ALANNA'S BUTTNERNUT SQUASH SOUP AND AVOCADO ON WHOLE WHEAT: GRADE B

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Butternut Squash Soup
• Whole-Grain Bread with Avocado
• Nectarine

Grade: B

The squash soup probably counts for two servings of veggies—a great start—and the fruit, besides being a good source of vitamins and minerals, contains fiber. The bread is hearty and fiber-rich—the healthiest types of carbs. And, the avocado contains healthy fats. Protein, however, is sorely lacking in this lunch. Some tuna fish or lean chicken would have gotten me an A.

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ALANNA'S RUSSO'S SALAD AND FRUIT: GRADE A

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Russo Salad (red leaf lettuce, broccoli, chicken, 1 hard boiled egg, tomatoes, roasted red and yellow peppers and zucchini, chickpeas, carrots, croutons, and 2 cubes of cheddar cheese
• One Slice Whole Wheat Bread
• Bowl of Strawberries + Blueberries

Grade: A

Talk about a rainbow of fruits and veggies! This lunch really brightened my day, since the weather has been so cold and gray lately. The salad features lettuce and watercress, broccoli, red peppers, tomatoes, and more—great sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and many other healthy nutrients. The eggs and chickpeas in the salad provide protein (and the chickpeas provide fiber). The berries, especially the blueberries, are high in disease-fighting antioxidants. Whole-grain bread adds fiber and nutrients, too. I could have probably done without the chunks of cheese, but this lunch has so much else going for it that I decided to treat myself. A little extra love on the top wouldn't hurt too much!

Grade: A

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ALANNA'S GUMBO, WHOLE-GRAIN CRACKERS AND GRAPEFRUIT: GRADE B

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Bowl of Chicken, Sausage and Vegetable Gumbo
• Serving of Whole-Grain Crackers
• One Peeled Grapefruit

Grade: B

The gumbo has a nice array of vegetables—leafy greens, okra, tomatoes—along with healthy spices like turmeric, garlic, and cayenne. The chicken and sausage provide protein, though the sausage obviously isn’t the healthiest source. Fiber comes from the crackers and grapefruit—especially because I opted to eat the grapefruit whole, instead of scooping it out with a spoon. Ultimately, a healthy source of fat is somewhat lacking, dropping my grade to a B.

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ALANNA'S SALAD WITH GRILLED CHICKEN LUNCH: GRADE B

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Mixed green salad with red and green peppers, olives and tomatoes
• 6 ounces of grilled chicken
• Olive oil dressing
• One apple

Grade: B

Not quite making the mark yesterday (due to my under-veggied salad) the over-achiever in me decided that I could do better. The salad itself is pretty good, containing leafy greens, red and green peppers, and tomatoes—about three servings of vegetables—which are loaded with all-important sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The olives and olive-oil dressing provide healthy fats, and the chicken adds a bit of protein. However, a lower-heat cooking method like baking would have been healthier than grilling—which creates unhealthy compounds known as AGEs. Also, the pita doesn't offer any fiber and is basically empty calories. The body processes this type of carbohydrate very quickly, which is not a good thing for staying productive throughout the day. The apple makes up a little for the lack of fiber in the pita—but the lunch could still use a complex, fiber-rich carbohydrate.

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ALANNA'S HARD-BOILED EGG AND ARUGULA SALAD

Posted by Alanna Fincke

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Arugula Salad
• Two Hard-Boiled Eggs
• Whole-Grain Crackers
• Sliced Orange

Grade: A-

This morning, I decided to make my lunch to ensure that my week gets off to a healthy start. I didn't have a lot of veggies on hand, but figured that simple ingredients would be better than ordering take-out after I'm starving. As a dark, leafy green, arugula is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, and the eggs in the salad provide sufficient protein. The olive oil-based dressing is a good source of monounsaturated fat. The whole-grain crackers are high in fiber and, just as important, do not include the unhealthy ingredients that many packaged foods contain, like hydrogenated oils. The orange gets me closer to the “5 to 9” daily fruit and vegetable goal, while providing vitamin C and additional fiber. It was a missed opportunity to not have more veggies in my salad, but was a great lunch overall. Now, I just need to get to the market to stock my fridge, so that next time I can get an A+!

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ALANNA'S BEAN SOUP AND ROAST BEEF SANDWICH: GRADE C+

Here's what I had for lunch:

• Black Bean Soup
• Roast Beef Pita Wrap Sandwich
• Orange

I got so chilled coming into work today that I was craving a hearty soup and salad. The beans in the soup provide nice fiber and protein, but the sandwich drags this lunch down. It has a lot of unhealthy saturated fat, both in the roast beef and the Boursin cheese spread. And, it’s wrapped in pita bread, which doesn’t offer much in terms of nutrition (it is basically equivalent to Wonder bread). Not too many veggies here, either, with just a sprinkling of lettuce and tomato. Of course, the orange is good. But because of all the sandwich negatives, I didn't quite make the nutrition honor roll today.

Grade: C+

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ALANNA'S LAMB RAGU PASTA WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS: GRADE A

Here's what I had for lunch today:

• Whole-wheat Pasta with Lamb Ragu
• Brussels Sprouts
• Sliced Mango

Grade: A

Whole-wheat pasta with The whole-wheat pasta is a good source of fiber and a decent source of protein; the lamb obviously provides protein, too, and this cut is low in saturated fats. The ragu contains cooked tomatoes—a great source of the antioxidant lycopene. To represent the often overlooked Cruciferous family, I had brussels sprouts. In addition to the numerous nutrients in brussels sprouts, they were roasted in olive oil, a source of monounsaturated (“good”) fat. Mango is high in vitamins, especially vitamin C.

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ALANNA'S BROWN-BAG LUNCH: GRADE B

I love peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches, so I decided to brown-bag it today for my lunch. The bread has three grams of fiber total—a decent amount. Peanut butter provides good protein and fats; almond butter would have been a better choice in terms of fats, though. The jam, although 100 percent fruit, is still processed and is high in natural sugars. The carrots and the orange provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. More vegetables (even just one)—perhaps some red-pepper slices alongside the carrots, or a salad—would have upped my grade.

Grade: B

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ALANNA'S SOUP AND SALAD LUNCH: GRADE A-

What I had for lunch:

• Greek Salad with Grilled Chicken: includes feta cheese, roasted red peppers, dark greens, green peppers, tomatoes, black olives and an olive-oil based dressing
• Lightly Salted nuts
• Chicken noodle soup

There's nice fiber from the nuts and vegetables, and complex carbs from both as well (including the veggies in the soup). Protein comes from the chicken, nuts, and cheese, and healthy fat from the nuts and olive oil-based dressing. The detractors—sodium in the soup (notorious for that) and nuts, which are lightly salted. As for those noodles in the soup—it's kind of a wash. Not adding anything—they’re just empty calories. The good carbs and fiber are coming from the nuts and veggies, as are the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Grade: A-

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HOW TO ENROLL

Enrolling in the Body + Soul Challenge is simple, you've already done it just by visiting this blog! There's no need to register or divulge all of your personal info. Simply use this as a resource to give you great tips for healthier living, both physically and mentally. Our experts are standing by to field any questions that you have along the way. And, you'll also find plenty of fellow challengers sharing stories and inspirational messages to keep you motivated all month long.

Here are a few helpful hints to getting the most out of your challenge:

• Put a reminder in you email calendar to check the blog for updated tips, lunches and snacks throughout the day.
• Stock your kitchen pantry with items from our suggested Grocery List so that you can prepare healthy lunches and snacks in a snap.
• Feel free to tap into expert knowledge in dieting, exercise and overall well-being by visiting Expert Q&A
• Correspond with fellow comrades in this mission to better health. Join in discussions by clicking on the Comments link at the end of each daily post.

Good luck and enjoy the challenge!

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