Do One Thing: Revolutionize Your Workday Lunch

So you want to be healthier. You want to eat more healthfully, exercise more and schedule that long-neglected physical exam with your doctor. But getting healthy seems like such a huge undertaking and you just don't know where to begin.

We spend so much time working. The traditional work week is 40 hours long and most of us spend 5 out of every 7 days at work. Why not start there? Workday lunches are often squeezed into whatever bit of free time we find in our day and may be made up of scavenged leftovers from catered meetings. Or maybe your weakness is large portions of fatty take-out meals? Perhaps it is that mid-afternoon slump that results in a run for that 20 ounce coffee drink that is more of a dessert with all its flavorings and whipped cream topping.

Choosing smarter meals and snacks at work may be the one small easy change you can make toward becoming a healthier you. You can do this a few different ways:


Pack Your Lunch
You don't have to do it every day, but bringing lunch from home more often is a great way to control portion sizes, calories and ingredients. To get you started with ideas, check out
Health Magazine's Healthy Lunches to Bring to Work. You can also read my June 2010 blog post, Do One Thing: Brown-bag it.

Order Wisely
When you do decide to pick up take-out or order in, know what the healthiest options are. In my post, Tips for take-out lunches, I share the healthiest options for sandwiches, soups, pizza, Chinese, sushi and buffet bars.

Snack Smart
If revamping your lunches still seems like a lot, why don't you start by snacking better? In  
8 Healthy office snacks from CookingLight.com and Do One Thing: Step up Snacktime at the Office, I offer ideas for smarter, more nutritious snacks to get you through late morning cravings and mid-afternoon drops in energy.

When in Doubt...
Go for smaller portions (half sandwich, 1 slice of pizza with side salad), whole grains and lean protein (fish, chicken, turkey), give beans & nuts a try (hummus, walnuts) and load up on fruits & veggies!


Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net / Ambro

So you want to be healthier. You want to eat more healthfully, exercise more and schedule that long-neglected physical exam with your doctor. But getting healthy seems like such a huge undertaking and you just don't know where to begin.

We spend so much time working. The traditional work week is 40 hours long and most of us spend 5 out of every 7 days at work. Why not start there? Workday lunches are often squeezed into whatever bit of free time we find in our day and may be made up of scavenged leftovers from catered meetings. Or maybe your weakness is large portions of fatty take-out meals? Perhaps it is that mid-afternoon slump that results in a run for that 20 ounce coffee drink that is more of a dessert with all its flavorings and whipped cream topping.

Choosing smarter meals and snacks at work may be the one small easy change you can make toward becoming a healthier you. You can do this a few different ways:


Pack Your Lunch
You don't have to do it every day, but bringing lunch from home more often is a great way to control portion sizes, calories and ingredients. To get you started with ideas, check out
Health Magazine's Healthy Lunches to Bring to Work. You can also read my June 2010 blog post, Do One Thing: Brown-bag it.

Order Wisely
When you do decide to pick up take-out or order in, know what the healthiest options are. In my post, Tips for take-out lunches, I share the healthiest options for sandwiches, soups, pizza, Chinese, sushi and buffet bars.

Snack Smart
If revamping your lunches still seems like a lot, why don't you start by snacking better? In  
8 Healthy office snacks from CookingLight.com and Do One Thing: Step up Snacktime at the Office, I offer ideas for smarter, more nutritious snacks to get you through late morning cravings and mid-afternoon drops in energy.

When in Doubt...
Go for smaller portions (half sandwich, 1 slice of pizza with side salad), whole grains and lean protein (fish, chicken, turkey), give beans & nuts a try (hummus, walnuts) and load up on fruits & veggies!


Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net / Ambro