TOP 5 WAYS TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BROWN BAG

Your brown bag lunch doesn’t have to be boring. Try adding more brightly colored vegetables and fruits to your lunches for flavor and nutrition:

1. Pack a salad. Start with dark, leafy greens, which contain vitamins, including iron and folate, as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants. Combine greens like baby spinach leaves with dark lettuces, such as Romaine, for a delicious green salad. Top your salad with a healthy, low-fat dressing. Use a small amount of a heart-healthy fat, such as an olive or canola oil, mixed with a flavored vinegar or lemon juice. Throw in some chopped herbs such as mint, cilantro, basil or chives to boost flavor and health benefits.

2. Eat fresh. Summer is the perfect time of year to enjoy a fresh and colorful mix of foods. Try a different color each day — each has a variety of vitamins and minerals that work together to protect your health.

• Red: Tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries, red grapes, raspberries, red peppers
• Orange: Mango, apricots, carrots, papaya, peaches, oranges
• Green: Broccoli, avocado, lettuce and other greens, chives, peas, kiwi fruit, green peppers
• White: Cabbage, cauliflower, onions, garlic, scallions, leeks, tofu
• Purple/Blue: Blueberries, red cabbage, raisins, eggplant, taro
• Yellow: Corn, yellow peppers, pineapple, bananas, squash

3. Add a protein punch. Foods high in protein, like beans, tuna, chicken, and turkey, give you important folate and minerals, plus an energy boost!

4. Don’t forget the whole grains. Try whole grain options like cooked rice or whole wheat pasta to add extra fiber, vitamins, and minerals to your lunchtime meals.

5. Throw in a hot potato. Throw a baked potato with broccoli in your lunch bag for quick energy on the go.

Now you’re ready to dig in and enjoy your nutritious and tasty brown bag lunch!

PLANT SLANT

Although Okinawa, one of the five original Blue Zones^® areas, is a cluster of tiny islands in a vast sea, Okinawans are not traditionally big fish eaters. Traditionally, they ate mostly plants. "Goya Champuru", the national dish, is a stir fry of bitter melon and tofu. A delicious plate of this had five times the volume, more nutrients, and arguably more flavor than a hamburger. 

Try to eat only whole foods or processed foods with fewer than 5 ingredients. If it's manufactured in a plant, avoid it. If it comes from a plant, eat it.

An Okinawan centenarian still - lovingly - gardening at 105 years old.