Nope, you’re Not “Too Busy” to Eat Lunch (or second lunch)
Consider putting intention into your lunch plans & never skip if you:
Are in peri-menopause or post-menopause
Are tired of brain fog & feeling sluggish
Get snack attacks, binge-y behaviors, or can’t have certain foods around
Want more energy for your sport
Want to build muscle & strength
Want to lose weight
Want to tone up
Want to improve your health (A1C, blood pressure, blood sugar, heart disease risk, etc.)
It “counts” as a meal if:
it includes protein, carbs, and fat
contains 400-600 calories
Purpose: to avoid Low Energy Availability (LEA), cravings, brain fog, fatigue, and to provide accessible energy for optimizing the effectiveness of your workouts, so you can build strength, muscle, bone, energy, and more life to your future years!
Effective approach contains the following macronutrient profile*:
Protein: 30-50 grams
Carbohydrates: 40-60 grams
Fat: 10-20 grams
*In general, the following Meal Ideas will give you the minimum macronutrient in the ranges listed above. For most of us, this may be a great place to START. Cool?
Chicken, Rice, & Broccoli (AKA the O.G. Macro Meal😋)
Chicken, 4 oz./120g, cooked any way you like. I like a rotisserie (30+ g. Protein)
Broccoli, 1 fist-sized serving/150g., cooked any way you like (3 Protein, 11 Carbs)
Rice 1 Cup/80 g. (2 g. Protein, 22 g. Carbs)
FLAVOR Profile: I love garlic chili oil, soy sauce, sesame seeds, chopped green onions, and a zig-zag of Kewpie mayo
Here are some more flavor ideas. Go wHILD!
Buffalo Chicken Wraps 🌯
Large Tortilla (33 Carbs)
Roasted Chicken Breast, 3.5+ oz/100+ grams (30+ grams Protein)
Chopped Romaine Lettuce
Shredded carrot
FLAVOR/Sauce: ~ 1-2 T. Franks Hot Sauce, a little garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper, and 1 T. sour cream or ranch dressing (3-6 g. fat)
1/4 Haas Avocado (6 g. fat)
Shrimp Salad 🍤
Cooked Shrimp, peeled & de-veined raw 4.5 oz Serving
Diced red onion, Chopped dill
Chopped Celery
Sauce/Flavor: 1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard, juice of 1 lemon, S&P
Eat on top of 1 cup of rice or 2 slices of toast
Tuna Salad🐟
1 Can of Tuna (30 Protein)
Chopped pickles & onion
Sauce/Flavor: 1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard, juice of 1 lemon, S&P
Eat with a fist-sized serving of chopped veggies: snap peas, carrots, celery sticks.
Taco Salad 🌮
4 oz./120g. 93% Lean Ground beef or Turkey (23 g. protein/ 8 g. fat)
1/4 - 1/2 cup black beans (4-8g. protein)
1/2 to 1 cup white rice (
Romaine lettuce, sauteed peppers, corn, minced green onions, Cilantro, Salsa or Pico de gallo, minced jalapenos
TEXTURE/Fat: Crushed Tortilla chips, few slices of Haas Avocado, cotija cheese
Turkey Chili 🥣
(4 serv)
Cold weather version of the taco salad.
1# lean ground turkey
1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 cloves garlic, 1-2 T. Masa Harina
1/2-1 Can of Corn
2 Cans of legumes of your choice (I like 1 black bean + 1 small kidney bean)
4 Cups Stock, water, or a combo of the two
TOPPINGS/Flavor: Cilantro, sour cream, minced jalapenos, shredded cheese
Salmon & Sweet Potato Salad
Salmon Fillet, 4 oz. grilled or broiled
Sweet Potatoes, 1 cup cubed & roasted
Mixed greens, cubed cucumber, pickled red onions
FLAVOR/Fat: Avocado & Light vinaigrette
BUDDHA BOWLS (v)
Disclaimer: I’m not gonna pretend I’m practiced at this plant-eating thing, or that I have the 🔑keys to doing it right, but here’s what I do know:
It’s tough to eat enough protein from legumes, grains, veggies, and soy products without feeling absolutely stuffed and over-Carbed, and it’s tough to eat enough protein from seeds and nuts without getting waaaay more fat than your body needs while feeling under-satiated in the process.
But it CAN be done.
Practical tactics:
Eat a mixture of several sources of plant-based protein per meal.
If you can’t fit it all in, consider including some animal protein in your meals, to bridge the gap.
Mini Meals/Second Lunch
‘Cuz sometimes we end up eating lunch at 10:30🤷😆.
A min-meal a great way to fuel yourself if it’s been more than 2 hours since your last real meal, AND you have at least an hour before your training session.
These examples contain 300-400 calories.
(Pr)OATMEAL & BERRIES
One 50-gram packet of Kodiak Protein oatmeal (12g. protein + 31 carbs)
1/2 C. Strawberries (12g. Carbs)
1 Scoop PB2 Powder (5 Pro.)
Water or milk for mixing oats
CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIE
1 C. Fairlife Chocolate Milk (13g. Carbs & 13g. Protein)
1 C. Frozen Strawberries (24g. Carbs)
1 T. Peanut Butter (8g. Fat, 4g. Protein)
1/2 Scoop vanilla protein powder (15 Pro)
Ice + a Blender
TUNA SALAD WRAP
One Blister pack of Tuna (20g. Protein)
Soft Taco Tortilla (19-22g. Carbs) or Burrito Tortilla (35g. Carbs)
Tuck in some Cucumber, Pickle, &/or Mixed Greens
Make it Taste Good: Mustard, Salt, Pepper, Scant Mayo
GOOD CULTURE COTTAGE CHEESE w/FRUIT
1 Container Low-Fat Classic Good Culture Cottage Cheese (3g. Carbs, 19g. Protein)
1/2-1 Scoop Protein Powder Stirred in (10-20 g. protein)
1 Cup chopped pineapple, grapes, or bananas (22, 27, or 35 g. Carbs)
PROTEIN SHAKE WITH OATS & RASPBERRIES
1 Cup Frozen Raspberries (14g. Carbs)
1/2 Cup Oats (25g. Carbs, 4g. Protein)
1/4 C. Greek Yogurt (6 Protein)
1 T. Chia Seeds (4 fat, 2 Protein)
1 Scoop of your Favorite Protein Powder (10-20g. Protein)
1/4 - 1/2 Cup water
BAKED POTATO + Roasted Cherry Tomatoes & Cottage Cheese
Medium Microwaved Baked Potato, any flavor (30-50 carbs)
1 c. cherry tomatoes
1 container GC Low-Fat Cottage Cheese (19 g. Protein, 3g. Fat)
Toppers: 1 T. Pesto (6g. fat), S&P
>Roast tomatoes & cottage cheese in the oven or air fryer until tomatoes blister.
CHICKEN or TURKEY WRAP (Eat 2)
1 Fajita Tortilla (19-22g. carbs + 3 g. Protein)
2 Slices Roasted Turkey or Chicken Lunch meat (10g. Protein)
1-2 T. Smear Low-Fat Cream Cheese (1.5-3 g. Protein)
1-2 Romaine Lettuce Leaves
1 Cup/Handful of Cucumber & Carrot Sticks
EDAMAME & RICE
One cup of cooked edamame (10g protein)
1/2 to 1 cup of cooked rice (20-40g carbs)
Make it tasted good: Soy sauce, Furikake, and/or sesame seeds, Sriracha, scant Kewpie Mayo
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