It's kind of a trip, what inspired me to cover this particular topic. While I was doing some of my usual online perusing, a particular Twitter post was brought to my attention. I really want you to watch it; however, if you're skimming this, the gist is that — surprise, surprise — a main reason why so many of us think that we should have three square meals a day is because (eye roll), back in the day, Europeans thought it was "uncivilized" that Native Americans ate when they felt like it rather than be on some sort of a schedule.
The more you know, chile. The more you know. Anyway, if after watching that, you first got a little pissed off and then breathed a sigh of relief because a) maybe breakfast ain't really your thing and/or b) you tend to go with a much lighter dinner and/or c) you like lunch most or even least of all, I still think this article may provide some additional ah-ha moments. Because whether you eat three meals, two smoothies and one meal or some variation in between these options, if you've ever had some lingering questions in the back of your mind about the true purpose that lunch can serve in your life and/or you've been wondering how to make the most of your lunchtime, hopefully this can "scratch that itch". At least a little bit.
Why You Should Eat Lunch
As someone who isn't that much of a breakfast person myself (I'll typically make myself a smoothie or have some fruit; I only really do a big breakfast on the weekends and even that's not all of the time), I usually don't even think about eating for real for real until around what's considered to be the traditional lunchtime (between 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. for me). The reason is because it's not until then that I'm actually hungry.
Yet when I looked up why eating lunch can be a wise move on the health tip, what I discovered is it's a great way to give your mind and body time to rest and recharge, so that you can be productive throughout the rest of your day.
So y'all, if you're like some of the people I know who work through their legal-right-to-partake-of-lunch period, you really should rethink that. Even if you treat your lunch as I do my breakfast (and you have something super light), the time away can actually help you to be more effective at your job. In fact, a lot of health experts say that if you don't take at least 15-20 minutes to recharge by getting some sort of fuel into your system, it can make you moody, lethargic and cause you to have a really difficult time concentrating. So yeah, take your lunch period seriously. Literally too.
What Time of Day Should You Be Eating Lunch?
As far as the time of day when you should enjoy your lunch, I did some looking around and found some interesting points from various registered dieticians. What many of them said was if you had a full breakfast at around 7:30-8 a.m., you should feel satisfied until around 11 a.m.-12 p.m. And what if you ate at a different time than that?
Well, the main takeaway is about 4-5 hours from when you had breakfast is a good time to have lunch.
And what if you didn't have much breakfast or you skipped out on it altogether? In that case, the recommendation is to have a low-calorie snack that can help you to feel satisfied for at least an hour or two (so that your energy levels are up until your lunch period). OK, and what if you decide to skip lunch and wait for dinner? Well, aside from what I shared about the benefits that come from having something for lunch, there is plenty of data to support that going light in the morning and afternoon and having a big dinner not only significantly increases the chances of you consuming way more calories than you should but it can also make it difficult for you to sleep soundly because your body is trying to digest all of that stuff that you just ate. That's why a lot of health professionals also recommend that you stop eating within three hours of your intended bedtime.
So, you know what all of this points too, right? More and more, it's looking like eating lunch is a good idea; especially if you're someone who enjoys having a heartier meal but you want to keep your weight in check and your sleep consistent.
Lunch Hacks That Make Eating (at Work) Easier
So, what if, after taking all of this in, you're down to give lunch more of a shot yet you feel like making your lunch instead of avoiding the drive-thru (check out "Why You Should Consider Leaving Fast Food Alone") is going to be more of a prepping headache than you can handle? No problem. I've got a few hacks for that.
Make the most out of cupcake cases (liners). Wanna keep different foods better organized? You'd be shocked what some cupcake cases can do. For instance, if you've got a container that doesn't have dividers, there's no need to purchase one. Just pick up some cases and put different things in those. Everything will be in its "rightful place" without you having to spend extra coins to make it happen.
Play around with muffin tins. Here's the thing about muffin tins — you can put more than just muffins in them. Little omelets. Mini quiches. Fritters. Tiny shepherd's pies. Small mac 'n cheeses. When you let your imagination run wild, the possibilities really are endless. And since these kinds of meals will be in muffin tins, they're super easy to take to work with you.
Put salads in mason jars. Wanna take a salad or burrito bowl to work but you're afraid that it'll get soggy? One of the best hacks ever is to put it into a mason jar. The seal will keep everything fresh. The size of the jar will help you with portion control. And just think about how convenient bringing a jar into work will be when you've got so much other stuff to lug around.
Remember that paper towels absorb moisture. Speaking of sogginess and the way to avoid it, whether it's a salad in a different kind of container or you're going the raw veggie route with some other type of dish, you can also keep stuff from wilting by putting one sheet of a paper towel on the bottom of your container and another on top (after you've put your food inside of it). It has a way of drawing in the excess moisture when you do. By the way, wax paper does a pretty good job at this when it comes to sandwiches too.
Keep oil and vinegar at your desk.Infused oil and vinegar jars are actually very pretty to look at. So, if you're someone who uses a lot of both when you're having lunch, pick up some tall bottles at a local arts and crafts store (you know, the ones that come with a cork), pour the oil and vinegar into them and store them on your desk. How handy is that?
Get drink pouches for smoothies. If you're someone who goes the big breakfast route yet reading all of this has convinced you to at least have a smoothie for lunch, don't break the bank (and take in a ton of calories) by purchasing one every day. Instead, pick up some smoothie pouches. They're compact. Reusable. And since you'll be making your smoothies yourself, you can control exactly what's going into them.
Freeze stuff. As far as prepping for the week goes, freezing rice, quinoa and soups are always a good idea. Putting a frozen fruit box into your lunch container can keep stuff like yogurt cool. Frozen grapes are a great snack for your desk. Bottom line, freezers are your friend when it comes to enjoying your lunch, so don't be afraid to use them — whether you have lunch at 11 or 2.
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So, before we look up and — boom — we’re just a few weeks away from summer (because that really is how this year is going, y’all), take a moment to learn more about spring fever and how you can actually make it work for you in ways that you may not have ever even considered before.
Spring Fever. What Is It All About?
GiphyA fun fact about me is I was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. If you add to that the fact that my mother is a New Yorker, perhaps that is why my favorite times of the year are fall and winter (check out “There Are Actually Scientific Reasons Why So Many Of Us Adore The Fall Season”) — including the fact that, yes, I like it cold and dark. Oh, I so enjoy cuddling up in cable-knit blankets in a room that is filled with candles. It is absolutely my thing.
In fact, I hate that I didn’t plan better this year, so that I could take a vacation to Colorado during this month since, reportedly, March is when a lot of the state tends to have the most snow. And if you add to that the fact that I am a bona fide ambivert — listen, if anyone is perfectly content with spending most of my time indoors (my house, specifically) with a cup of hot chocolate and a book or a good movie…she is I and I am her.
Still, that doesn’t mean that, over the past week or so, I haven’t felt the urge to get out more than I typically do. And from what I’ve read, that is probably due to, yep, spring fever — a time when many people feel more restless and/or like they have more energy than usual. And although it’s not technically a medical condition, many experts on the topic say that spring fever should be taken quite seriously.
The main reason is because when daylight savings time “springs forward,” it gives us extra daylight. When that happens, it actually has an impact on your circadian rhythm (the pattern that your body experiences every 24-hour cycle). There are actually pros and cons to this because while, on one hand, “losing an hour of sleep” can up your stress levels (including when it comes to your heart) which is a con, more sunlight also has a way of increasing your serotonin levels which is a pro. You see, serotonin is one of the “feel-good hormones” in your body that causes you to feel happier; it also makes you want to stay awake for longer periods of time.
Something else about spring fever that has some science to back it: You do tend to take a bigger interest in dating and sex (even though fall is reportedly the best time of year for copulation — check out “Did You Know Fall & Winter Are The Best Times To Have Sex?”). There is actually a pretty scientific basis for why this is the case (that you can read here). For now, I guess the best way to explain it would be that sunlight hits your optic nerve which influences the part of your brain known as your pineal gland. When that happens, less melatonin is produced and, since melatonin can actually lower your libido — there you have it: suppressed melatonin can increase your interest in flirting, dating, and intimacy, and being out in the sun more helps to make all of this happen.
Not to mention the fact thatother reports have stated that spring is a time of the year when people tend to be more body image conscious too. Since layering season is gone and yet it’s not quite time to pull out a bathing suit (check out “These 12 Tips Will Make You Feel More Confident In Your Swimsuit”), springtime is a time of preparation. And since you’ve got all of that extra energy — and potential dating interest — spring fever can help to make you more focused on getting your body in the shape that you want it to be in over the course of the next few months.
A final thing about spring fever — it may causeyour moods to be a bit…erratic. That makes sense when you really stop to think about it because spring weather tends to be the same way with all of its roller-coaster ride temperatures, “April showers” and whatnot. So, more than usual, you may feel like you want to hang out for hours with friends one day and then not even want to answer your phone another — which is pretty much a reminder that spring is a season when you should really listen to your mind, body, and spirit to see what it needs.
5 Ways to Handle Spring Fever (So That It Doesn’t Control You)
GiphyOkay, so now that you know that spring fever isn’t just a saying, that it actually has some solid truth to it, here are a few tips that can help to keep it from throwing you off course:
1. Be intentional about stabilizing your moods. It’s not good enough to know that certain things will impact your moods in a random way and then do nothing about it. And since spring fever may have you a bit all over the place, eat foods that will help to make you feel better (check out “In A Bad Mood? These Foods Will Lift Your Spirits!”), look into supplements that will boost your moods (like probiotics, magnesium, and vitamin D), and do some meditating outdoors. The combination of sunlight and deep breathing can do wonders.
2. Get on a sleep schedule. More sun really can throw your sleep patterns off, so you might want to consider putting your body on a sleep schedule. Y’all, I actually read that spring is the season when heart attacks and strokes increase, in part, due to sleep deprivation — so please don’t be out here thinking that just because you may not feel like sleeping that you don’t actually need to. YOU. DO. (Check out “12 Monthly Sleep Habits To Transform Your Rest In 2025”).
3. Exercise…even if it’s in baby steps. There are a billion reasons why we all need to exercise, no matter what time of year it is; however, if the body image thing is really on your mind, there are so many ways to get your body toned up. Jumping jacks, lunges, squats, mountain climbers, bicycle crunches — these are all things that you can do from the comfort and convenience of your house. And walking around your neighborhood either before work or after dinner (or both), especially now that it’s warmer — that is a cool way to get some cardio in. Anyway, Healthline has a helpful article on this topic. Check out “30 Moves to Make the Most of Your At-Home Workout” when you get a chance.
4. Date with a “sober” mind. A wise person once said, “Feelings don’t have intellect.” Yeah, don’t get me to preachin’ up in here (again) about just how much I hate the saying “Follow your heart” when the Good Book clearly says that the heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9-10). For now, let’s just leave it at this: You get that science says that your urge to, umm, entertain more, may increase right now. Just make sure that you don’t just “go with the flow of your feelings”. Bring some common sense, street smarts, and even patience to the table. Springtime is just one season. Make choices that will make the rest of the year awesome as well.
5. Put all of that extra energy to wise use. You already read that feeling restless is pretty normal these days; that doesn’t mean that you’ve gotta do reckless things, though. The way that I see it, extra energy can help you to make some plans, reach a goal (whether it’s long-term or short-term), or try something new that you’ve always wanted to do. Bottom line: just because spring fever may have you feeling like you’re all over the place, that doesn’t mean that you can’t cultivate some real direction. Use this time to make you end this year in a way that makes you smile. All because you used spring fever…instead of allowing it to use you!
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