<p>Especially if you work in an office? Do you bring your own lunch (because it’s tastier, healthier, cheaper, or all three)? Do you go out with work colleagues once a week? Do you go to the same deli or fast food place every day?</p>
<p>I like the idea of having small frequent meals, but somehow, if I’m eating every 3 hours, it doesn’t seem that professional to have my desk constantly covered in paper napkins and food…</p>
<p>I tried bringing my lunch, but somehow my sandwiches don’t taste that good after sitting (even in the mini-fridge) for 4-5 hours. My latest fave is a turkey club sandwich from a local gourmet deli – whole grain bread, turkey, avocado, tomato, and LOTS of bacon (which is the only reason to wake up in the morning). But it’s probably not that healthy.</p>
<p>Interested in hearing what other people do.</p>
<p>I don’t work in an office, but one of my good friends likes to stack salads in a mason jar, then put dressing in a separate small tupperware. When she’s ready to eat she pours on the dressing then shakes the whole thing. You don’t have to worry about it getting soggy since you don’t add the dressing until you’re ready to eat.</p>
<p>You could also keep the parts of the sandwich separate, then make it when you’re ready to eat. It would probably taste better that way.</p>
<p>I’m on Weight Watchers, so I would much prefer to bring my own food or at least go to a chain so I know the nutritional info for what I’m having.</p>
<p>At my last job I was better about bringing something at least once a week. The other days some of us would run out and pick up food (walkable). We could get sushi, sandwiches, burritos, Greek, good salads, meat and three etc. I tried to keep the quantities down to a reasonable level. I could eat for $5-8 usually, with an occasional splurge of more.</p>
<p>This job is not downtown and I have to take the car to get anything. I usually like to get out of the building, even if it is to go get something and bring it back to my desk. I spend more here. My WhichWhich combo is $9. We also can order each morning from Major Menu, which has a different restaurant deliver to the building each day. No delivery charge or tips. It’s a pretty good deal.</p>
<p>I eat at the office most every day and often at my desk. Sometimes I will take it outside to a little garden area very closeby. It’s cheaper, healthier and FASTER. I usually take about a 1/2 hour and during that time I eat, surf the net or read. Honestly, most times I bring my breakfast as well - especially in the summer when I go in earlier. I make a cup of coffee to take too!<br>
Breakfast at work is often yogurt, fruit and granola that I put together at home.<br>
Lunch is stuff like leftovers or a salad (dressing seperate in a little ziplock), or even just a few random things like a piece of fruit, some cheese and veggies/dip. Hummus and veggies/pita makes a frequent appearance in my lunch as well. </p>
<p>The office area I am in is smallish and there is not a lot of “traffic” so, no biggie if I have my food stuff around. :)</p>
<p>I work in a lab on a military bare so I can only eat when I leave for lunch. I usually bring a granola bar, a banana, then go buy something small from the cafeteria on base. This way, I eat healthy and only spend like 3 bucks a day (I’m 16 so I like to save what I make).</p>
<p>I bring a frozen Lean Cuisine to work each day, store it in an office frig, and zap and eat at my desk at lunch. You’re right that it may not look that professional, but it only takes a few minutes to eat. The bad part is that I often then basically work thru lunch and don’t take a break. But occasionally (like today!), I went out to CPK for lunch with some friends. Eating out every day takes too long and gets too expensive.</p>
<p>Most often I poach some chicken on Sunday, then make chicken on wheat sandwiches. I take some fruit (cherries, raspberries, whatever looks good and isn’t too drippy) or a salad to go with it; I buy the pre-packaged salads, and make up about 1/3 each day, dressing in a separate container. Sometimes I take an avocado for my sandwich and cut it up, but that requires eating in the cafeteria (faster to eat at my desk, but I go to the caf sometimes). Sometimes I will make a tuna sandwich instead. And I usually put in some cookies. I make sure to put in whatever the package says is one serving – soooo hard with the Thin Mints, but the package does last longer that way. :)</p>
<p>I also often cook extra of whatever we are having for dinner (often is it just two of us, me and D2 anyway), then take the leftovers and heat in the cafeteria microwave.</p>
<p>When I worked in an office there was always a room - usually with a microwave or stove where you could heat up lunch. I brought most of my lunches - either leftovers or sandwiches. Often, especially when I was in Germany groups would go out for lunch, there were some great choices the “Steh-Italianer” (Standup Italian restaurant, though in fact we sat on wine crates), or the soup place, or the Hungarian place with goulash and apple strudel, I’m feeling nostalgic already!</p>
<p>Now that I work at home it’s mostly leftovers. Sometimes a big salad with bits of meat. I try to have 3-4 oz of protein and 6 oz of vegetables. (I don’t weigh them any more, but I used to.)</p>
<p>Working in a hospital, where time is short, but a microwave and fridge are provided, I often bring leftovers to heat up. But the standard is salad in a Tupperware container. I like the real stuff, with a reliable seal. </p>
<p>Today it was a few roasted beets, some potato salad, smoked fish, tomato and sufficient greens to fill the container. The dressing is in a bottle at work. I always have something for the salad, though the protein is usually more prosaic, canned garbanzos and some low fat swiss. I do keep a WW entree in the work freezer for times when I don’t get the salad made. </p>
<p>There are also times that the cafeteria has large salads with protein for less than $4. Caesar and salmon, or something Asian inspired with a chicken breast. Luckily hospital food is not what it used to be.</p>
<p>I haven’t eaten lunch in our cafeteria in a few years. Our cafeteria has high prices and poor selection and poor hours. There isn’t anything really within walking distance right now and many do drive out to eat lunch. There is a new retail mall being built next door to us and they might provide some local food alternatives.</p>
<p>I always bring my own food. It’s usually carried in GlassLock containers or Glad plastic 1/2 cup and 1 cup containers. My staples are eggs, oatmeal, almonds, pistachios, wheat bites, fiber cereal, Tofurkey, broccoli, peanut butter sandwich, banana, peeled and cut up apples, orange slices. Sometimes my wife makes me something - tofu, chicken, beef, tempeh with vegetables. Sometimes I will bring a pouch of New England Country Soups - I have a huge coffee mug from Trader Joes that is good for microwaving soups.</p>
<p>It’s a lot easier to track and control calories with this approach but it does require a little planning.</p>
<p>I usually bring my lunch - sometimes will have lean frozen dinners, salads, sandwiches on those thin flat round things, in the winter soups, in the summer lots of fruit.</p>
<p>I try to keep a Snackwell protein bar on hand if I was too busy to pack a lunch. </p>
<p>It is too expensive to eat out frequently. I am also trying to eat lower calorie and nutritionally healthy options.</p>
<p>I work on a college campus so if all else fails I can go to the cafeteria or the snack machine. There are also several places nearby off campus. Unfortunately we also have a Dairy Queen close by, which is a weakness of mine.</p>
<p>I packed a lunch every day for both my kids for their entire K-12 experience. Also frequently for their weekend and summer activities, too.</p>
<p>a) sautee about a cup of diced onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper in a TBS of olive oil.</p>
<p>b) Add some Emeril Essence seasoning</p>
<p>c) Pour in a can of Progresso Hearty Chicken and Rotini soup (or similar flavor). If I have some left over chicken I’ll dice a little of that in the soup, too.</p>
<p>It’s a huge, filling lunch with the only downside being a bit too much salt from the canned soup.</p>
<p>It would transfer to the office easy enough in a tupperware for heating in the microwave. I just do the whole thing in a little 1 quart saucepan – and usually eat it out of the saucepan for a no muss/no fuss/one dish lunch. </p>
<p>I alternate that with my massive blue cheese salads, which would also travel well with a separate little container for the dressing. (2 TBS olive oil, 2 TBS cheapo white balsamic vinegar, 1 OZ blue cheese, a TSP dijon mustard, 1/4 TSP minced garlic, salt/pepper)</p>
<p>H cooks dinner in excess, freezes left overs in lunch size containers. brings them in a lunch box, uses a microwave and eats in his office. </p>
<p>I am going to be an outlier- I eat planters healthy mix individual bags or a granola bar for lunch. i make a coffee in the morning and bring it with me to work. I have never routinely eaten much more - if i do i get too sleepy.</p>
<p>There are 3 of us in an office, 2 men and me. We all bring our lunches. We’ve worked together 6 years. I bring a salad from home, with dressing on the side, add it at lunchtime and shake my Tupperware to mix. The guys either make salads in the office or make sandwiches. Friday they always go out for lunch. I tag along for the walk and we eat outside. I still bring my lunch. I can’t afford to buy lunch, even once a week. </p>
<p>As for eating throughout the day…I do that too…My first is ~ 10am (I go in at 9; breakfast is at 7:30) I eat a dozen raw almonds; lunch is ~ 12:30; my next eat is at ~ 4, and it is often an apple; dinner is at 7.</p>
<p>I require my employees to not eat lunch at their desk. I think everyone needs a break. At first there was some resistance, now I notice they go in groups, chat and laugh and get along more. Plus, they just need away from the computer!</p>
<p>Personally I tend to eat homemade soup we make, different kinds of salads or leftovers from the night before. I’m focusing on trying to really curb my eating out. I prefer to keep lunch calories down and that is really hard to do eating out.</p>
<p>I dislike cold food, will barely tolerate sandwiches, and feel eating salad is like drinking water, which makes me hungary after an hour. I love being back in a city, I could walk out and any kind of food I want. I usually get pasta, Chinese food, or hot food buffet (pay by weight). I like to eat at my desk to catch up on reading and do some personal stuff (bill pay, shopping, email). I would say my lunch is generally around $10. </p>
<p>This new company I am working at stocks breakfast cereals/granola bars, drinks, fresh fruit, tea/coffee. I got a bit hungary yesterday afternoon, had a banana and an organge. I was pleasantly surprised that they had Mighty Tea.</p>
<p>I bring food from home, store it in the office refrigerator, and eat it alone at my desk – and I hate every minute of it. But we only get a half hour for lunch, so there isn’t time for any other alternative. </p>
<p>At my last job, we got an hour for lunch, which was nice in terms of actually getting out of the office, having a choice of places to eat, and sometimes using the time to do errands. But I still had to eat alone. Management very strongly discouraged employees from having lunch together. They didn’t want us to talk to each other. </p>
<p>Do I sound bitter? I am. I would love to be able to eat lunch with my colleagues, at least occasionally, and perhaps have the chance to get to know some of them better on an informal level. But I guess that’s not going to happen.</p>
<p>My husband and my daughter work in offices where they get to eat lunch with other people every day. I wonder if they know how lucky they are.</p>
<p>It is interesting that your management doesn’t want employees to socialize. I often find employees are happier and more productive when they work together. It is a strange management style.</p>
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