Eat healthy in your office
Every once in a while, I plan a long walk with a friend of mine to catch up. Both of us have spent many years working on contract in different offices in the San Francisco area, and on our latest walk the discussion focused on eating healthy in the office. A lot of people who work a 4 to 6 hour day don't take time for lunch. Some of us decide to take contract work so that we have flexibility and an hour lunch break usually doesn't work out.
Over the last 10 years, many offices started offering snacks for their employees and contractors. However, sometimes the options are not very healthy, full of the flavors that tempt us - salt and sugar - but aren't good for us.
My friend and I started talking about some good ideas for snacks. It helps that between us, we have 7 children, and have done a lot of feeding over the years. We're watching our kids enter the job market now, and noticing the emphasis on local, organic, healthy food. We decided that you can get a lot of healthy snacking in with just some simple ingredients. Whether they're provided by the office or you bring in your own stash, munching on these snacks will keep you alert, help you resist temptation, and probably even change your lunchtime habits.
In a recent blog post in the Harvard Business Review, Tony Schwartz writes about the personal energy crisis we're facing every day in the workplace:
The companies that build competitive advantage in the years ahead aren't going to do it by seeking to get more out of their people. They'll do it instead better meeting people's core needs — physical, emotional, mental and spiritual — so they're freed, fueled and inspired to bring more of themselves to work every day.
The pictures below provide a sampling of some of the ingredients that make for healthy office snacks.
Foods that combine to make healthy snacking habits
Easy office snack ideas
Most offices provide a microwave and hot/cold water dispensor for their employees. Lots have refrigerators. Although you don't need a refrigerator, it's nice because you can bring in items that will stay fresh for a few days.
Start with oatmeal or another grain cereal. Trader Joe's has plenty of options. Or you can make your own multi grain cereal by mixing oatmeal with flax, barley, rye or other ingredients. I have a nutritionist friend who buys oatmeal in a container, mixes it with cinnamon, nutmeg, dried fruit and a small amount of brown sugar and keeps the container in her office. She scoops out a small amount each day (1/2 to 3/4 cup), adds water and puts it in the microwave for a few minutes. If you're running to get to the office in the morning and don't eat breakfast, this is a great way to start your day. I don't like eating early in the morning, so when I'm ready for this type of snack, it might be closer to lunchtime. I'll also add fennel seeds and some high fiber granola to my bowl. In a six hour day, that might be enough for me. If not, I'll snack on some dried fruit mixed with raw unroasted almonds later in the afternoon.
Make your own dried fruit/nut/seed mix to add to the oatmeal. Several years ago, after a long flight from San Francisco to New York, we were greeted at the apartment of my husband's aunt with a mixture of dried apricots, dried cherries, walnuts, and almonds. I thought it was a delightful departure from a typical pre-dinner snack. Since then, I've always kept a bowl of this around in my own home. I'll sometimes add dried herbs or seeds to the mixture, but it keeps you from reaching for sugary items. Every once in a while, I'll add a few dark chocolate covered raisins to the mix. When I purchase my dried fruits, I make sure that they have no sugar added. As you can imagine, dried cranberries have a lot of sugar. You can eat the mixture by itself, or add it to your hot oatmeal/grain cereal after it's been heated in the microwave.
Want to impress your workmates and have them ask you where you got such a delicious soup? This recipe takes a microwave, organic chicken broth, a handful of spinach or arugula leaves, and some shredded hard cheese like a parmesan or romano. If you've got a fridge in the office, it's easy to store these items. Make sure that you buy a boxed organic broth - it eliminates that canned taste. Again, Trader Joe's has many options, or you can almost always find Swanson's (make sure you get the low salt and no msg option) in any market. If you want some advice about the best chicken broths, check out this Chowhound discussion. Add some broth to a bowl and heat it up in the microwave. When it's hot, take it out and add the spinach or arugula - it should wilt instantly. Top with a small amount of the shredded parmesan and you've got an incredibly satisfying and healthy snack. If you want to make it a lunch, add more shredded cheese to two healthy grain crackers. Pop them in the microwave and melt the cheese. The soup and cheesy crackers will be satisfying and healthy.
There are lots of variations to snacking with these simple ingredients. You've probably got many of your own ideas. As we were finishing up our walk/talk, my friend and I both commented that we worry so much these days about the food we eat, we neglect to include that huge portion of the day when we're working. We'll eat candy from candy bowls when we wouldn't otherwise, or settle for a processed ultra sweetened "healthy" granola bar. If you're like many people and work 10 to 12 hours a day, you can decide to bring your healthy eating habits into the office. There's no doubt that a well nourished, rested employee is more productive.
