Tips for Packing a Healthy Lunch

Welcome back to PorrazzaNutrition! 

When I first went went full-time with my practice and quit my "day" job, I got out of the habit of packing a lunch. I was mostly out seeing clients in the AM and after dinner, so I only really needed to pack snacks on-the-go. This January, I took a short-term teaching contract at a local community college and with teaching 4 classes back-to-back and my office hours, snacks just weren't going to cut it! 

I wanted to share with you my essentials for packing a healthy lunch, basics to keeping the nutrient balance, and how to prep smart! 

My fancy new collapsible container!

Essentials

Lunchbox - I prefer the insulated varieties and definitely go with boxes/bags that have a handle since I carry a lot of work bags. 

Ice Packs - I like the gel ones versus the harder packs. The gel makes it easier to mold around my containers. 

Reusable Containers or Mason Jars - I love using the short mason jars for my soups, stews, and fresh fruit since they don't spill! I did buy a collapsible container for my leftovers; however, I didn't think about how large it was when I bought it. It is awesome, but doesn't fit in my current lunchbox. So, make sure you have your lunchbox specs before buying a fancy new container!

Baby carrots for the win!

Nutrient Balance

When I pack my lunch, I always think of PCV - protein (lean), carbohydrate (high-fiber), and veggie (usually non-starchy) for the main fare. I also pack some extra veggies, fruits, and bars for my snacks/sides. I never know what food mood I will be in (i.e. crunchy, sweet, savory, soft), so I like to have a variety to choose from. Side note here, having a backup plan is key! You never know if you will hit traffic in a work commute, if you need to hang around for questions from staff, or if lunch ends up getting pushed back. Be prepared for when life gets crazy so you stay on track and fuel your body with good-for-you foods. 

Prep Smart

Peanut butter balls for snacks!

I won't lie, I rely a lot on portioned unsweetened applesauce cups, no-sugar-added dried fruit (mango and prunes are my favorites), and baby carrots for my lunch/snack staples. I have been trying to spend more time on prepping the larger parts of my meals versus the snack/side items to save time. 

I usually carve out about 30-minutes of time on Sunday nights to prep for the week. This means peeling oranges and portioning them into containers, putting baby carrots in containers, scooping out hummus, and pulling applesauce cups from the bottom of the fridge to the top. Whatever will make my night before prep easier the better!  
I also make a lot of my lunches from my leftover dinners. I highly recommend batch-cooking grains (i.e. brown rice and quinoa) and even your proteins (like tofu) to make into easy meals. I have been trying to make more of my own snack bars/power balls versus buying them since it has gotten pretty costly. I like making these peanut butter balls 1 day and eating them all week for snacks!

I hope this gives you some tips to packing a healthy lunch! Have a great rest of your week!

Bean salad with carrots and hemp seeds + orange + dried mango + sweet potato chips!

Better-For-You Lasagna Recipe (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

The time has come! I finally (I hope) perfected my lasagna recipe! I don't even know the last time I had lasagna since gluten-free lasagna noodles are so hard to find! This is a simple and easy-to-freeze recipe that the whole family will enjoy!

Better-For-You Lasagna Recipe (Gluten-free, Vegan)
Ingredients
2 boxes Explore Cuisine Green Lentil Lasagna*
1/3 cup 100% lemon juice
12-ounce soft tofu, drained **
1/4 cup nutritional yeast + extra for layers
2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
Dash of salt and pepper
Low-sodium vegetable broth***
Two 24-ounce jars of Victoria pasta sauce (or marinara)****
Optional Ingredients: 1-2 handfuls of spinach, 1/4 cup Vegan Parmesan, 1 bag Vegan "meat" crumbles

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9" baking dish.
2. In a high-powered blender or food processor, puree: lemon, tofu, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, olive oil, optional spinach, onion, salt and pepper.
3. Layer in baking dish in this order: about 1/4 cup marinara/sauce, 3-4 noodles, 1/4 cup of marinara, 1/4 cup tofu ricotta, optional crumbles, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon optional vegan Parmesan, 2 tablespoons sauce and 3-4 noodles. Repeat ending with noodles topped with sauce and Vegan Parmesan.
4. Bake, covered, for 45-55 minutes. 

Recipe Notes
*You can use any pasta; however, this brand is gluten-free and vegan. It also has a nice amount of protein and fiber, which makes it more of a complete meal. These lasagna noodles are also ones that do not need to be pre-cooked, which saves time.
**Regular firm tofu can also be used. This creates the "ricotta."
***If the tofu ricotta is too thick and will not blend properly, add in a few tablespoons of vegetable broth or almond milk to thin out. Do this by 1 tablespoon at a time, as you don't want the recipe to become runny.
****I prefer this brand since there are simple ingredients. You can also use homemade pasta sauce too or any other brand. Typically, I use the full 2 jars. If you like more sauce on your lasagna, plan to reheat  it or will be hot holding on a serving line, I would grab 3 and add in a little extra sauce within the layers so it does not dry out.
--> Optional Ingredients: You can barely see or taste the spinach, so I always add it to boost the nutritional content. I would highly suggest putting the spinach in the food processor versus throwing in the loose leaves.
-->For the layers, I just estimated the amount of sauce and ricotta. Typically, I just scoop and spread in an even layer until the noodles are covered. You can totally pack the layers more and do less "noodles,"  or add more sauce. It really is up to your preference.