Luna Bars for Lunch

Do you think it's ok to eat a Luna bar for lunch five days a week? I'm a teacher, and I only get 30 minutes for lunch, and usually that 30 minutes is spent conferencing with other teachers, making copies or prepping for the next class. A Luna bar is quick and not messy... but am I shooting my health efforts in the foot?

I'd say 'yes', you would be.  Luna bars are not exactly a complete meal and I think you'd get to mid-afternoon and find you felt quite fatigued.

Everyone needs a break - even teachers.  Bolting meals can cause indigestion.  If you get 30 minutes for lunch set aside 10 of them to eat a healthy sandwich or whatever you can fit into a lunch-box and use the other 20 to do the prep.   Or ask your fellow teachers how they manage their time?   I can't imagine that everyone at your school skips lunch... someone will have a better solution.

They don't, but among the other Jr. High/High school teachers I see two options - those veteran teachers who have been doing the same job for 17 years and don't NEED the prep, and the beginning teachers who fall behind or work until 6 or 7 at night. I'm also a graduate student, so working that late on teaching stuff is not an option.

I get home around 3pm and AM fatigued, but then I can have a snack. Really, my days look like this:

Breakfast - 300-400 calories

Snack - 200 calories (Luna Bar)

Snack - 200-300 calories (toast, crackers and hummus, almonds, etc).

Dinner - 400-500 calories

Snack - 200-300 calories (cereal, wine)

Look, they're not going to kill you but I still think you'd be better off alternating them with other 200 cal foods rather than treating them as a meal replacement.

Maybe try a meal replacement shake, they tend to be a little more filling. Quick to grab or if you make your own you can make them the night before freeze them and let them thaw through the morning until lunch time.

Personally I find LunaBars pretty filling. They're pretty good on protein and fiber, they seem the best out of a lot of bars I've looked at.  Just remember that they're only 200 cals, so keep track of having other snacks. I don't think there's really a problem with you eating 200 calories of protein carbs and decent amount of fiber versus eating 200 calories of a sandwich or something.

I agree with arkhamescapee, they are pretty well-balanced nutritionally.  It looks like you more or less break your day into 5-6 mini meals, and if that works for you, I'd go ahead and continue with the Luna bar.  If you find yourself zoning out at the end of the day, bring in an apple and pull it out of the fridge on your way home.  Apples always seem to revive me at the end of my lovely day in the cube ;)

I agree with arkhamescapee, they are pretty well-balanced nutritionally.  It looks like you more or less break your day into 5-6 mini meals, and if that works for you, I'd go ahead and continue with the Luna bar.  If you find yourself zoning out at the end of the day, bring in an apple and pull it out of the fridge on your way home.  Apples always seem to revive me at the end of my lovely day in the cube ;)

I think Luna Bars are okay, but for lunch 5 times a week, I don't know... they wouldn't be my first choice. Maybe once in a while, but I'd mix it up. Some of my favorite quick lunches/mid-day snacks include Kashi granola bars, and healthy muffins I make myself. If you make a batch of muffins on the weekend, they should last you the week, if you have a couple a day. I've made carrot-oat muffins, banana-chocolate oat muffins, and I want to make bran muffins for my next batch... Anyway I'd say - mix it up! Don't just eat Luna bars. Besides, I'd think that'd also start to get expensive.

I'm only three weeks in to my plan, but due to my job (have to be there by 6am and busy all day), I've been eating a Clif bar for breakfast, then another Clif bar and a V8 juice for lunch.  I haven't been hungry during the day.  For dinner I've been eating a big salad and some fish or chicken.  I've actually had days where I need to find more calories.

I've dropped 14 pounds in 3 weeks.  Granted I know being larger, I'll start out losing pounds fast.