Food industry

tfisher679

I currently work in the food shipping business and I dont mean resturants delivery. I was just looking for some easy solutions to avoid eating the things at work when they are practically in my face all day. Just some of the major stuff I see in front of me most of the day would be frozen pizza and ice cream.

jewel22887

Keep healthier snacks and lots of water in front of you I do work in the food industry though not delivery and my bottle of water helps a lot.

RaggedyPond

Personally I couldn't stand any of the food I worked around. Hygienically I don't think you can have drinks or food behind the counter. Is there a Subway you can walk to in the area?

lyndausvi

Sure water and health snacks will help, but I believe it's mostly will power.

tfisher679

I've got the bottled or filtered water pretty much so down. What kind of healthy snacks are we talking about? Unfortunatly were pretty much so in the middle of an industrial park at work and live behind a string of car dealer. Long story short, no subway's within walking distance.

apex157x

unsalted pistachios almonds or other nuts, celery and hummus or peanut butter, fruit, string cheese, baby carrots, all good choices

jennontheroad

make your meals at home. make big quantities on the weekend, like chilies and stews, freeze them in smaller portions. Then bring it to work in tupperware. When you are hungry just eat some of your healthy lunch you've made. Celery does not cut it for me! Although with hummus or bean dip it is good (also easy and cheap to make at home if you have a good blender or food processor).

VioletNightshade

Pre package and bring your lunch and a couple of snacks to work. I work at a casino that has four restaurants and a cafeteria that will make 'anything' you want... Unfortunately, steamed vegetables and rice (my favourite lunch to keep me going strong all day) is rarely on the menu, and when it is, the vegetables are quite often drenched in animal fat (I'm vegetarian). For a long time, I was getting a quesadilla and half an avocado every day, or if they had steamed broccoli, I would have that, but as time passes, it gets annoying getting stared at for your food choices (plus, most of the kitchen staff is Spanish only and my Spanish is abysmal. I'll only sit there and stare at a chicken quesadilla that I can't eat but payed for because of a language barrier, even though I'm pretty sure 'no pollo, por favor - solo queso' does, in fact, mean 'no chicken, please - only cheese' in Spanish so many times, but I digress.)

It's much easier to make meals that have high volume if you like to eat a lot, have good flavor, low calories and you know will taste good and follow your preferred restrictions and bring them to work. More so if you have a microwave available at some point during your day.

I bring a lot of soups, burritos, sandwiches, pasta dishes and such, stuffed sometimes past capacity with veggies that I like, and some fruit for when I get a sweet tooth. Don't limit yourself to fresh veggies, if you think you might get bored with them. I tried taking chopped up fresh veggies as snacks to work, and ended up not eating them and buying something else because when it came time to have my snack, I so, very didn't want them. Bring things you really, really like, even if it's a little out of the ordinary.

If you like steamed veggies on a bed of rice on the go, if you package up a layer of frozen rice (I get mine at Trader Joes) with some frozen veggies on top, put a tablespoon of water in before you close it up and microwave it with the lid just vented for 2-3 minutes when you're ready to eat, it steams everything perfectly and it's ready for sauce (I usually use soy).

When I ate meat, I used to bring home-made salsa, lettuce, grated cheese a little bit of refried beans and shredded chicken and make myself a burrito for lunch. Now I substitute grilled, marinated peppers and onions for the chicken and put more beans in and it's a lovely alternative.

If you like salads (salad can be a lovely snack, btw!), try making salsas at home to use as dressings to avoid caving and drenching what would normally be a great choice in something that in restaurant world is usually as plentiful as it is bad for you - Ranch or something. A lot of home-made salsas also freeze well, so making a big batch of a favourite, putting it in an ice tray, freezing it, and then putting it in a baggie so you can thaw small portions out when you want them is a great time saver.

If you undercook your pasta by a little and let it cool before packaging it up, it tends to microwave better at work the next day.

Low calorie chili is a great one in the winter, and also easy to take with to work. Freezer friendly as well - but remember to thaw it out in the fridge for a day or so before taking it to work.

For snacks, fresh fruit is always a good alternative. Chop it up into bite sized pieces so it's convenient, and Trader Joes (yeah, I shop there a lot) has chocolate that is 40 calories per square for a treat every now and again.

I keep a box of unsweetened almond milk in the fridge at work (naturally a little sweet, and cuts down on the calories of normal milk) and a few servings of different cereals packaged up in portions in my locker, with the calories written on the packaging so I can easily keep track of how much I'm taking in.

The key for me has been variety, and keeping it interesting. If you're looking forward to your snacks and lunch, it's much easier to resist the food around you. Though, sometimes I do give in and have a little bit of what's served at work, I'm careful not to make it a habit. Lately, though, I've found that I prefer my own cooking.

What are things you'd cook for yourself at home that you love the taste of? Most things can easily be converted into snack form or a portable version with a little tinkering.

Best of luck!