taste, but didn't eat it all).

 

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ALANNA'S MEDITTERANEAN WRAP: GRADE A-

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Vegetarian Mediterranean Wrap
• Orange

It might not be obvious in this photo, but vegetable- and fruit-wise, this lunch is pretty nutritional. The wrap contains leafy greens and tomatoes, and the orange is a good source of vitamin C and fiber. The hummus in the wrap provides protein and additional fiber. The tortilla might not be the best choice for a carbohydrate, but at least it’s whole wheat! Overall, this lunch needs some healthy fat, perhaps by adding a few slices of avocado to the wrap. While I'm full now, I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be ready for my afternoon snack!

Grade: A-

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