Food for Thought: Surviving A Day in the Office

If you’re anything like me, you plan your working day around your mealtimes. And, if you’re exactly like me, there is a direct correlation between hunger and lack of productivity. So, for the sake of my job and my colleagues, I’ve mastered how to tame the hunger beast on an hourly basis, while trying not to get “office fat”.

Brekkie

To sustain a 9ish-hour day, your breakfast needs to consist of more than a double shot macchiato. Don’t be fooled by the appetite suppressant qualities of caffeine! Your brain needs more sustenance to power through all those emails – there’s a reason they call it the most important meal of the day. You can’t underestimate the power of a great breakfast!

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Nothing beats a muesli/yoghurt combo to start the day. The texture of the muesli (even better if it’s toasted) alongside the creaminess of the yoghurt will excite your tastebuds into a frenzy! Add some fruit if you feel like living on the edge.

Snacks, snacks and more snacks

Snacks are quite possibly the most important part of your hunger-busting repertoire. You can never quite tell when you’re going to be ambushed by a serious case of the munchies. The trick is to keep them on this side of healthy and obviously not your favourite-snack-of-all-time, so you’re forced to exercise self-restraint every day. There’s no point buying a month’s supply of rice crackers if you’re going to polish them off in one sitting.

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It’s a good idea to make or buy snack packs to get you through at least a week of work. Some ideas: crudités, nuts, cheese and crackers, fruit, or celery sticks and peanut butter.

The lunchtime rush

There is nothing more depressing than a cling-wrapped sandwich for lunch that was squashed in your morning commute. Lunch should be an exciting reminder that you’re halfway there and will be going home in a matter of hours. A satisfying meal will also help keep the 3:30 Cookie Monster at bay.

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If you’re hard-pressed for time to make inspiring lunches at home, here are some super easy lunch recipes you can whip up in the office with just a microwave and a sandwich press. Bonus – they were invented – and tested – in the Career FAQs office kitchen!

So there you have it – all my tips to keeping sated at work. You can thank me later.