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Registered Dietitian Elizabeth Somer describes the important components in lunch and dinner.
Registered Dietitian Elizabeth Somer:
Lunch–you want to keep it light. You want to be alert. You want to be energized by this lunch so keep it low fat. A little bit of fat is great, but not too much fat. You want to keep the portion size small, so keep it around 500-600 calories a day. Again, two colorful fruits and vegetables and a little bit of protein to keep you energized and focused through the afternoon hours. So that could be, oh gosh, you could have a slice of low-fat pizza piled high with vegetables and little bit of cheese on it and a big spinach salad. You could have a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole grain bread and a fruit salad and a glass of tomato juice. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be really simple.
For dinner, it depends on what you are going to do after dinner. If you just want to relax and sleep, then the more carbs in that meal, the more serotonin you’ll make, the more calm and relaxed you’ll be in the evening hours. If you want to be alert, if you’ve got to go to a meeting or a class or a piano recital, then make sure you include a little bit of protein in that evening meal.
So it could be, you want those omega-3 fats, too. They are so important for brain and mood. So, maybe it’s a grilled salmon fillet and some quality carbs like some brown rice, and then a big heaping portion of steamed broccoli or a salad, spinach salad or something. Again, you can have dinner on the table in 15 minutes. Don’t make it complicated. Make it easy on yourself, but make it real food, not processed, and make it healthy.
About Elizabeth Somer:
Elizabeth Somer, M.A., is a registered dietitian who has carved a unique professional niche as one of the few, if not only, dietitians who is well-versed in nutrition research. For 25 years, she has kept abreast of the current research, packaging that information into easy-to-read books, magazine articles, lectures, continuing education seminars, and practical news for the media.
Visit Elizabeth Somer at her website