Different Ideas For Light Lunch Options From The Deli

You love to hit up that gourmet deli long island but you aren’t sure what you can or cannot when you want to choose light options for lunch. There’s a misconception that says you can’t eat healthy at the deli and we’re going to debunk that right here and now.

The truth is you can still enjoy eating at the deli counter and stay within your diet or, at the very least, cut out the unhealthy ingredients that are typically part and parcel to most meals at the deli. You just need to get smart about which foods you decide to select while avoiding things that are bad for your body, like fats, sodium, preservatives, artificial additives and colors, and carbohydrates.

The smart solution to the problem of healthy eating at the deli counter is to skip the bad stuff and focus on making meals out of items that are high in calcium, protein, and other healthy nutrients.

I know, easier said than done, but you might just be surprised how many options you really have. Let’s take a look at your diet-conscious options so you can make smarter, more informed choices about the foods you put into your body:

Salads

Anything with greens and vegetables is a no-brainer, except when they get slathered in thick dressings and drowned in oil. For the former, go with heart-healthy, low-fat and low-calorie options of your favorite choices, that is if you really need to put any of these things on your salad in the first place.

Leafy greens, ripe tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, and more are usually available tossed together into an easy to consume salad. Sometimes these salads have already had dressings or oil drizzled on top, so be sure to ask if these are the low-fat kind or not.

As for the other “salads” you’ll find, like macaroni, potato, and seafood. It’s best to skip those entirely. They all contain mayonnaise and probably not the healthier kind. So if you’re really set on enjoying one of these types of “salads” it might be best to get the healthy versions of their ingredients from the local supermarket and make it at home, knowing you’re eating the best possible version.

Meats

The best thing to do is read the labels of the meats you want to select. Turkey is usually the healthiest and most popular option but with so many different types available from smoked turkey to pan-roasted to honey turkey, it can be tough to find the healthy options among the not so healthy.

So read those labels and be sure they say things like “no added preservatives” or “low sodium”. If they do, then you’re getting a lighter deli meat for lunch than one that is filled with colors, nitrates, and sodium.

Maybe turkey isn’t your thing but you still want a nice light deli lunch, then check out your options for ham and roast beef. Just check first to see if your ham or beef has been subjected to fillers and by-products. If so, then skip it and maybe find your lunch elsewhere.