Office Worker? Choose a Healthy Lunch

If you work in an office for 8-9 hours each day, there may be times when you feel unhealthy and even a little sluggish. This often strikes the hardest in afternoons when lunch is over and you are looking forward to clocking off for the day!

There are ways in which you can help your body and mind stay alert throughout the entire day however, and this starts with a healthy breakfast and lunch. In this article we are going to look at some ideas to help you make the most out of your lunch; pointing out the benefits of a good diet and throwing in a few simple suggestions for the busy office worker.

Take lunch at lunchtime

First of all you should aim to take your lunch around 1pm as this is approximately half way through the day. There is little use in eating before midday and taking a late lunch around 3pm can lead to fatigue which can trigger a headache.

Your body likes routine, so make sure that you eat lunch around midday at the same time every day.

Healthy lunch ideas

Remember that for lunch you need something light, not heavy, but it also has to be substantial. Many people, especially those on diets, choose to have something unsubstantial like a cuppa soup or a small salad. This is obviously good for losing weight but will likely leave you feeling tired and lacking energy throughout the afternoon.

You can be healthy and eat food which won’t leave you hungry!

Fish is always a good option; something like a salmon salad will satisfy your hunger and taste buds whilst also providing a very healthy vitamin-packed lunch. Another option would be a low-fat pasta dish which will contain carbohydrates that provide energy.

Ideally, you should look to vary your lunch on a daily basis so that you never eat the same dish twice in a week. This keeps this interesting as well as healthy!

If you must snack…

Snacking is something that we are all guilty of from time to time, and when work gets stressful it’s very easy to comfort eat chocolate from the vending machine near your desk – but you must resist!

Probably the best option is to take with you a few pieces of fruit for the afternoon cravings – these contain natural sugars and are packed with vitamins which will give you a boost. Blueberries, bananas or even a plain old apple would be fine for this.