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What is the ideal calorie intake for lunch?
How many calories should I eat for lunch? How many calories should lunch be compared with the other meals of the day? How do you calculate your calorie intake for lunch, depending on your height, weight and whether you’re male or female?
If there’s one important meal of the day, it’s undoubtedly lunch. This midday meal not only recharges our batteries, but also provides us withfuel for the afternoon ahead. Many experts agree that it should represent 40% of the day’s calorie intake. The tool below allows you to calculate your optimal lunch requirements according to your own needs!
What should we eat for lunch?
What are the healthiest foods to eat at lunch time?
Unfortunately, for many people, lunch is synonymous with speed and sometimes with bad habits. Some will eat too little and make up for it in the evening, while others will eat on the run with products that are often unbalanced. And then there are those who will have the choice of eating well at the local café or in their company’s canteen, or in their lunchbox prepared the day before.
Lunch should be the richest meal of the day, but rations will of course differ between a sedentary person, a keen sportsman or a hard worker.
Our French traditions and health organizations divide this meal into 3 parts, which are thestarter, main course and desert, but everyone will find their own way of doing things, the essential thing being the proportion of ingredients that make up our plate.
What does a healthy lunch look like?
Here are a few food recommendations for your lunch break.
- Fruits and vegetables should represent 50% of your plate (add some color and you’ll get a variety of nutrients).
- Proteins should represent 25% of your plate (limit red meat, deli meats and cheese, which should remain occasional, and dare to include vegetable proteins).
- Carbohydrates should make up 25% of your plate (opt for low glycemic indexes with whole grains, and limit white bread and non-whole-grain pasta, which will raise blood sugar levels).
To accompany your salads or other dishes, opt for healthy oils, but keep doses to a minimum.
The Importance of Nutritional Quality
Before focusing solely on calorie count, it is essential to prioritize a diet consisting of unprocessed foods to avoid empty calories and maximize nutritional quality. Opt for fresh foods rich in essential nutrients, providing the necessary support for optimal body function. A balanced diet is crucial for maintaining good health and achieving your weight loss goals. Understanding energy balance between calorie intake and expenditure is fundamental for a sustainable and effective approach to weight management and overall health.
