A packed lunch needs to travel well and often gets eaten quickly at a desk, which makes it easy to default to convenience foods that aren't reflux-friendly. A little planning keeps lunch from being the meal that derails an otherwise good day.
Five lunchbox combinations
- Sliced turkey (not heavily processed deli meat) on whole-grain bread with lettuce and a thin spread of mustard
- Rice, baked chicken, and steamed vegetables in a container, reheated at work
- A grain bowl with quinoa, roasted vegetables, and a light herb dressing
- Plain yogurt with granola and melon, packed separately so the granola stays crisp
- Leftover baked salmon with rice and green beans from the night before
Habits worth building around it
Eating away from your desk when possible, even for ten minutes, tends to slow eating pace compared to working through lunch — and eating slowly is itself a meaningful reflux-friendly habit, independent of what's actually in the container. Packing water instead of relying on office coffee or soda also adds up over a week.
