Nutrition at Work

Our busy schedules can leave us feeling like jugglers, frantically trying to keep all the balls in the air. Here are some suggestions to build a healthy diet into your working day – without adding to your workload!

Breakfast
Lunch
Dining out
Dinner
Snacks

Breakfast:

Tempted to skip breakfast? With a little advance planning, you can make breakfast in less time than it takes to blow dry your hair! Hard boil two eggs the evening before and refrigerate. Just peel and go in the morning!

Set the table with bowls, glasses and cutlery the night before. Then all you have to do is put cereal in the bowls and juice in the glasses and – Voila! instant breakfast!

Take a bottle of fruit juice along in the car for some extra nutrients to start your day

Breakfast cereal makes a great snack to eat at work – and adds an extra serving of grains and fibre to your daily meal routine

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Lunch:

Luncheon meats are high in sodium and fat. Switch to lower fat, lower sodium choices, such as roast turkey or chicken, lean ham or lean sliced beef

For a fast, easy lunch, take along some lightly steamed vegetables topped with salsa; add some garbonzo beans or chick peas to your salad; or make a 3 bean salad for an extra punch of fibre and protein

Add a handful of baby spinach to your sandwich for a flavourful boost of nutrition – better yet, make your sandwiches out of whole-grain breads or multi-grain rolls

To increase your daily calcium quotient, add some milk to your soups or puddings or make a fruit dip with low-fat yogurt

If you’re spending your lunch hour driving around on errands or changing work locations, don’t use that as an excuse to skip lunch – pack a cooler with finger foods, such as fruit, cut up carrots, sliced chicken and whole grain crackers – a great meal on the go!

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Dining Out:

Going out for a fast food lunch or dinner? Keep portions small – no mega-sizing!

At restaurants, order a lean roast beef or grilled chicken sandwich instead of that high-fat pizza or burger and fries

Go easy on the cheese and fixings at a fast-food restaurant – they’re loaded with extra fat, sodium and calories

Not all salads are created equal – some are unexpectedly high in fat – order your salads with dressing on the side and only use a small amount

Take a balanced approach to your restaurant meal choices – if you order mashed potatoes, avoid snacking from the bread basket; if you love dessert, balance the higher fat dish with a lean entrée, like fish or chicken – or, better yet, choose fresh fruit for a light flavourful finish to your meal!

Don’t assume that fish is automatically a low-fat choice – a breaded and fried fish fillet can contain more fat than a regular hamburger!

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Dinner:

Adopt a ‘cook once, eat twice’ philosophy to your meal planning. Plan meals that can be based around key foods prepared in larger amounts. Use some of the food in one recipe the first night, then use the rest in an entirely different recipe over the next night or two. (This is quite different from making large batches and eating leftovers!) Click here for some tasty suggestions to get you started

For a fast, nutritious dinner, stir-fry fresh or frozen vegetables, like squash, peppers, and mushrooms, with lean meat or poultry. Try adding bean sprouts, miniature corn, and water chestnuts and spice it up for the Asian flair!

Too tired to cook? Create a healthful sandwich with lots of sliced tomatoes and bell peppers, different kinds of lettuce, sprouts, and sliced cucumbers – add to sliced meat or turkey and one to two slices of whole grain bread.

Or stuff a pita pocket with veggie chunks, alfalfa sprouts and light ranch dressing for a quick dinner-on-the-run

Don’t forget the nutritious benefits of soup for dinner – a hearty soup, brimming with chunky vegetables and served with multi-grain bread, is a delicious meal – and it can be made ahead for even greater convenience

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Snacks:

We all love the crunchy texture of snack foods – so give yourself a ‘crunch’ break and keep a container of celery sticks, cucumber wedges and cherry tomatoes to satisfy those mid-day cravings

For meetings and workplace gatherings, why not order a fruit plate or pick up a platter of cheese and crackers, instead of the regular donuts, muffins and cookies?

For a quick pick-me-up at break time, keep small packs of applesauce or a healthy mix of dried fruit, raisins, pretzels and nuts at your desk

Try to cut back on coffee or caffeinated drinks – switch to de-caffeinated herbal green tea and get the benefit of a soothing drink with high antioxidant levels

Drink lots of water throughout the day – your craving for snacks may really be a sign of dehydration, not hunger