8 tips to healthy eating at work

A busy day at the office can turn into a day of poor eating if you don't plan ahead. Here are a few tips to help you stick to your healthy eating habits at work, no matter how busy you get!

If your workplace cafeteria doesn't offer healthy options, you'll best meet your nutritional needs by bringing your own lunch. This isn't as much of a pain as it sounds — just make tomorrow's lunch tonight, while you're making supper.

One thing you can do is make an extra serving and set it aside for the next day. If you don't want to eat the same thing two days in a row, do something new with the main supper ingredient. For example, slice some of the roasted chicken you just made and tuck it into a whole-wheat pita with some onion and apple slices. Or toss it in with some whole-wheat pasta and broccoli.

Why resort to vending-machine junk when you can bring your own, more gourmet bites? While in the kitchen throw a few items, such as low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks, hummus, sliced apples, fruit and yogurt, into plastic containers, stow them in your lunch sack and keep the sack in the refrigerator. The whole exercise takes less than five minutes and saves you the hassle of doing it the next morning.

If you don't have a refrigerator at your workplace, that doesn't mean you can't bring a perishable lunch to work. With an insulated lunch bag, you can bring chilled meals and snacks to work that will keep until you eat them.

The calories and fat you eat outside your home count just as much as those you consume under your own roof — so why is it that you watch yourself when you cook your own meals but let things slide at work? Get into the habit of bringing both a homemade lunch and a take-charge attitude to work with you.

If eating the same snacks and lunches day in and day out is getting old, schedule a visit with a registered dietitian. These nutritional professionals have tons of creative ideas about healthy, time-saving snacks and meals you can bring to work. They'll even take into account the foods you like most.

Everyone likes soup, and most people, including your co-workers, have a favourite soup recipe. Once a week, have everyone who signs up for the club bring enough soup for all. Just be sure to set ground rules: no cream, no coconut milk and go easy on the salt.

"Lunchpooling" is like carpooling, but for meal preparation. Band together with a few health-conscious colleagues who are tired of the hassle of bringing their lunch every day. Assign each person a day of the week. On their assigned days, "lunchpool" club members will prepare a healthy meal that will feed all four people in the club. It's less cooking for everyone involved and a fun opportunity to try some new dishes.

It happens all the time — someone comes around with a takeout menu and invites you to order. And of course the menu is full of choices that would blow your entire fat, calories and salt allotment for the rest of the day. No problem — that's precisely why you've done your homework and, in advance, identified two or three dishes that won't sabotage your eating plan. Ask for one of those dishes and you won't even have to look temptation in the face.