Low Carb Lunch Ideas

When I was 16 I lived in Honduras for a year as an exchange student.  One of the things I quickly learned to love about South American culture is the tradition of having lunch as the main meal of the day.  Family members would come home from work, we would all eat lunch together and they would then return to work later in the afternoon.  Many shops even closed in the middle of the day, so people could go home for lunch.  

Definitely a change of pace from life in New Zealand!

There are many people in the health world who believe that for optimal digestion and health, we should all be eating our main meal at lunchtime, however, for most people, this simply isn't possible.  

Instead, I find that many people get annoyed at having to stop work to eat lunch, struggle to find good options and it is their least favourite meal of the day.  

If you are struggling to know what to eat at lunchtime, here are some easy and delicious low carb lunch ideas, to keep your blood sugar levels balanced all day long.

1. Fresh sandwich using Gerry's new coconut and almond bread
Until now, there really hasn't been a suitable option for fresh low carb bread (I find it always tastes a lot better toasted and crispy) but that has all changed thanks to Gerry's new coconut and almond bread.  It is soft, moist and with only 1.7g carbs per slice, is perfect for a low carb sandwich.  (My favourite sandwich combo of all time:  ham, cheese, mayo and pickled onions 🤪)

2. Low carb wrap with protein, healthy fats and salad
Low carb wraps make it so easy and tasty to eat on the run.  Inside the wrap, aim for  around 100-120g of protein, salad veges if desired and 1-2 servings of fat (For example, tablespoon mayo, 25g cheese, 1/4 large avocado etc.)

3. Cruskits or corn thins 
This option is perfect for a quick, crunchy and budget-friendly lunch.  Grab a tin of tuna, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of mayo and spread it on the top of your crackers.  Add tomato or other veges on the top if you so desire. 

4. Have breakfast  for lunch
Options include:
- low carb cereal with protein yoghurt and berries
- protein shake made with protein powder, milk, berries and ground LSA.  Hold the banana!
- eggs on low carb toast
- mashed eggs and mayo, rolled up in slices of ham

5.  Make ahead lunch prep bowls
If you can spare an hour or so in the weekend, you can prep 4-5 lunch bowls in one go!  Buy some lunch-sized containers and prep your lunches.  Keep a couple in the fridge and freeze the rest, ready to pull out later in the week.  Here are some recipes:
- Chicken meal prep bowl
- 60 low carb meal prep bowl ideas
- Peanut chicken meal prep bowl

6. Quiche muffin
Quiche made in muffin tins is a great option to prepare in the weekend and have ready to go for a quick, high-protein lunch.  Here are a couple of recipes you can try:
- Low carb savoury muffin
- keto egg muffins

If all else fails, here's another idea - why not just get rid of lunch altogether?   If you simply don't want to eat at this time of day, have a larger breakfast,  earlier dinner and maybe just a small snack around 2pm to give you an energy boost.

This is what I do most days....for me it's a coffee and a couple of squares of dark chocolate - it does the job!