According to data from a study by the Federation of Independent Consumer Users (FUCI), six out of ten Spaniards eat out every day, a reality that we often associate with something boring, laborious and, worst of all, unhealthy . However, it is good to know that we can change these beliefs and have a diet that is not only varied and fun, but also more economical, but also healthy.
Although it may seem like a challenge when we have to carry the container with us every day and we don’t have much time to cook, this is not necessarily the case.
Container meals are a great alternative to eating out and, better yet, easier to organize than they seem. And that doesn’t mean we have to pack only pasta or rice every day. What should we prioritize when eating from a container and continuing to have a good diet?
What a healthy container should contain
The key to filling our container with healthy and varied options will always be good organization, which will start by planning menus and purchasing the foods we need, no more and no less. We must make this list based on the foods that we must prioritize, such as:
They are the axis of any healthy container because they are rich in fiber and contain almost all the vitamins and minerals that our body needs, in addition to being light and low in calories. One way to choose the best option is to opt for seasonal vegetables which, in addition to helping us save and vary throughout the year, we will also find them at their optimal point.
The body needs fats to function properly. However, they are not all the same. For a balanced diet, it is advisable to limit saturated fatty acids of animal origin, such as butter or cold meats, and to opt for unsaturated fatty acids (for example omega 3 and omega 6) of plant origin, which help us maintain the health of the body. They are present mainly in olive oil, so it is interesting to take them into account when dressing our salads. Or nuts and foods like avocado.
These healthy fats combine well with protein and fiber to help us feel full longer. They also help us better control cholesterol and allow the body to absorb important nutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.
Meat, fish, eggs, legumes and other non-dairy protein sources, at least one serving. You can opt for low-fat proteins, such as chicken, turkey, fish, lentils, chickpeas, hummus or soy products like tofu. These foods provide us with protein, zinc and iron, the latter of which is particularly important because our bodies cannot produce it, so we rely on it from the foods we eat.
We will have to adapt this part to our level of physical activity. In this section we talk about bread, cereals and other starchy foods such as pasta, rice, potatoes, always favoring their whole grain version. These foods provide us with energy, fuel for vital tissues and organs like the brain, as well as fiber, B vitamins and other minerals.
Fruit provides us with fluid and fiber and helps us feel full. You can opt for whole fresh fruit, such as an apple or a banana; chopped fruit, such as melon or pineapple; a handful of grapes; You can even opt for a fresh fruit salad or a fruit skewer. If we choose a variety of colors, it will not only be more appetizing but will also provide us with different vitamins and minerals.
Cheese, yogurt, rice pudding are some of the foods that we should also include because they provide us with calcium, iodine, vitamin B12, vitamin A and protein. If we use a dairy-free alternative, such as soy drinks, we need to make sure it is enriched with calcium and other vitamins and minerals.
- Oils, seasonings and aromatic herbs
They allow us to season dishes differently and vary flavors easily without having to use too much salt. You can use olive oil, spices such as cumin, turmeric, curry, pepper, paprika, nutmeg or saffron and aromatic herbs such as parsley, basil, chives, coriander , rosemary, garlic or onion. You can add fresh or dehydrated aromatic herbs. In any case, and this also applies to oil and spices, it is best to add it just before consuming.
- And, to drink, a bottle of water
Hydration is key to our digestive health, and water should always be the beverage of choice, rather than soda or any other sugary or alcoholic beverage.
It is essential to balance all meal ingredients so that they provide us with the necessary mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, in addition to fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. To know how much to add to the container, the Harvard plate method can help us, which consists of dividing the contents of the container into four parts: two for vegetables or fruits, a quarter for proteins and the other quarter for carbohydrates.
What preparations can we make and which are better to avoid
If we start from the idea that vegetables should be the basis of our culinary preparations, we can start with any type of salad. And here, everyone’s imagination is their great ally. The options are numerous, such as endive salad with fruits like pomegranate; asparagus with chickpeas; even a vegetable stew with pieces of tuna and cooked pumpkin.
You can also opt for a brown rice salad with asparagus, mushrooms, peppers and nuts; or lentils also with rice – a very good combination – with a little cabbage. Another way to cook that will stand up very well to a container meal is mashed vegetables with a side dish like a hard-boiled egg.
The key, when it comes to putting the foods in the container, is to follow a precise order so that they last longer in good condition: first, at the bottom, we will put the most humid ones, such as lettuce , and up. less moist ones and hard vegetables like cucumber or carrots because these foods generally do not absorb liquid from the food at the base. On top we can put chicken or fish and finally cereals like rice or pasta.
But what should be avoided are preparations with a lot of sauces, fried or breaded foods which, in addition to being not recommended from a nutritional point of view, also do not stand up very well to prior preparation. Grilled dishes are also not recommended because, although they are easy to prepare, they dry out when reheated in the microwave.
