I was talking to a friend last week who was struggling to eat well at work. She always eats breakfast and makes something easy and healthy for dinner when she gets home. However, her office is in an industrial estate and there are few good food options close by. Despite starting and ending the day well, her healthy eating resolve tends to falter at work. We talked about the possibility of making lunch each morning, but being realistic I doubt this will happen. My friend is a "night owl" and struggles to get out of bed, preferring to leave the minimum amount of time possible for getting ready in the morning.

 

Instead I suggested she set up a "pantry" at work, a stockpile of healthy food she enjoys that can be stored in her desk drawer and the office fridge and freezer. By choosing carefully and picking a mixture of fresh and longer life foods, she would be able to make a healthy lunch and snacks every day, while at work. In this way she could balance the competing demands of getting the most sleep, healthy eating, convenience, while also saving money.

 

I find this a really good strategy for many people.  It works for those who struggle to find healthier lunch time options close to their work, but are not able to find the time or energy to make lunch each morning. It helps to have a supermarket close by, but you can also bring food from home once a week, to top up your pantry.

 

Good work pantry foods include wholegrain crackers, fresh fruit, tins of tuna, tins of legumes, packets of cherry tomatoes, yoghurts, tubs of hummous, packets of salad mix, bags of carrots you've chopped up at home, fruit bread, peanut butter, wholegrain bread. It also helps to have a stock of plastic containers and ziplock bags so you can keep everything fresh.