Eating Well at Work

Our working hours take up a considerable proportion of our day which means that most of us will be eating one or two meals a day at work as well as any snacks. It can be so tempting to overindulge at work with those cakes that someone has made for a birthday or biscuits that have been brought back from a colleagues holiday. Which is why it is so important to be prepared and be savvy with what we eat at work. Even if you find you are buying your food as you go as opposed to bringing it in from home, there are still plenty of smart choices available.

Let us start at the beginning, with breakfast. Such a diverse meal, some prefer sweet whilst others prefer savoury, some prefer hot whilst others prefer cold. There are so many different options available for us that not having breakfast shouldn`t be an option. Start your day as you wish to go on whether that is with a bowl of porridge topped with nuts, fruit, seeds or compote; eggs on wholegrain toast, maybe even with an addition of spinach or avocado; a no or low added sugar breakfast cereal (think Shredded Wheat, muesli, wheat biscuits) and fortified with vitamins and minerals; a small glass of a 100% fruit/veg smoothie or juice; overnight oats - oats soaked in milk and yogurt with grated apple and cinnamon sprinkled on top; or unsweetened peanut butter on brown toast.

When the main event arrives, lunchtime, it is important that we refuel ourselves in the most nutritious way, ready for the afternoon. This means including some protein in our lunch, whether it be meat, fish, eggs, beans or tofu, as this will help keep the hunger at bay throughout the afternoon. Carbohydrates are also a key component to our lunch and if you can make them wholegrain (brown rice, wholewheat pasta, brown bread, quinoa etc) that`s even better as then the energy from these carbohydrates will be released gradually over the course of the afternoon. And last but by no means least there`s the inclusion of the all-important vegetables, whether they are frozen, roasted, tinned, fresh, raw they all do wonders for our bodies.

There are so many options out there for those meals consumed over the course of the working day, it is just a case of finding the options that work for you and that get you excited about mealtimes. Take a look at our Recipes tab to discover a wide array of enticing dishes that could become part of your working day.