eating well while at work

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taso42_DELETED
taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
in Food and Nutrition
A couple of things I've done lately in the work microwave

Sweet potato - microwaves do a pretty decent job at nuking potatoes. I had one as a side with a leftover chicken breast a couple weeks back. I will probably start doing this more often since sweet potatoes are one of my fave's and super nutritious.

Veggies - I've taken to stocking a bag of frozen veggies here. Just put in a container with a little water and nuke. Then I drain and salt & pepper. At home I would also add some garlic powder and a little olive oil. I suppose I could do that here as well, but I'm not sure how elaborate I want my "cubicle cupboard" to get. But this lets me get in some additional veggies since I'm never eating enough of them.

Aside from that, I typically bring in some lean & mean turkey chili (which I make a big batch of at home which I portion out and freeze), or leftovers from the night before, or make a simple turkey sandwich.

Would love to hear what some of you do if you're stuck in an office environment and don't want to go out for crappy food....

Replies

  • ktbug1186
    ktbug1186 Posts: 266
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    i bought some sunchips to snack on, and low fat white cheddar popcorn. 100 cal packs are some of my favorite things to eat. Lunch wise, im lucky enough to work close to home so i run home and make a turkey sandwich, but on days im in a hurry i will get a grilled chicken sandwich and side of apples/caramel sauce from sonic since its super close to my workplace!
  • jessicle322
    jessicle322 Posts: 11
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    Well I definitely bring all my food. I find it really easy to bring a sandwich on a whole wheat pita--flat and pretty small and if it gets squished in my bag it is still fine. Nuts and fruits do well here too as do string cheese and jello pudding cups. Leftovers are a good idea too because they probably are all packed up from the night before already--an easy grab and go!

    I also tend to drink lots of water and green tea through out the day to keep me from snacking while at my computer.
  • milokiley
    milokiley Posts: 1 Member
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    breakfast at work i make scrambled eggs in the microwave (super easy!) with some ham

    lunch at work is generally salad with tomato, mushroom, beetroot, mange tout, and either smoked salmon, mackerel or prawns (maybe ham or chicken)

    The hardest thing at work is that pretty much everyday someone brings in some kind of treat!! nightmare! I literally just have to ignore them but once a week i let myself get tempted otherwise i'd go insane!
  • MeliciousMelis
    MeliciousMelis Posts: 458 Member
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    Thinks I keep on hand at work:
    Special K
    Soy milk
    Jello
    Smart Pop popcorn
    oatmeal
    tuna packs
    wasa crackers
    cous cous (SO easy to make and a really decent protein kick)
    protein shakes
    yogurt
  • BrentGetsFit
    BrentGetsFit Posts: 878 Member
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    I'm a pretty simple guy. I usually have a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and some onion if I have one. I also bring a piece of fruit and either some raw almonds or some homemade trail mix.
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
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    We have a George Foreman grill, a Hot plate, microwave, and toaster. I will sometimes grill some chicken or steak on the foreman grill, nuke a potato, and veggies, and eat that. I also bring salad mix in a ziplock baggie, can of tuna, Mandarine oranges, and sunflower seeds, and make a salad. Make protein waffles at home, then heat them in the toaster, and most of the time, just bring leftovers from previous meals.
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
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    oh yeah, i totally forgot to mention oatmeal, cottage cheese, peanut butter, protein shakes, which i always have stocked.

    keep 'em comin
  • SaraEWrig
    SaraEWrig Posts: 88 Member
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    I do egg whites and salsa in the microwave at work for the morning.

    Also, edamame goes in the microwave, add a little sea salt - wonderful.

    Sometimes I toast half an english muffin and put my egg whites on that.
  • anovasjo
    anovasjo Posts: 382 Member
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    I had a kettle at my desk which was initially for making myself tea, but I started to use it to make some low-sodium cup-a-soup things (or whatever). Also I kept a jar of miso paste in the fridge and would just spoon a bit of miso into a mug and pour hot water to make some miso soup.
    Combined with chopped veggies (from home) and some rice cakes or triscuits plus an apple or two, and I was all set.
  • misterpiano
    misterpiano Posts: 14
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    I don't eat anything at work that I do not bring in from home....it could be a disaster because there is always someone bringing in donuts or pastries, plus there is always birthday cake whenever there is someone celebrating a birthday.

    I pack my lunch sack every morning....usually a salad for lunch, cereal w/2% milk for morning break, plus 2 snacks which are bananas or apples, or a lowfat granola bar or something like it.

    I like this system because I can enter all of the items at once when I log in at work and I know what will be left over for dinner and I can plan around that.

    I was also a coffee hound..3 or 4 cups a day... but I have cut back to just one cup, with Splenda and lowfat half'n'half. At lunch I have green tea, no sugar, no cream. I drink about 6 glasses of water at work and enter those as I go throughout the day.

    I have the iPhone app, beside the website on my work and home computers..I can keep track wherever I am!
  • ms_april
    ms_april Posts: 21 Member
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    Blue Diamond make almonds in a ton of flavors so I usually keep a a couple bags. Dark Chocolate for when i want sweet and wasabi & soy or smokehouse for when I want salty. Soup is also a great option when you just have a microwave. I really like the Select Harvest ones. Oatmeal is another great option, very filling and easy to add fruit, chocolate chips, peanutbutter, etc to change up the flavors.

    It is easy for me to avoid the doughnuts, cakes and other treats that get brought in. I just look at the physiques of those who choose to eat them and its easy to feel motivated not to put that in my mouth. Sounds mean (and maybe it is) but it works.
  • Sweet13_Princess
    Sweet13_Princess Posts: 1,207 Member
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    I work at a high school, but I also have a fridge and microwave in my room. Usually, I stash some organic poptarts or granola bars in my desk and nosh on them for breakfast before my classes start.

    I used to pack my lunch... a variety of soups and frozen dinners, but the sodium was a real killer. Now I go down and eat the school lunches, but I mix and match things so that it's healthy. Example: yesterday was perogies with tatertots, a side salad, and fruit. I ended up getting the perogies, side salad, and peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. Sometimes I drink the milk, sometimes I have coffee if the calorie count is too high. The lunch ladies are pretty good about the mixing and matching thing, though. Lunch costs $3.00 and is less of a hassle than packing.

    Shannon

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