Back to veggies for lunch

 

Wednesday is volunteer day at PDHC, so I pack a lunch. Lately I’ve been eating too many sandwiches and cookies because it is easy and quick. Sometimes I take a Hormel dinner which can be warmed up. I gained weight while I was sick in January and February.

So it’s back to veggies for lunch. I like to steam vegetables and then use the broth as a nice hot drink to replace coffee or tea. It’s also very fast—about 5-7 minutes. I prefer something warm for lunch on these cold days, so I steamed a cut up potato with a little onion. I put it in a container and added a hard cooked egg with a few olives. Then steamed some cabbage and corn together and put in another small container, all of which I can warm up in the staff room at PDHC.

• There are 164 calories in 1 medium potato (flesh and skin). Calorie breakdown: 1% fat, 91% carbs, 8% protein.
• One large hard-boiled egg has 78 calories and 6 grams of protein with all of the essential amino acids. An egg is a good source of vitamins B12 and E, folic acid, iron and zinc. The egg yolk also provides vitamin D.
• A 1/2 cup of steamed cabbage has about 20 calories, and probably 20% of vitamin C for the day. I mixed in about 2 tablespoons of frozen corn.
• At about 20 calories for a very small amount corn, it is rich in vitamin C, magnesium, B vitamins and carotenoids, such as leutin and zeaxanthin. Corn contains very little fat, less than 1 gram per serving (without toppings), and in a full serving is a good source of fiber, clocking in around 3 grams per half cup.

So that’s 282 calories, plus all that other good stuff like protein and fiber and vitamin C and B. A Hormel ready to eat dinner has about 300-400 calories and is high in fat (contains meat) and salt. USDA clocks a ham and cheese sandwich on whole wheat with a little mayo and mustard at 461 calories. A single slice of ham has 4.7 grams of protein and 2.4 grams of fat, while a single slice of cheese has 5.2 grams of protein and 1.5 grams of fat. And of course, I’m not taking a couple of cookies or carton of yogurt with me.