I only have ten minutes to prepare lunch. What I do?

Have you started to (re)schedule your routine? September is clearly the month for this: start of the school year, back to work and busy schedules. But all of this leaves us little time to care for ourselves and our meals. And low availability is one of the biggest obstacles to adopting a healthy diet that respects our health and allows us to reap the benefits later, whether at a cognitive, cardiovascular or cancer prevention level.

Therefore, this month we need quick and feasible solutions to put into practice in the lunch boxes of children and adults. With that in mind, I’ve put together several recipes for inspiration. For some it requires some preparation the day before or making the recipe that will allow them to freeze and consume for several days, and then there will be some where it will just be grab and go. But of course, planning is key.

First important advice: suitable containers and utensils, such as…

• … glass jam jars with screw caps
• … processor
• … muffin tins
• … parchment paper
• … waxed cloth (excellent substitute for silver foil and cling film, with the advantage of being washable and reusable for a year; used to wrap pancakes, sandwiches, cherry tomatoes, already cut fruit, fresh bread, etc.)

Sweet snack ideas to prepare in 10 minutes

Homemade creamy yogurt with fruit

Container/utensil: glass jar
Medium amounts and indications: 4 to 5 tablespoons of natural yogurt (kefir, light Greek or skyr are good solutions) with 1 tablespoon of nut butter and 3 tablespoons of frozen fruit (you can buy berries or fruit that is ripe and frozen ).
Shake before consuming.

Overnight porridge

Container/utensil: glass jar
Average quantities and indications: 2 tablespoons of oat flakes with 2 tablespoons of frozen berries and 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. Add 250ml of milk or vegetable drink and leave overnight in the fridge.

Healthy Orange Tart (or Orange Cheesecake)

Container/utensil: large skillet, grater, and parchment paper
Medium quantities and indications: 2 eggs, 3 tablespoons of coconut oil (melted), 3 tablespoons of coconut sugar, 1 orange (juice and zest), half a grated carrot, 3 tablespoons of almond flour, 3 tablespoons of rice flour or oatmeal, 1 tablespoon of sweet starch (cassava flour) and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
You can see the full recipe here. When you’re done, you can cut it into quarters and store it in the freezer wrapped in parchment paper for other snacks.

Banana oat pancake with homemade blueberry jam or sliced ​​fruit

Container/utensil: small frying pan or crepe maker and waxed cloth
Full recipe here.
Directions: Prepare for several days and store in the refrigerator.

Homemade oat bar or homemade granola to accompany yogurt

Container/utensil: tray and parchment paper.
Here you can find a suggestion for a quick and healthy bar. Dice to freeze portions on parchment paper. And you can see here several types of granola that you can make at home (cocoa, orange, cinnamon, ginger, etc.)

Salty snack ideas to prepare in 10 minutes

Mini mushroom and yogurt quiches

Container/Utensil: Silicone muffin cups and wax cloth
Medium quantities and indications: 4 eggs, 110g of Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of light cream cheese, ½ cup of sliced ​​fresh mushrooms, 1 sliced ​​tomato, 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley.
Beat the eggs and add all the other ingredients. Place in the oven as indicated in the recipe. Store doses on waxed paper.

lupines and cherry tomatoes

Container/utensil: glass jar and waxed paper

hummus

Container/utensil: glass bottle, processor and waxed cloth.
There are many ways to make hummus but here is a simple recipe.
Accompany with brown rice crackers and carrot sticks.

Baba Ganoush (Homemade Vegetable Pate)

Container/utensil: glass jar, processor and waxed cloth
Medium quantities and indications: I leave here the simplest and richest recipe.
Serve with a slice of bread

A frequently asked question in consultations: Should intermittent fasting be different for women and men?

Yes, you have to adapt it. Mainly because of the hormonal difference. In the case of men there are no better or worse periods, it is always a good time. Its main hormone is testosterone and we know that intermittent fasting increases its levels, providing benefits such as increased muscle production or better mental clarity, among others.

For women, testosterone level is not a priority, unless you have low levels, which usually happens around the age of 40 (even then, you have to adapt to the hormonal moment).

In the first ten days of menstruation, estrogen levels gradually rise and this is where fasting makes sense, just like a ketogenic or low glucose diet. But from 10 to 15 the three hormones are higher (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) and that is not the best time, as it can cause discomfort.

In cases of menopause, fasting should be evaluated individually.

True or false? High blood glucose levels are associated with poorer sleep quality.

TRUE. When you want to eat a sweet before bed, remember that it will disturb your sleep. There is an association between dysregulated glucose levels, that is, glucose spikes, and delayed REM sleep latency. This sleep is essential for good cognitive functioning and to consolidate memory and learning, so foods with high levels of sugar not only affect sleep but can also affect cognitive and memory capacity. High glucose levels are also associated with insomnia in women and sleep apnea in men. But getting too little sleep can also raise your blood sugar. Thus, a vicious circle occurs.

A book suggestion: The Glucose Goddess Methodby Jessie Inchauspe

Jessie Inchauspé is the author of the best seller glucose revolution, which I have mentioned several times here. He has done a fantastic job raising awareness about glycemic control, with various strategies. In this book, he moves from theory to practice, collecting recipes that exemplify this idea.
(ed. Paper Moon)

Did you like this one? Newsletter? Have questions about food or have a question you’d like clarified in a future issue? Write to me at [email protected]. You can subscribe to Newsletter “I can eat?” here. And, to make sure you don’t miss any, you can subscribe to the Observer here.

Mariana Chavez She is a clinical nutritionist, author of the podcast Aprender a comer, on Rádio Observador, and the book Dieta Única (ed. Guerra e Paz, 2016). [ver o perfil completo].