The Healthy Diet »

At lunch time many people LA eat a cold-cut sandwich and a side dish like potato salad or coleslaw, But some of the most common sandwich meats, such as salami and bologna, are high in fat and salt and are often preserved with nitrates chemicals that some researchers believe may be a factor in causing stomach cancer. A healthier sandwich filler is poultry, such as chicken or turkey breast, which is lower in fat than lunch meats. And a green salad is better than coleslaw or potato salad, both of which are often made with large amounts of high-fat mayonnaise.

With , a green salad, choose a dressing that is not mayonnaise-based. The best dressings are made from lowfat yogurt, lemon or lime juice, or vinegar with a little oil. Lowfat soups are not only nutrients but have the added benefit of aid in weight loss because of their high water content. One weight-loss study showed that dieters who ate soup at least four times a week lost more weight than those who did not. Cooked choices are the white bean and corn soup, and the chickpea, and escarole soup . While the beef, cabbage and beer soup gets a quarter of its calories from protein, it uses a very lean cut of beef in order to minimize the fat content. Experts recommend that you eat a moderate-sized lunch. If you start the day by eating a good breakfast, you will be less likely to overindulge at lunch. The following - guidelines can help you adequate what to include in your lunch

1. Although lunch, like your other meals, should contain a healthy amount of complex carbohydrates and not too much fat, it should not lack protein. One university study showed that a lunch extremely in carbohydrates and extremely in protein made subjects feel, - possibly' because high carbohy­drate meals stimulate the release, serotonin, a brain chemical that induces deep. But including protein - the meal reduced or eliminated effect. An example of a good, to-make lunch dish that com - I carbohydrates and protein in excellent proportions is the cabbage and apple sandwich The complementary proteins the bread and beans contain all essential amino acids — that is, make complete protein — and bread and apples supply adequate amounts of carbohydrates.

2. In order to minimize intake of simple sugars at lunch avoid heavily sweetened dessert Instead, eat fruits. Many of taste sweet, yet they consist of water and therefore contain less sugar an most cakes, or candies. Desserts like poached pears with strawberry sauce contain some sugar, but they much of their sweetness from fruit. If you eat canned fruit, varieties that are packed in water in their own juice; these have half to one third fewer calories fruit packed in heavy syrup.

3. Low fat milk and milk pr are good sources of protein calcium, and they do not contain: lot of fat. A cup of lowfat or milk with lunch will boost. calcium and protein intake considerably, as will lowfat yogurt. The commercially prepared yogurt fruit preserves often contains a deal of sugar. It is better to buy low fat yogurt and add your sliced fruit or whole berries. You then get all the calcium and benefits of yogurt', along with the vitamin and minerals benefits of fresh fruit without the sugar calories.

Drinking milk is not the only way to add calcium to your diet. The Illustration above shows other food portions that contain the same amount of calcium as a cup of lowfat milk. The list below shows the amount of these equivalent portions that should be Included in your daily diet.