Dining “Al Desko”

This includes my top tips for living the fit foodie philosophy “eat well and keep moving” while at work.

Bringing your own lunch to work is usually cheaper and nicer than grabbing something from a sandwich bar or eating out. These tips can be your starting point. Think of all the money you can save and then spend on fancy training gear!

Love your leftovers

Some meals taste just as good (if not better) the following day that it would be a shame not to make extra and pack the leftovers for lunch. Stews and curries are generally a good option.

Pack it up

Pack your lunch the night before. Do it after dinner and the decision is already made for tomorrow’s lunch.

Have a prep day

For me Sunday evenings are great to cook up a batch of recipes in preparation for the week ahead. Why not make yourself a cooking playlist or turn on your favourite podcast? It’s nice to have some background noise to go with the clatter of the pots and pans.

Snack attack

I love to use my prep days to whip up a batch of energy balls, flapjacks or protein bars. They are perfect for keeping lunches interesting and slot nicely into kids’ lunch boxes.

A banana and a handful of nuts or a few squares of dark chocolate are also great ways to spruce up your lunch box one of the rare days it’s looking a bit dull.

Share the load

If you have a housemate or partner, make a deal with them that you will take turns making lunch for both of you. It takes almost the same effort to make one lunch as it does two, so you might as well help each other out.

Alternatively, you could also trade making lunches for doing the washing up.

Mix-N-Match

Keep an open mind when you look in the fridge and don’t be afraid to shake things up. I often have a work lunch that’s a combination of leftovers from different meals such as leftover curry or stew and salad. It sounds weird but it works.

I aim to include some protein, healthy fats and wholegrain carbohydrates in each meal plus lots of veggies for a balanced plate.

Get equipped

To get the most from your dining “Al Desko” experience, I would suggest picking up a few nice pieces of kit for yourself. A funky cooler bag, a small soup flask and a BPA—free plastic container would be a good place to start.

Friday Feeling

Choose one day a week to eat out for lunch. Friday is my day for this. It gives me something to look forward to and is a great opportunity to get out of the office and socialise with work friends for a while.