12 Foods to Take into Work for a Healthy Mind and Body

 Most people take a brief case to work, but I’m more likely to accompany it with a soft esky filled with goodies. Here are some examples of things I take on a regular basis to work. Taking everything would be overkill for the day, but picking and choosing different ones during your week makes sure you are getting a variety of healthy nutrient rich, satisfying delicious foods.

When you eat healthy foods you not only improve your physical health, but you will also help your mind and body deal with stress. When the brain gets the right nutrients, it performs better and stays alert during the day. When the brain is working better you’ll find that your thinking will be clearer and you will get tasks done faster. The morning and afternoon slump will be a thing of the past. The mind and body when nourished have energy, stays alert and gives you the very best that you need in order to climb your way to the top in your business.

The key is to be organized and prepared.

 

 1. Morning prepared green smoothie: I make up a double batch of green smoothie in  the morning and what I don’t drink I can take to work with me in a thermos and have it  for morning tea. The reason I don’t do the powdered instant protein smoothies is  because many of them are laced with dubious ingredients that are not necessarily good  for health. So I put a little extra effort in.

 2. Boiled eggs and sea salt: These are great snacks filled with protein and excellent for  brain function and 98% of the protein is absorbed by the body. Make sure you have  boiled eggs in the fridge so you can grab and go.

 3. When berries are in season I always have them prepared in my fridge. Preparation  means washed and placed in non leak containers so that they can be placed into my  esky for a quick grab and go snack. I usually mix blueberries, raspberries, mulberries  and strawberries. I don’t cut them, just take the stem off the strawberry and keep them  whole.

4. Nut, seed and dried fruit mixes: Once I get home from the market I always make up a
nut, seed and dried fruit mix and put it in a glass jar in the pantry. Then in the morning, I’ll fill a snack size zip lock and place it in my pantry.

5. Fluids are very important to keep up at work. Water can be boring at times and too much coffee is not great. Each night I make up a large pot of herbal tea, take one cup from it, and then I allow it to cool and fill my glass bottle with the tea and place it in the fridge. In the morning it’s ready to go in the esky or brief case so that I can enjoy a refreshing, cold herbal tea as opposed to being swayed into drinking any sugary soft drinks. My favourite at the moment is T2 Liquorice Legs. A note of caution if you go to a tea shop; make sure you only buy the teas made from herbs and real foods avoid any with flavours.

 6. Papaya with fresh lime juice is a great all time favourite snack at work during the summer. I’ll peel, seed and cut my papaya (and I only love the red ones) into pieces, squeeze lime juice over the fruit and then place in a leak proof container.

7. If you have a sweet tooth then fresh dates can take the edge off your sweet taste buds. Take approximately 4 dates in your esky to work so that when you have the hankering for something sweet, you can enjoy the nutrition and natural sweetness of a date. Sometimes I will fill my dates with something extra, think freshly shelled walnut or peanut butter or some beautiful goats cheese.

8. Dips are a wonderful snack to have at work. My favourite dips are hummus and babaganoush. Both are Middle Eastern dips with the main ingredients including, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, salt and chick peas for hummus and eggplant for babaganoush. You can buy these in grocery stores, but most are made with additives and flavours, so it’s important you read the ingredients or make them yourself. Along with these dips I’ll take zucchini, celery and cucumber sticks to eat with the dips. I place the vegetable sticks in a snack size zip lock bag.

 9. Chocolate. Yes I said chocolate, but not any old chocolate. The sophisticated palate will  only demand the best and good-quality chocolate has an ingredient in it that helps the  activity of the brain. 100% chocolate is the best, and the only place in Australia to buy it is  from is www.changinghabits.com.au. They are called ‘Cacao wafers’; this chocolate is  organic and pure and has a bitter taste to it, by having 4 wafers (they are not big) throughout  the day they can help with brain function and contribute your antioxidant needs. If you are  not quite ready for 100% dark chocolate then try the 90% ones on the market but make sure  there is no soya lecithin in the ingredients. Your ingredients should consist of cacao, cacao  liquor, cacao butter, sugar and any natural food addition such as chili, lime oil, orange, goji  berries, coconut, cinnamon etc.

 10. Fruit is a great snack for work, especially seasonal fruit. In the winter I usually carry  apples, pears and oranges, while in the summer it becomes more exotic with peaches,  nectarines, apricots and grapes. These are quick and easy to put into the brief case or esky  that you take to work and snack on throughout the day. 

 11. Left overs: Leftover meat and cold vegetables are one of my favourite things to take to work. I don’t even bother heating them up but rather make up a green leafy salad of cold meat and cold roast sweet potatoes with cherry tomatoes and cut up cucumbers and if I have some feta in the fridge I cut that into the salad as well. It’s quick and easy and doesn’t take a lot of preparation in the morning!

12. Beef Jerky: Homemade or well made beef jerky without flavours, MSG, additives or preservatives is a wonderful snack to have at the office in your desk, so that when you need a spark of inspiration and are feeling a little peckish it’s there for you to nibble on. I first learnt the art of dried meat when I lived in the US and then did safari in South Africa. This is a valuable source of protein and nutrition, and is a far better snack to have in your desk as opposed to lollies or chips.

Cyndi O’Meara

Nutritionist, Author and Founder of Changing Habits

www.changinghabits.com.au