Last month I was invited to take part in the Leerdammer Light Lunchtime Programme. The aim of the programme was to help people make the most of their lunchtime. I was kindly sent some delicious foods to create healthy nutritious lunches with along with a Nike Fuel Band plus to help me keep track of my activity through lunchtime and the day.
The boys and dad of 3 love Leerdammer cheese so they were thrilled when they spotted the several packs of Leerdammer Light that arrived with the other foods. Our delivery couldn’t have been better timed because it arrived just before lunch so I was able to get stuck straight in with my new lunchtime regime. We had been sent some recipe cards for some ideas and I have to say they all looked delicious.
Dad of 3 was keen to give one a try too so helped me prepare two of the recipes.
I love tuna and so does Trystan, Erin and Rowan so I opted to make a Tuna, sweetcorn and Leerdammer Light ciabatta with a spinach and cherry tomatoes on the side. While Dad of 3 had cherry tomato, spring onions, salsa, chorizo, Leerdammer Light and spinach ciabatta. Luc opted for a Leerdammer and ham wrap. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed by lunch and was surprised at how filling it was. It was a combination I hadn’t previously thought of so I will definitely be making it again.
Along with the food items I was also sent a personalised walk to do on my lunch break. So after letting my stomach settle for ten minutes I set off for a brisk walk, with my Nike Fuelband to help count my steps. The plotted walk took me on a large circuit of my neighbourhood, up a slight incline and down again. The whole walk at a brisk pace took me 15 minutes. Reaching home again I felt quite refreshed and carried on with my day.
For the next week I continued to go out on the walk using the route set and even managed to go out twice during heavy rain! During the working week I found it easier to have lunch with the children as usual and then once I had dropped the children at meithrin for the afternoon set out on the walk. Usually I would pop into town and run errands or come home and relax with a cup of tea and do some paperwork or prep that night’s dinner. All productive things and things that still had to be done but I quickly realised that if I did the walk first then continued with the tasks I didn’t find myself flagging by the end of the school day.
I relay a lot on my car especially for school runs as have to do three a day at the moment and although I do get out and walk, taking part in this programme made me realise I need to do so more. As one of my favourite places is the beach I decided to incorporate that into my daily walk. So as an alternative walk I started driving to the closest beach and taking a ten/fifteen minute walk along the beach.
There has been the odd day when I haven’t managed to do my walk and I have noticed a difference. Those days I tend to feel tired after the last school run which has made me realise that changing my lunch time habits slightly can make a huge difference to how I feel and how my day goes. So thank you Leerdammer for involving me in your lunchtime programme, I hope I can keep it up.
Disclaimer: I was sent the groceries and Nike Fuelband Plus for the purpose of this post however the content of the post is 100% my own.