Eating at work: how to stay in rhythm
Meetings, short breaks or changing shifts: how to eat regularly and well on the job.
Why your workday shapes how you eat
Meetings, customers, building sites or changing shifts: at work you often eat whenever there happens to be time. If you eat too little during the day, you end up in front of the fridge in the evening, very hungry.
Ground rules for every workday
- Plan around your day, not the clock: a proper meal before or at the start of work, a smaller one during your break.
- Prepare: a lunch box from home almost always beats the vending machine or the bakery.
- Don't forget to drink: keep a bottle where you can see it.
- Actually take your breaks: eating in front of a screen leaves you less satisfied.
At the office
Keep a sensible snack within reach, such as nuts, fruit or yoghurt. The afternoon slump often comes from too small a lunch, not from too little sugar.
In physical jobs
On a building site, in retail or in care you need more energy. Plan a filling snack with protein, for example wholegrain bread with cheese or cottage cheese with fruit.
On shift work
At night, light meals with protein and vegetables sit easier in the stomach. After a night shift, a small breakfast before sleeping stops you waking up hungry.
My tip
Write down a simple fixed plan for your typical workdays. That way you don't have to think it through every morning.
