Healthy Lunch (1 piece)

Start lunch with a non-starchy vegetable salad—such as leafy greens, cucumber, tomatoes, and peppers—before the rest of the meal.

Build the main meal around protein and healthy fats, for example chicken, fish, tofu, eggs, or unsweetened Greek yogurt with olive oil, avocado, or nuts.

Choose a modest portion of slower-digesting carbohydrates such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, barley, quinoa, or steel-cut oats rather than a large starch serving.

Keep carbohydrate portions consistent and avoid stacking several carbohydrate-rich items in one meal, such as grains plus bread plus a sweet drink.

Add acidity and fiber to the meal: use vinegar or lemon-based dressing, and include vegetables, beans, seeds, or nuts.

Take a gentle 10–20 minute walk soon after lunch and avoid sitting continuously for the next hour.