Published January 2005

Preparation is key
to eating right in workplace

By Kimberly Hilden
SCBJ Assistant Editor

The holiday season is over, and the New Year’s resolutions have just begun. For many of us, that means a newfound dedication to healthful eating — even in the face of vending machines and lunchroom goodies at work.

The key to surviving this 9-to-5 junk-food minefield is preparation so that nutritious food choices are on hand when hunger hits — and a trip to the vending machine or nearby fast-food joint for a burger and fries becomes unnecessary, said Jody Byrne, a registered dietician with The Everett Clinic.

“I almost always bring lunch,” said Byrne, who does a week’s worth of shopping on the weekend so that she has food on hand for making lunches and snacks. Buying in bulk, she prepackages grapes, nuts, carrots and other foods in snack-size plastic bags for easy portability.

“It’s the best weapon against eating something that’s in the lunchroom,” Byrne said, noting that many nutritious snacks can be kept at room temperature for easy storage, from crackers with peanut butter to trail mix, dried fruit, cereal and granola bars.

“If you have that handy in the drawer, you’re much more likely to make a better snack choice,” she said, adding that it is crucial to have a snack on hand for the afternoon doldrums.

“The afternoon snack is a really important one if for no other reason then it helps us from going home and raiding the pantry while we prepare for dinner,” Byrne said. “It could be as simple as holding something over from lunch to eat at 3 p.m.”

When packing a lunch, Byrne suggests planning with the food pyramid in mind, noting that the grain, protein, fruit and vegetable, and dairy groups easily translate into a sandwich, piece of fruit, carrot sticks and yogurt.

But who wants a sandwich every day? Certainly not Byrne.

“I get tired of sandwiches just like everyone else,” said the nutritionist of 18 years. “I love to have (dinner) leftovers, and I keep a couple of frozen entrees on hand for those mornings that don’t go as planned.”

When choosing frozen entrees, she sticks to such brands as Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine, selections that limit the calories and fat in their meals.

Byrne also adds variety to her lunch routine by varying the grain choice, using a pita, whole-grain wrap or dinner roll to house her sandwich fixings.

Vegetables, too, offer another avenue for adventure.

“A lot of veggies are cut up and ready to go (at the store),” she said. “You can easily have a different vegetable every day of the week that is prepared for you: carrots, pea pods, cherry tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli — there’s the week.”

Or, you can make vegetables the main course. According to a December 2003 article by the Mayo Clinic, getting your vegetables can be as easy as starting with pre-washed, pre-cut salad greens from the grocery store, adding protein in the form of chickpeas, adding grain in the form of whole-wheat noodles and topping it off with low-fat yogurt or fat-free dressing.

As for fruits, mix it up every now and then, the Mayo Clinic advised, replacing the apple, orange or pear with more exotic fare, such as kiwi, star fruit or mango.

And, if you get a chance, slice the fruit before packing it, said The Everett Clinic’s Byrne, noting that “if the fruit is cut, a person is more likely to eat it.”

But what if you find yourself caught in a situation where going out to eat is inescapable, say a business luncheon, or you find yourself in the middle of a birthday celebration at work, complete with cake and ice cream?

First, understand that moderation is key, Byrne said.

If you are eating out, you can cut the fat and calories of your meal in half by simply asking for a take-home container up front, she said. “Put half of it in (the container) before you start eating, then you have tomorrow’s lunch ready.”

As for the birthday scenario, moderation again is the answer.

“I like to see what choices there are and then have a little bit of each thing that I want,” Byrne said.

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