If you’re looking for healthy lunch ideas, one of the easiest ways to learn is by seeing what people who train, coach and move all day actually eat. Breakfast often gets all the attention when it comes to healthy eating. We hear about it being the most important meal of the day. Dinner tends to be the social meal, the one we sit down for in the evening. But lunch? Lunch is often the forgotten middle child. For many people, lunch becomes whatever is easiest, or whatever the rest of the office is doing.
A quick sandwich, a pastry with a coffee, or sometimes it gets skipped altogether.
Yet lunch plays a huge role in your energy levels, concentration, appetite and food choices later in the day.
After the great feedback on the blog when we compared breakfasts a few weeks back, we are back again this time deciphering your trainers lunch. As people who are on their feet all day, training clients and moving constantly, they rely on meals that actually fuel them properly (Some more than others)….
Why Lunch Is So Important for energy and appetite
By the time lunchtime arrives, your body has already used up a lot of the energy from breakfast. If breakfast was around 7–8am, lunch might not happen until 12–1pm. That’s several hours where your body has been working, thinking, moving and burning energy.
A balanced lunch helps to:
Keep energy levels steady
Without a proper lunch, many people experience the classic mid-afternoon slump. You may feel tired, unfocused or craving sugar. A balanced lunch helps keep blood sugar stable so energy doesn’t crash later.
Prevent overeating later
When lunch is too small, or skipped by coffee, it’s very common to feel ravenous by late afternoon or dinner time. This is when people tend to reach for biscuits, chocolate, or snacks continuously as soon as they get home. Eating enough at lunch helps regulate appetite for the rest of the day.
Support muscle and recovery
For those who exercise (or simply want to maintain strength as they age), lunch is another opportunity to include protein. Spreading protein intake across the day helps with muscle maintenance and recovery.
Improve focus and productivity
Food fuels the brain too. A balanced lunch with protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats can help maintain concentration and mental clarity through the afternoon. After all the brain requires the equivalent of 7 slices of bread to function!
What Makes a Healthy Lunch?
Just as we discussed with breakfast, a good lunch does not have to be complicated. As always, the easiest way to think about it is building your plate with three key components.
Protein – ¼ plate
Protein helps keep you full and supports muscle health.
Examples include:
- Chicken
- Fish
- Eggs
- Tuna
- Greek yoghurt
- Tofu
- Lean beef
- Beans or lentils
Carbohydrates ¼ plate
Carbohydrates are your body’s main energy source and help fuel your brain and muscles.
Good options include:
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Wholegrain bread or wraps
- Sweet potato
- Oats
- Pasta
- Couscous
Healthy fats – thumb sized amount
Healthy fats add flavour, help with satiety and support overall health.
Examples include:
- Avocado
- Nuts and seeds
- Olive oil
- Hummus
- Tahini
Then of course, adding vegetables or salad provides for the remaining half of your plate adding fibre, vitamins and minerals.
So with that in mind, Let’s see what the trainers did on a random Tuesday, and if their healthy lunch ideas might inspire you!
Alec – starting strong with a homemade burrito bowl + avocado
My thoughts:
YUM
- Protein ✅ – chicken and beans for muscle growth
- Carbs ✅- rice
- Healthy fats ✅ – avocado rich in monounsaturated, great for heart health, managing cholesterol levels and keeping you fuller for longer. Also contain fibre and an array of nutrients like potassium, vitamin E,K and folate.
- Colour ✅ – 0.5points here. Although beans possess veg like variables like containing fibre, they are classed as a legume as they also have that added protein content. Although considered a superfood to many, it just doesn’t tick off half the plate of colour.
Verdict 9.5/10.
Daniel – mince rice and broccolini for days!
My thoughts:
10/10 for the meal prep efforts, THIS is how you stay on track
- Protein ✅ – lots of mince to support strong muscles
- Carbs ✅- rice to provide energy
- Healthy fats ✅ – sesame seeds contain unsaturated fats which are beneficial for heart health.
- Colour ✅ – 0.5points here again, although im a big brocolini advocate and this looks cooked to perfection, more colour required for a 10.
Verdict 9.5/10.
Helen – Cashew nut chicken with rice – yum!
My thoughts:
Chef Helens hat was ON! Sauce looks incredibly tasty.
- Protein ✅ – Chicken breast, to support strong muscles.
- Carbs ✅- Rice to provide energy for her big day on fun running through the Blue Mountains on Saturday.
- Healthy fats ✅ – Cashew nuts – amazing source of unsaturated fats, which can help support heart health and healthy cholesterol levels, along with the minerals magnesium, iron, zinc and copper
- Colour ✅ – looks like we have some zucchini, cauliflower, onion and capsicum
Verdict 10/10
Luke – meat, rice and broccoli
My thoughts:
Much better than last time’s breakfast option! (Just hope you left the fat on the plate..)
- Protein ✅ – Steak is high protein, iron rich, and should keep you full for the day. Just opt for lower fat like rump or sirloin to keep it best.
- Carbs ✅- Rice to provide energy.
- Healthy fats??? Unfortunately steak provides more saturated fats than unsaturated (healthy ones)
- Colour ✅ – broccoli is good, more colour is never any harm!!
Verdict 7/10
Tom – some fish and a few spuds…
My thoughts:
I’ve seen worse, but I’ve seen better….
- Protein ✅ – barramundi looks flavoured well!!
- Carbs ✅- extra points for the best carb source there is.
- Healthy fats ✅- whether it was planned or not, barramundi actually does contain healthy fats including omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart health and reduce inflammation. I do see some butter though so minus points for adding saturated fats.
- Colour ???? Unfortunately the purple on the potatoes doesn’t count.
Verdict 6/10
Sarah – salmon, brown rice, broccolini and honey soy sauce
My thoughts: Not my usual lunch but enjoyable and ticked the boxes when in a rush.
- Protein ✅ – extra points for my salmon. 1 out of 2 of my portions of oily fish for the week.
- Carbs ✅- extra points for the WHOLEGRAIN rice.
- Healthy fats ✅- The best kind in the salmon.
- Colour ✅- broccolini. I blame my lack of time for less colour.
- Additional soy sauce for yummy taste- have to make it enjoyable and also contains sodium to replenish electrolytes post workout.
Verdict 9.5/10
Jordon: poke bowl
My thoughts: presentation skills 10/10 looks yum!
- Protein ✅ – tuna and chickpeas.
- Carbs ✅- rice.
- Healthy fats ✅SMALL amounts in chickpeas even more if olive oil was added to cook.
- Colour ✅ extra points here, exactly what we want in a meal the more diverse colours the better.
- Additional sauce for yummy taste- have to make it enjoyable!
Verdict 10/10
Healthy Lunch Ideas: Final Thoughts
When it comes to healthy lunch ideas, the best meals are usually the simplest; real food built around protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats and plenty of vegetables. Lunch does not have to be fancy, but is worth having a think about. A balanced lunch with protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats and vegetables can make a big difference to how you feel during the afternoon — from energy levels to cravings to concentration. Often the best lunches are simply real food, put together in a balanced way.
If you would like more individualised help to your lunches or meal prep, book a nutrition consult by emailing me sarah@authenticpt.com.au to get your lunches and nutrition on track!
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