In the 6th grade lunchtime was at 10:40 a.m.

I remember classmates and teachers complaining about how early it was. I remember my parents remarking about how unreasonable that was. And I remember absolutely loving it.

Lunchtime was 10:40 and I’ve never gotten over it.

Nothing says school lunch quite like a brown paper bag.

Maybe it’s just me, but the first thing I look at when given a schedule for a conference or training is when does lunchtime fall.

Before noon? Perfect. At noon? It’s a struggle, I’ll probably pack a snack, but I can make it. After noon? NOT. A. CHANCE. My entire lunch will be gone before the “lunchtime” even began.

I suppose if I woke up at 9, didn’t run and ate breakfast about half an hour later, noon (or even 1 p.m. although I hesitate to say that) could be a reasonable time for breakfast. But for those of us who wake up before 7, run and scarf down some toast or oatmeal somewhere between a shower and searching for our car keys, waiting until noon seems impossible.

Today, working from home, there is nobody else dictating my schedule and at 9:40 I decided it was time for “lunch” or at a hefty snack of a whole wheat tortilla rolled up with peanut butter and banana.

I was hungry, my productivity was slowing down and a little pick-me-up was exactly what I needed. Waiting another two hours for a more “acceptable” lunchtime would have just made me cranky and I certainly wouldn’t be calmly writing this blog post right now.

Maybe I’ll eat a lunch, or late afternoon snack, or maybe I’ll just end up waiting until dinner. It doesn’t matter either way. When I’m hungry  my body will let me know, no matter what time it is, and that’s what intuitive eating is all about. Listening to our bodies, not a predetermined schedule, to decide what is right for us and our eating patterns.

It can be tough to break a routine, but I challenge you to give it a try. Instead of forcing yourself to wait for an arbitrary “lunchtime” today (or tomorrow) let your body decide.

If your interested in learning more about packing a healthy school lunch for your kids this year check out my Kids Eat Right Month events at the Tolland and New Canaan Public Libraries August 18 at 2 p.m. and 24th at 1 p.m. respectively.