Best Fuel Foods for Work

Posts: 226
3/25/13 11:22 P

Best fuel foods for work and working out for me are yam, avocado with some sort of protein. I find a high fat /low carb paleo lifestyle gives me the most energy (believe it or not).

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3/25/13 9:20 P

Everyone has some really great tips. I work at home now, but when I used to work in an office, I kept a small jar of peanutbutter in my desk for times when I was too busy to eat or if my blood sugar got too low or days I forgot my lunch. I still use the peanut butter trick if I get too busy and forget to eat.

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3/25/13 2:39 P

I agree with everything that has been said...I have a desk job also. I have a insulated fashionable lunch bag/cooler that I bought at Target. I use it everyday with small ice packs to keep my food and snacks cold. I usually eat breakfast, lunch, and two snacks at work.I have access to a microwave and a fridge, but I choose to keep my lunch in my office.I usually bring oatmeal or Coach Nicole"s mini frittatas that I make on the weekend for breakfast. Greek yogurt for mid-morning snack. Leftovers from the night before for lunch or MorningStar Farms veggie patty with a carb and veggie. I rarely bring sandwiches for lunch. Afternoon snack is usually apple slices,peanut butter, banana, skinnypop popcorn, Lunabar or granola bar. BTW, a great chicken on the go is the Perdue Simply Smart frozen chicken, all natural, no crazy additives. Just heat and eat.

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3/23/13 12:23 P

bananas and raw cashews

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3/23/13 7:12 A

I found the best way is to follow common nutritionists' advice - small snacks through the day, protein+carb. I was running out of steam constantly and eating everything in sight at lunch until I made the following changes:

Breakfast (7:30am): juice (I have a juicer) with 1 tbsp chia seeds, and a hardboiled egg. The chia seeds make a HUGE difference, and I can now make it to my midmorning snack without crashing.

For a morning snack (11am) I do baby carrots and a stick of mozzarella cheese, with green tea. If you don't want to do cheese, just bring a hardboiled egg or a plain greek yogurt or something high in protein.

Lunch (1:30pm): Soup (so easy to pack - you can make it at home and bring in batches or do cans/boxes), whole grain bread, leftovers, frozen veggie burgers, Lean Cuisines (if you don't mind pre-made), etc. I've found it easiest to throw a chicken breast in the oven the night before and just bring that in to eat with some veggies and rice or whole wheat toast. I've found I need less at lunch now that I've started eating regularly through the day.

Afternoon snack (sometime between 4:30-5:30pm) is a banana and a small handful of almonds.

I go to the gym right after work(6pm), and I find I'm nicely energized for the workout.

The best part is my snacks are SO easy to pack - I'm just throwing some almonds and carrots in sandwich baggies and a banana and cheese stick into my purse and I'm good to go.

Edited by: REGINA_PHALANGE at: 3/23/2013 (07:20)

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3/23/13 4:23 A

ALL OF THOSE FOODS that is "GREAT " but don't forget the most important thing of all. And that is "WATER". Without water your body can't function withthese only ingredients. DON'T FORGET !! Never gulp your water, SIP IT. It'll make yoor stomach feel fuller. Room temperature water. Never use a straw for you are adding air to yor stomach. NO-NO. And at a restaurant never ask for ice water for that will increase your appetite. Take it from someone who knows.
GOD BLESS ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY AND IT.

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3/22/13 7:08 P

I work a WEIRD schedule and often eat 2 or even 3 meals at work. I actually find it EASIER to eat right at work because I have planned my work food. Everything gets packed in my bag the night before: a staple of mine is an 8-cup bowl that I fill with veggies. I usually have yogurt and some sort of fruit. Often times I pack a nice salad based on baby spinach. I then pick a protein (diced chicken, shrimp, cottage cheese, feta, or tuna) then spice it up with a little extra topping or 2 (dried fruit, nuts, seeds) I keep everything separate until I'm ready to eat. Leftovers are great because you can freeze individual servings and they keep the rest of your food cold(er). Also: oatmeal is an amazing, filling food: mix it with your yogurt and it's a good for you carb, a protein, calcium, and a yummy warm comfort sort of concoction.

Good luck at work!

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3/22/13 3:20 P

Greek yogurt!

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Posts: 162
3/21/13 11:08 P

Anything protein filled! When you fill up on protein, you stay full for a long time, thus you don't focus on food, you focus on the work you need to get done! :)

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3/21/13 6:51 P

One banana sliced up with some chunky organic peanut butter

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3/21/13 3:19 P

Fruit and yogurt. Also chopped veggies w/ a little salad dressing for dipping.

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3/21/13 2:54 P

I guess if you could make your lunch the night before and take a cooler would be best bet then you could eat what you like.
Good Luck

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3/21/13 2:33 P

I like half of cup of plain greek yogurt with half of cup of blueberries and 1 table spoon of all Teddies all natural peanut butter w/ flax seed. Some times I add 1 or 2 teaspoons of honey to make it sweeter. It's like having a peanut butter and jelly with out the bread. Lots of protein.

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3/21/13 1:28 P

I just bring snacks during the day (healthy lunch provided at my work -- yay), but typically bring fruit and cut up veggies plus hummus or a protein bar. At my last job, I just brought left overs from the night before or salads -- takes a little bit of time to plan, but if you are putting it together after dinner the night before -- it works out great.

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Posts: 61
3/21/13 9:16 A

I do a frozen mesquite chicken breast that I get from Sam's Club. I don't worry too much about keeping it cool, if it defrosts a little, I microwave it for a little less time. I add a vegetable from the Green Giant Just for One line and I am full and have a nice balanced lunch. I usually top it off with an orange for desert. I do have an insulated lunch bag that I use, I don't use the refrigerator at work since people tend to steal food.

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Posts: 13
3/20/13 9:09 P

High fat since it is a superior fuel and protein post workout (actual food if I can, not protein shake) Lean muscle is always my goal. If you fuel with high carb things like yogurt, fruit, etc, you are putting gas in your hybrid and you'll never get to that fuel cell (fat stores) you need to!

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3/20/13 9:00 A

I always pack my breakfast and lunch for work, oatmeal, Turkey sausage & egg on English muffin, Eggo waffles, smart ones omlets and always have fresh fruit, lunch is usally a Lean Cuisine with fruit. I keep almonds, and protein bars in my desk and drink plently of water.

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3/19/13 7:46 P

I either take a baggie of cocoa roasted almonds and 3 prunes for breakfast, or a slim-fast, or a greek yogurt filled with blueberries and ground flax seed. I also make smoothies and take them to work too. For lunch, a Lean Cuisine is good or soup from home.

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3/19/13 5:23 A

Organic Greek yogurt.

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3/18/13 4:51 P

I went to Japanese market and bought a Bento box. It's great because the inside is devided with trays and it helps to control portions. It also fits pretty well in my cooler.
For breakfast I have one of my desk drawers stuffed with oatmeal, almonds, cinnamon, fruit cups and apple sauce cups, and for snack time I bring dried beggies chips, pickles individual cups, mixed nuts and even beef jerky.
I drink plenty of water and when I get bored of plane water I add some MIO drops.

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3/18/13 10:36 A

Congrats on the job! Get yourself an insulated lunch bag, a real thermos (often found in the sporting good section of department stores), a wide mouth mason jar, and you will be able to pack anything at all that you can possibly imagine for your snacks and meal, including all you eat at home. For hot foods in the thermos, be sure to preheat the thermos for 5 minutes with boiling water, and then heat your food hotter than you would normally want it. It will still be a good temperature by lunch time. The mason jar is for salads and I see a few people have already mentioned how to pack them with dressing on the bottom, lettuce on top. If you use a wide mouth jar, you can just shake the salad up to mix it and eat it right from the jar. Good luck!

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3/17/13 7:21 P

Congratulations on your new job! A typical day for me starts at 5:30am with a workout at the gym so I can cross exercise off my "to do" list.

I bring my breakfast and lunch to work as much as possible - always cut up fresh fruit in a plastic container. Right now I am eating Rio Red grapefruit (in a separate container), kiwi, strawberries, blackberries and ataulfo mango finished off with greek yogurt. As a late morning snack, I drink a chocolate milkshake of 14oz skim milk mixed with a chocolate Carnation Breakfast Essentials. For lunch I typically microwave a Lean Cuisine entree or get a salad. In the afternoon I eat a package of belVita Golden Oat biscuits (4 to a pack, 5 packs in a box). And always, always drink water. It keeps you from getting sluggish around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I am guilty of not getting up and walking around to stretch my legs and focus my eyes on something other than the computer so I have started using a colored printer as far from my office as possible and walk the long way around to pick up the document.

My problem is that my boss wants to eat out every single day and I normally get stuck eating with the group once a week. Sometimes I actually take my Camelbak water bottle with me to the restaurant and not eat anything until I get back to the office.

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Posts: 3
3/17/13 8:14 A

I freeze portions of home-made soup so that I can just grab one in the morning and take it to work....no sloshing around on the journey! I am lucky enough to have the use of a microwave at work, so lovely hot soup is the default lunch during the winter months.

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3/17/13 7:13 A

I love maple brown sugar oatmeal. It seems to keep me fuller longer

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3/16/13 9:00 A

I can't get enough of oatmeal with brown sugar and raisins.

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3/15/13 10:46 P

I love this idea. Thank you for sharing

Posts: 18
3/15/13 5:04 P

Homemade soup is something low calorie and filling that I bring to work often. I make it in the morning, sometimes, and it just takes 20 minutes to make. 1 bouillion cube, 2 cups of water, cut up vegetables, some seasoning. I have a meal-sized thermos that holds 1.5 cups of soup.

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3/15/13 8:08 A

great ideas...I need to start using them

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3/13/13 1:14 P

I am always cold so I want a hot lunch and I'm not much of a cook. I usually open a soup and bring it in a corningware mug/dish. I also take frozen pre cooked chicken strips (no breading, I don't like breaded) and microwave it then put it in a SMALL (the big ones are too big, and I know if I bring the big one I'll eat the whole thing) tortilla with salsa, lettuce, bbq sauce, and finely shredded cheese. It tastes so good and it's quick!

I eat oatmeal in the morning and yogurt and a piece of fruit. I always feel like snacking so I need low calorie foods because I eat so much. Carrots and dip or other veggies and dip are good to munch on. I don't particularly like salad because I find the ones I make are disgusting.

And always have water, coffee, and tea around! Sometimes you're just thirsty or want to occupy your mouth.

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3/13/13 12:43 A

bananas. Shredded mini-wheat in a bag (GREAT, AWESOME, TASTY alternative to bad sweets).

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3/11/13 10:27 P

These are great ideas for lunch and snacks to take to work if you work in an office. I used to work in fast food. There was no place to store food from home safely. We were forced to eat that fast food or be hungry. We were not allowed to put food from home in the restaurant's refrigerator (that is understandable of course), nor use there microwave. There was not a refrigerator nor microwave in the breakroom. With a 30 minute break there was no time to go home for lunch. Most foods cannot be left in a car or on a table 4 hours or longer.

Posts: 61
3/11/13 3:08 P

I keep a steak knife in my desk drawer (not in an obvious place, but where I can get to it) so I can bring everything and cut it all up at my desk or in the office kitchen.

Usually I grill something every other night or so and that yields me some leftover meat and veggies. I pack them cold and then another baggie full of spinach and whatever veggies I have on hand. Because of my work knife, I don't have to cut them all up as I pack them, so it's super easy.

At work I dump and cut the veggies, cut up the meat (hot or cold) and bam! It's an amazing salad. I keep salad dressing at work or I bring it in those small plastic disposable containers with lids (like at Baja Fresh) which you can get at cash and carry or Walmart.

My snacks include almonds, 2 oz of smoked turkey sausage and veggies, or another salad. :)

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3/11/13 1:36 P

pretty much anything. I bring a salad with chicken most days but have also brought in left overs, soups, stews etc. For snacks I bring yogurt, fruits and nuts.

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3/11/13 9:53 A

oatmeal with fresh or frozen blueberries!

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Posts: 992
3/9/13 5:38 P

I find the best foods to fuel my body are Oatmeal, the old fashioned type... in the AM as it provides energy because of the B vitamins. I add Chia or flaxseeds as they aslo have an energy time released affect on our bodies.

Maybe 3 slices of Deli beef which is about 150 caloires...use romaine insteas of bread
A baked chicken leg or twomade the night before...without the skin they are around 72 calories each....How about a chickpea and tomato salad.....

Take 2 taco shells...and stuff with refried beans or black beans, lettuce, chopped tomto, salsa and matchstick carrots.....a dollop of reduced fat sour cream...yum!

I dont like Granola and energy bars because they usually have sugar and additives. ...better off eating 20 almonds. You would be surprised to see how fast you'll lose minus the bars, the processed ingredients just zap my energy. Just stay hydrated and you'll see more energy and consider the following foods...eggs and blueberries, strawberries and avocados, herbal tea are energy boosters too.

Snacks
Pop some air popped popcorn and take it along in a baggie with some parm or romano for a topping and protein.
I love Red peppers dipped in salsa too!
An apple a day may just really help keep the doctor away but it can also boost energy....dipped in hummus maybe...
1/2 cup Cottage Cheese and a handful of Matchstick carrots, flaxseeds under 75 calories
Have a hard boiled egg...Eggs Are Loaded with Nutrients & lots of vitamins
Tote 3/4 cup of Multi Grain Cheerios for a crunchy, fiber filled treat.
Graham crackers are convenient and portable...have 3 squares
15 Black Olives stuffed with Hummus or Reduced fat cream cheese. ( It;s the good kind of fat.)

Hope these ideas helped

Posts: 64
3/9/13 12:37 P

I also keep a plate of fresh crunchy veggies, carrots, celery & nuts -- folks come and visit and we munch

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3/9/13 12:01 P

I also am lucky enough to have a communal refridgerator & microwave, so I always try to bring leftovers from the night before. I also have a "backup" stash of Lean Cuisines in there in case the morning is hectic and I forget my lunch. I am trying really hard to avoid eating out while working, and this has really saved my bacon a few times :) I love the ideas I'm reading about--especially about salads!

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Posts: 259
3/8/13 7:45 P

I take at least three or four mini meals with me every day. It can be salads, leftovers from dinner the night before, egg muffins (that I make for breakfast), hummus and veggies, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and fruit, nuts and fruit. The night before I plan all of my mini meals and prepare them if necessary and in the morning I just throw it all into my insulated bag and head out! I can't eat bread or anything that is like bread so I haven't had a sandwich in a long time. Good luck with the job!

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3/8/13 7:40 P

I take Greek yogurt with fruit, string cheese with sliced apples, bran muffin with cream cheese, peanut butter and apple slices or whole wheat tortillas. A protein with a carb keeps me full for a while.

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3/8/13 5:54 P

Small pill bottles containing rations of 9 almonds, another of 9 sm black greek olives takes care of fat content for 2 meals. Add carbs and protein.

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Posts: 64
3/8/13 2:47 P

One of my friends at work puts her salad in a mason jar: at the bottom is the wet incredients, including dressing; then comes the veggies -- wet one's first, then drier ones on top; finally she stuffs in the lettuce and tightens up the jar lid. When it's time for work she just inverts this onto her plate -- everything is cripsy and wonderful. I tried it and it worked like a charm!

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3/7/13 11:27 P

I'm lucky enough to have a communal refrigerator at work, as well as a microwave. Over the weekend I make a pot of soup. I ride public transportation to work, so over the weekend, I drive to the office and bring my groceries for the week with me. In my office I have a fruit bowl that has 10 pieces of fruit in it on Monday morning. My cupboard always has rice cakes, peanut butter, instant oatmeal and bran buds. The refrigerator has my soup, a large container of greek yogurt and frozen blueberries. Often, I'll toss carrots and celery in there, too--just in case I need to do some nervous eating. My manager refers to my office as the grocery store, but it works for me.

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3/7/13 4:21 P

I have to agree-salads are easy to bring to work. The trick is knowing how to pack them. Keep your dressing separate so it doesn't get soggy. That goes for any "wet" veggies, too, like tomatoes. Also, if you find that your lettuce is too damp, pack a paper towel in the container that holds the lettuce. That'll absorb any moisture and keep things fresh.

In addition, I like celery and nut butter for a snack. Or an apple and nut butter if you want some fruit in there.

Veggies and hummus travel pretty well, too.

Get some of the plasticware (Glad, Ziploc) that are really small. Those are great for carrying dips.

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3/7/13 12:26 P

cut cucumbers, grape tomatoes, cut fruit. thermal bags are great if you don't have a refrigerator at work. baby carrots, left overs, whatever you would eat at home.

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3/7/13 11:03 A

String cheese, soup, veggies, almonds

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3/7/13 9:48 A

Yogourt and fruit

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3/6/13 1:56 P

nuts

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3/6/13 11:42 A

cut up veggies

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3/6/13 11:41 A

oatmeal with brown sugar splenda and walnuts

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3/6/13 11:40 A

greek yogurt and fruit

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3/5/13 10:50 P

almonds, apples, string cheese, hard-boiled eggs

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3/5/13 8:07 P

I'm a big fan of porridge (oatmeal), either kept warm in a thermos or warmed up in the microwave if there's one handy. By incorporating different things; flaxseed, other seeds, fruit etc, I can get a protein fix and curb my sugar cravings too! Plus the chunky oats are low GI, which fills you up for longer.

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3/5/13 2:29 P

My breakfast this morning was great fuel-food that I brought to work in a Tupperware. I had leftover black bean and corn salad from last night's dinner, topped with a couple of eggs I had poached in the microwave. Easy and portable.

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3/5/13 1:48 P

I just bought a hot thermos for DH so he can take soups, pastas and hot casseroles for lunch. He usually takes a piece of fruit, some cashews and some chopped veggies and either peanut butter, hummus or reduced fat cream cheese as a dip. This keeps him going and satisfied.

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3/5/13 12:26 P

greek yogurt with fruit & homemade granola is the perfect food to get through any day!

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3/5/13 8:23 A

I take my grilled chicken salad with me to work a few times a week. Big bowl of greens plus chopped chicken, or any kind of lean protein -- turkey, ham, hard-boiled eggs -- and I keep it in an insulated cooler. I have an apple or pear with lunch and I'm good to go all afternoon. It keeps me full without feeling sleepy.

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3/5/13 5:12 A

I have a stash of Kind and Lara bars in my desk drawer for emergencies, but I try not to have those more than once a week. I eat breakfast, lunch and snacks at work--breakfast is almost always baked oatmeal and fruit that I cook on Sunday night and portion out for the week. I tend to eat a lot of the same foods in various combinations over the course of the week, so I usually make a batch of brown rice or bulger or something like that and then add different proteins and veggies to change it up. So rice, black beans, red peppers and tomatoes, or rice, a piece of salmon and a vaguely-Asian inspired sauce of ginger, soy, fish sauce and lime with cucumbers and onions, I don't buy regular bread, because I will eat all of it, but I do sometimes buy wraps and make sandwiches that are mostly salad with some sort of protein thrown in. Snacks are fruit, cut up veggies, and almonds that have been counted out ahead of time into little tupperware containers.

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3/5/13 12:34 A

Protein is really the key to keeping you full while you're trying to accomplish getting things done at work. If you fuel solely on carbohydrates, you will wind up hungry within the hour of eating and then constantly think about what you want to eat next.

Hard Boiled Eggs, Chicken or Turkey Slices (or grilled), tinned salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, clams, oysters, etc., Grass-Fed Beef Jerky (no sugar - Sophia Survival food rocks)... These proteins are life savers when on the go or at work! :)

Roasted Butternut Squash Chips & Kale Chips are also great snacky foods!

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3/4/13 5:20 P

With my job I sit at a desk pretty much the majority of my day at work, almost 8 hours as I have a desk position. What I do is bring a lunch bag that I have packed a snack ( Usually 1/2 cup of cottage cheese or a yogurt along with a banana). For my actually lunch I vary it up a little during the week from something like a small salad, to Tuna Salad ( no mayo added {Love it with fruit} ) with a couple leafs of lettuce, to Weight Watcher Smart meals (When I am feeling lazy). I found doing small portions like this with the added protein gets me through the day and not make me feel tired.. I also drink plenty of water when I can as well.. What I also do while sitting at my work station is some small exercises for the abs and for my legs.. Co workers never notice either and they are good for when sitting down.

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3/4/13 3:49 P

I agree that you can still do your salads. Also I have a large lunch bag (for days when I'm gone all day) and a small one. I pack my snacks, lunch, and sometimes dinner in my bag and am good to go. It also keeps me from eating out as I don't want to waste the food I packed.

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3/4/13 1:24 P

I bring salads to work alot and let them sit for 4 or 5 hours before I eat them. I actually prefer my salad at room temp. I'm not sure I would let it sit much longer than that and anything I might add that needs to be kept cool, like feta and avocado I do keep on ice(in the frig cause I have one) but even in an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack should do the trick. Good luck!

Edited by: JESSBOARD at: 3/4/2013 (13:26)

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3/4/13 12:59 P

If you can bring a sandwich, you can bring a salad!

If you don't have a fridge, just get some of those "ice pack" things, keep a few in the freezer, and throw one or two in your little cooler. Keeps your salad cool and crispy till lunch.

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Posts: 137
3/4/13 12:47 P

I agree with the others that there's no need to have separate kinds of foods at work. My lunch is also usually leftovers from dinner the previous night. It does sound like you're limited to a cooler instead of having access to a fridge, so you may need some creative containers, lunch bag and cooler ideas. I also keep a bowl and cans of soup, and oatmeal packets in my cabinet - sometimes some 100 cal pack popcorn too. These are for emergencies. A small fruit bowl on your desk could be a help too.

Pounds lost: 39.5

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Posts: 2,143
3/4/13 11:27 A

I work a seasonal job, so I'm off in the winter. When I go back to work in the spring, I eat the same things there that I ate while I was off. The only time you'd have to modify it some, I reckon would be if you're used to eating a hot lunch and there wasn't a microwave available where you work.

67 Maintenance Weeks

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SparkPoints: (15,640)
Fitness Minutes: (7,026)
Posts: 661
3/4/13 11:15 A

First congratulations on your new job! I hope you will love it.

I totally agree with YOJULEZ that what you eat at home will do just fine. I assume you will get lunch and snack breaks. A snack that I like for good fuel is my own snack mix of plain nuts dried fruit and chocolate chips. Just count out/weigh each item. I have it saved in Groupings.

The only caution I will give is to be sure and move and get your exercise. A desk job can be a killer.

23 Days until:  Trip to Alaska

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SparkPoints: (11,989)
Fitness Minutes: (120)
Posts: 1,958
3/4/13 11:00 A

Why can't you eat the same things at work as you do at home? Most of my lunches at work are leftovers from the night before....very few sandwiches here! My snacks are a fiber granola bar, which really helps with the sweets cravings I get mid-afternoon, and if I'm still hungry, I eat some carrots and hummus around 4 or 5 (I work 9-6). I'm not a big morning eater, but I also eat my breakfast, which is greek yogurt, an apple cut up, cinnamon, and some cinnamon raisin granola, all mixed up together, right when I get to work. I find this keeps me going all day with a good amount of energy.

current weight: 138.0

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Posts: 142
3/4/13 10:43 A

I am starting a new job that is going to put me at a desk for several hours. I am use to wokring at home and trying to get lots of salads, lean proteins, and those non-bread foods that really do something for my body because it runs better on a grilled chicken salad than a turkey sandwich. I am also trying not to eat much cheese. What are somethings that will fuel your body that you can bring in a little cooler so that I can have an actual meal and then 2 snacks?

Pounds lost: 12.5

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