Hooray for productivity! Laundry done, dishes loaded, posts written, some cookbook research done. I was going to go to the gym this afternoon, but the car went to the shop for a check-up because of the check engine light, and it’s not going to come home until later, so I’ll do some walking instead, and hope it doesn’t rain down on me!

I’m going to a wine tasting with some food friends tonight at Solano Cellars in Berkeley, so I made a light lunch to balance things out.

Let me introduce you to this useful product: pre-peeled organic garlic cloves from Christopher Ranch. I hate to admit it, but I’m a sucker for pre-peeled garlic. I use a lot of garlic, and saving even five minutes that it takes peeling five cloves makes quick meals a lot easier. I also have whole garlic heads in my kitchen, but this stuff is great in a pinch.

In a pan, I put a teaspoon of olive oil, some minced garlic (about four small cloves worth), and three large cups of baby spinach. I grated in some fresh pepper, and gave it a good stir.

I let it wilt just slightly, and then added in two farm eggs, from pastured free-range chickens. A good quality egg is really important – the flavor is incomparable to the stuff you pick up in the supermarket. Even more than a week old, these eggs are about 20 times better because of the grass, bugs, and other goodies that the chickens get to feast on.

Once the eggs are just set, I added an ounce of grated Cabot pepperjack, covered the lid, and turned down off the heat until the cheese just melted.

Once it melted, I gently transfered it to a plate, and then topped it with some fresh salsa!

On a hungrier day, I might eat it with toast, or a tortilla. Just look at that yolk!!

A few more errands, and then I’m off to BART, taking as roundabout way as I can to get in my 10,000 steps, and maybe even a few more for good measure.

There are rumors that we are going to have a stop at Gordo taqueria for a pre-wine snack, and maybe to the Xocolate Bar for some chocolate zen experience. It’s going to be fun!!

Technorati Tags: Healthy Living, healthy lunch ideas, Lunch Recipes

How does your lunch match up? When packing a lunch, it helps to know some useful ratios to have a healthy balance of foods for the day. It’s as simple as remembering 3-2-1.

If you are considering calories, your lunch should clock in between 400-500 calories, up to 600-700 if you are participating in some sort of vigorous exercise or if you are a hungry guy. These are rough guidelines, and really, more important that calories, try following the ratio method to balance your lunch.

With a ratio of 3-2-1 (three parts slow release carbs, two parts veg/fruit, and one part lean protein), you can avoid having to count calories – because your calories will be roughly the amount of ml of your given container. For example, if you have a 500 ml container, using this ratio and choosing foods that aren’t fried or fatty, you will have about 500 calories of food in your lunch. It’s not a perfect science, but comes pretty close. 3-2-1 ratio isn’t for everyone, some people might like to have more vegetables, or a little bit more protein, but it’s a pretty good bet that you will have a filling meal if you stick close to it.

What is in my lunchbox?

• Carbohydrate: Slow releasing grains such as brown rice, bulgur wheat, cous cous, quinoa, wild rice, farro, buckwheat noodles, or whole wheat pasta – to provide energy throughout the day.
• Protein: Lean meats such as chicken, fish, turkey meatballs, hardboiled eggs, cheese (keep in mind that this one has fat, so use in moderation.)
• Fruits and Vegetables: Taste the rainbow. It’s silly, but it really makes the point – I try to eat as many colors of fruits and vegetables in each lunch as I can – usually about 3-4 different servings to vary things up. I usually will have a little leftover vegetable from dinner, and supplement it with some freshly cut veg.
• Water: Don’t forget to hydrate! I always bring a water bottle that I refill throughout the day. I also will stash tea bags in my bag, particularly if your office has a way to heat water and drink green tea all day long. If you like them, consider those little crystal light packages if you don’t like the taste of water (some people don’t!). Also, call me crazy, I like hot water with a little bit of lemon or fresh ginger. Hydrating and delicious!
• Afternoon snack: I always tuck an afternoon snack in with my main lunch, because even if I have had a well balanced meal, I often find myself hungry as the day dwindles. You can eat a small handful of nuts, or a piece of fruit, and it’s remarkable how quickly it will pep you back up.

How do you keep balance in your lunch? Any tricks to get in those fruits and vegetables?

Photo: Pontuse

Technorati Tags: 3-2-1 ratio, Balanced Lunch, healthy lunch ideas

Healthy lunch ideas was started to bring lunch back en vogue – as a resource for those who eat lunch at work, for parents packing lunch boxes for kids, for adventurers who want to eat their lunch on the highest mountain – we have ideas for you!

The ultimate goal of the Healthy Lunch Idea site is to get you loving lunch again:

1. Eat healthy lunches -we give you suggestions to create your own quality lunch options – quick recipes and ideas so you are never bored, and have more fun eating lunch!

2. Eat your lunch in style – tote your lunch in a great looking lunchbox or bento (Japanese lunch box). We research different lunch box options and will help you find the perfect ones.

3. Lunch recipes and cookbook reviews – we read through cookbooks so that you don’t have to! Come for healthy lunch recipes, and if we stumble across cookbooks that we think you will love – we will review them here.

4. Ideas for brown bag lunches - sometimes your office needs to cater a lunch event – we give suggestions for healthy and environmentally friendly options that can wow your co-workers and bosses.

5. Lunch Snack Ideas – looking to stock your desk with a couple of healthy snacks for lunch or in between meals? The healthy lunch idea site is always testing new snack products to make recommendations for you!

Have any suggestions for the Healthy Lunch Idea site? Just write them here in the comments – we are always looking for more to share great ideas with you!

Technorati Tags: Bento, Brown Bag Lunches, healthy lunch ideas, Lunch Recipes, lunchbox, snack