Lunch time can bring many challenges for my clients. People get really hungry in the middle of the day and need a good, hearty lunch for energy. Whether you’re a working parent or a student at school, having an interesting, tasty, and portable lunch is necessary.

Bringing lunch from home has many benefits:

#1. Save money
#2. Eat healthy, delicious, & nutritious foods
#3. Get all the balanced variety of foods you need while fueling yourself.

Instead of the same ‘ol sandwich, try using a whole wheat pita to fill with surprising delights. Look for pita breads with 5 grams of fiber or more. Whole wheat pitas usually have this amount of fiber per round. The fiber will help fill you up even more.

Time saving tip: Make the pita pockets the night before so that when you wake up in the morning, you and your family can just grab your lunches and run out the door.

Here are some fun ideas to stuff inside your pita pockets:

• Hummus Among Us: ½ Pita, 1 thick slice Turkey Deli Meat, 2 Tbsp Hummus, 2 slices Tomato, 1 leaf Romaine Lettuce (See the above photo)

• Power Punch Pita Pocket: ½ Pita, 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter, 2 Strawberries (thinly sliced), 1 Tbsp Sunflower Seeds

• Tuna Dee-Lite: ½ Pita, 1 slice Jarlsberg Lite Cheese, 1 leaf Romaine Lettuce (chopped), 3 oz canned Tuna (water drained) mixed with 1 Tbsp Greek Yogurt, 1 tsp dried Dill, 1 tsp Capers, ½ tsp Onion Powder, and 1 tsp Yellow Mustard or Grey Poupon Mustard.

• Cucumber Coolness: ½ Pita, 1 Laughing Cow Light Cheese wedge, 5 slices Cucumber

• Sprout-It-Out: ½ Pita, 2 Tbsp Spinach Dip (click for the Written Recipe, click for the Video Recipe), 2 oz (2 thin slices) any Deli Meat like Roast Beef or Turkey or Ham, 2 slices Tomato, Sprouts

What other foods do you want to fill your pita with?

By Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN