Many workplaces have fridges and lunchrooms where perishable foods can be stored. Keep nutritious grazing/snacking foods on hand for a quick lunch or snack. Remember to check the "best before" dates.
Foods for the Lunchroom Fridge:
| Yogurt |
Cheese |
Salad greens |
| Sliced meats |
Hard cooked eggs |
Soup |
| Cartons of milk |
Fresh fruit/vegetables |
Juice |
| Cottage cheese |
Cold cereal |
Crackers |
Foods to have on hand in the lunchroom cupboard:
| Canned fruit |
Canned beans in tomato sauce |
Shelf stable milk |
| Canned fish |
Dried soup/noodle mixtures |
Canned tomato sauce |
| Peanut butter |
Cold cereal |
Crackers |
The Creative World of Portable Lunches
Making portable lunches interesting and appetizing can be a challenge. Begin with foods from all four food groups (grain products, vegetable & fruit, milk products and meat & alternatives) and the possibilities are endless! Check your lunch for nutrition, variety, taste, food safety, and how it looks.
- Start by deciding the main focus of the lunch. Choices include sandwiches, leftovers, or convenience foods such as frozen or canned entrees (e.g., baked beans in tomato sauce, spaghetti, or stew). Round out the lunch with fruit or vegetables and milk or yogurt.
- When making sandwiches, vary the choices of bread (bagel, tortilla, bun, pita), filling (meat, egg, cheese, or peanut butter), additional items (cheese or vegetables) and spread (salsa, mustard, chutney, light mayonnaise).
- Reserve a kitchen drawer or shelf to keep portable lunch supplies and equipment together within easy reach. Include a wide-mouth thermos, insulated lunch bags, a variety of reusable containers, drinking bottles, baggies, plastic utensils, napkins, and straws.
- Check to make sure your shopping list includes what you planned for lunches.
Grazing/Snacking
Eating small meals or snacks throughout the day can bring nutrition into a busy life. Have "grazing foods" available for really hectic days when you don't have time for "sit down meals". Long periods without meals and meal skipping can increase impulse eating.
Handy Snacks for Grazing Days
| Bagels |
Raw vegetables |
| Bran muffins |
Cheese |
| Crackers |
Juice |
| Yogurt |
Cold cereal |
| Pita bread |
Rice cakes |
| Dried fruit |
Raisin bread |
| Fig bars |
Cereal bars |
| Fresh fruit |
Milk |
| Hard cooked eggs |
Deli meats |
Different Eating Situations
With a little thought and planning you can ensure your food choices are healthy ones. Limit some foods and choose others more often...do you know which?
| Situation |
Try to Limit |
Choose Instead |
| Meetings |
Doughnuts, monster muffins, cookies, tea and coffee with cream |
Small muffins, bagels, scones, tea biscuits, fresh fruit, juice, milk |
| Vending Machines / Catering Trucks |
Danish, chocolate bars, french fries, soft drinks, chips |
Juices, pretzels, sandwiches, milk, soup, fruit, cereal boxes, yogurt, whole grain breads |
| Hectic Schedule / Long Hours |
Chips, cookies, coffee with cream. Hot dogs, pizza with double cheese & pepperoni |
Fresh fruit, muffins, vegetable sticks, salads with lower-fat dressing, lean sliced meats, milk, yogurt |
| On the Road |
Chips, fried foods, large burgers, salads loaded with dressing |
Small plain burgers, bagels, cereal bars, crackers and cheese, juice, turkey sandwiches, pizza with ham and vegetables |
|
|
