What is the best way to eat healthy at work?

The best way to eat healthy at work is to prepare meals in your home to take to the workplace. Following is a review of some healthy meal options you can take to work. Salads are a great way to enjoy a wide variety of vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and fish or lean meat for lunch. The combinations that can be created are limited only by your imagination, personal tastes, and dietary needs. As with all food, it is preferable to select organically grown varieties, whenever possible. A lunch of precut crudités from the market (carrots, peppers, celery, etc.), a can of salmon, sardines or tuna, a single serving packet of dressing, and some whole wheat crackers is another option. (Don’t forget to store perishable items in the refrigerator.)

Chicken or turkey breast and fish and shellfish are good options to provide the protein you need for a healthy lunch. Canned tuna, salmon, and sardines are also popular sources of protein. These can be easily added to a sandwich or salad.

Sandwiches can be a healthy luncheon choice if you make them with nutrient-rich, 100% whole grain bread and include fresh vegetables and a healthy protein source such as chicken or turkey breast, baked tofu, or hummus. And hold the mayo (avocadoes can be a great substitute for mayonnaise)! In terms of bread, 100% whole wheat and multi-grain varieties are good choices and they combine well with tuna salad or peanut butter or cashew butter. Pocket sandwiches made with organic whole wheat pita bread and your favorite filling can also be very enjoyable.

Most varieties of fresh fruit, which are easy to transport and are concentrated sources of many vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients can be great portable snacks. If you have concerns about fruit negatively affecting your blood sugar level, select those with a lower glycemic index such as apples, pears, oranges, berries, or plums and stay away from all dried fruit.

Nuts and seeds make great snacks and are also a convenient way to include some extra protein in your diet while you are at work. Sunflower seeds and walnuts also provide rich sources of vitamin E and those hard-to-find omega-3 fatty acids, respectively. Yogurt can also serve as a snack and source of protein if you can tolerate dairy products. If you like yogurt mixed with fruit, it is best to add your own fresh fruit to plain yogurt rather than purchase already prepared yogurt mixed with fruit as these can be high in added sugars. Other dairy products such as milk and cheese are also good sources of protein but, again, these may not be for everyone, as many people are sensitive to dairy products.

While taking food from home may be the optimal way to eat healthy at work, there are many times when you may find yourself with the opportunity to eat out or purchase take-out foods. While you may not have as much control over the quality of the food you purchase for lunch, the type of food you select is up to you.

Getting a salad at a salad bar is a good idea for a convenient lunch. Not only will you get a cornucopia of nutrients from the many vegetables that are featured but salad bars also have ingredients that can add great protein to your meal. For example, many salad bars have garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, or mixed beans, and these foods can also help you meet your protein needs. There are sometimes hard-boiled egg whites as well, and each bite-sized chunk of an egg white contains about a gram of protein. The sunflower seeds at salad bars also provide some protein—about three grams per tablespoon.

If you are eating at a chain or fast food restaurant that offers nutrition pamphlets, a great short-cut step is to look over this information to find protein and fiber amounts. If either of these nutrients has a value of one gram or less, keep looking! Meals with at least 5-10 grams of fiber and 10-15 grams of protein are the ones you’ll want to select in terms of nutrition. When meals contain healthy protein and fiber content, they often contain healthy levels of many vitamins and minerals as well. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for meals prepared the way you want—many restaurants are happy to do so in return for your business.