Anyone with a cafeteria at work?

fysicallyfit
fysicallyfit Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I absolutely hate packing lunch, and when I do I always forget it at home.

If you eat from work, what do you eat and how do you track what you eat to stay in your macros?

Replies

  • 100_PROOF_
    100_PROOF_ Posts: 1,168 Member
    I just get small portions and try to load up on foods that will help meet my macro goals while keeping me full. I might take a salad, one roll , some fresh fruit or veggies and a cheese stick.
    It really depends because they serve different things daily. I just do my best and watch portions.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I usually bring my lunch, but the cafe at my workplace has some good calorie-friendly options (low calorie entree every day, plus stations where you can customize your own chopped salad or sandwich). They offer calorie information online -- if a major vendor runs your cafe, you may have the same option available to you. Mine is run by Bon Appetit.
  • Catherine_and_Hobbes
    Catherine_and_Hobbes Posts: 81 Member
    Our food supplier is Aladdin and they always offer vegetarian and gluten free options. There is a salad bar, grill, and other kiosks. Above each kiosk is a list of the food they are serving and their nutrition breakdowns, so that helps me make a decision before putting anything on my plate. IF yours doesn't, I'd ask who the vendor is who runs your cafe because as someone has mentioned above, they usually have their nutrition online and MFP seems to have quite a few vendors listed in the food database. Good luck!
  • kt9052
    kt9052 Posts: 17 Member
    Ooh the Cafeteria at my workplace is both a blessing and a curse. I usually try to hit up the salad bar first or always make sure to do one with whatever I get. The nutrition info for me is available on the company website so it makes it easy to track. If it's not in MFP already I can quickly add in easily. We too have a make your own sandwich station and also a subway in the building so there are quite a number of opportunities to get something healthy. If anything lunch at the cafeteria is when portion control is crucial and you just have to watch it more carefully.

    Hence why i really try hard to bring my own lol
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    We have a full service cafeteria, and I can always find a variety of excellent, healthy foods that help me meet my goals, from the salad bar, to the sandwich options, to sushi, to a grilled chicken breast on a bed of romaine, to special options they might be featuring. I just had to learn to avoid things like the fries, pasta or potato salad, or the "quatro formaggi" pasta dishes and other things with high calorie density and low nutritional value for my goals. although I will get them from time to time.

    I have also taken to packing my lunch a lot more frequently, and even on days when i am buying I will generally bring several servings of fruit and veggies (and I have my "stash" in the fridge and my desk--greek yogurt, guacamole dip, nuts, dried fruit, etc.)

    Regarding tracking, I just try to aim for more whole-foods type things. I do have a little scale that I carry in my purse, although I am sporadic about weighing--I will eyeball a lot for things that are not calorie dense, and I have spent a lot of time developing my eye and the ability to ballpark with it.

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