Cathy Wolz
If you’re trying to eat healthier at work — after all, its National Employee Wellness Month — packing a lunch that’s high in fiber can give you lasting energy for the workday while helping you prevent cancer. Take our Health-e-Recipe for Lemon Brown Rice Pilaf.
Toss this rice with a little tuna or salmon (buy it canned in water, then drained) plus some leafy greens and salad veggies for a complete meal. You can make a batch for a weekend meal then divide the leftovers into single portions and refrigerate or freeze them for lunches throughout the workweek.
Roasting lemon slices make brown rice tangy, and it’s an easy step that only takes a little time. When coated with olive oil and roasted, lemons’ natural sugar caramelizes into a rich dark brown that coats the rind.
Brown rice has more fiber than refined white rice. Eating plenty of fiber helps to prevent colorectal cancer. Other whole grains that retain fiber from the nutritious bran and germ include whole-wheat foods, oats, bulgur and barley. All plant foods are naturally high in fiber, which digests more slowly so our energy lasts longer. A diet rich in whole grains and other high-fiber foods can help you stay full longer, too, so you can avoid those snack machines at work and maintain a healthy weight for reduced cancer risk.
Find more delicious cancer-fighting lunch-time recipes at the AICR Test Kitchen. Subscribe to our weekly Health-e-Recipes.
