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Eating healthy from the work canteen
Monday, November 28, 2011
LET'S face it, after dragging ourselves out of bed, preparing the kids for school and tidying up the house, there is hardly any strength left to prepare lunch for work — as nice as the thought of doing so might sound.
The alternative, which is to grab something at the cafeteria at work, might not sound appealing either, especially when you consider the fact that workplace canteens are not exactly bastions for healthy living. Still, there is a way in which you can eat healthy while dining at work, which is something you can't avoid even if you are not on the regular nine to five schedule.
Don’t be tempted by the variety of food with extremely high fat content.
Don’t be tempted by the variety of food with extremely high fat content. 1/1
According to the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute (CFNI) in their October 2010 issue of Nyam News, "The typical employed person will spend at least 40 hours at work each week, away from home."
The Institute also pointed to the fact that "a significant portion of the workforce in the region comprises persons with a chronic disease. There are also persons with more than one chronic diseases. Chronic diseases include diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and hypertension."
This is all the more reason for you to eat healthy even while being forced to choose from your pitiful canteen pickings. Check out the following:
1. Choose from the salad bar. Some workplaces serve salad as a side order with lunches. If you have an option to get salad instead of rice to accompany your protein dish, this would be a much healthier choice.
2. Go for ground provisions if available. Green bananas, sweet potatoes, yams, boiled breadfruit and plantains are healthier alternatives to fried or boiled dumplings and rice and peas or plain rice, which are common staples on the menus in some workplace canteens. So if these are made available, you can make healthy substitutions.
3. Always go for baked or grilled protein dishes. Instead of being tempted by the variety of meats with extremely high fat content, try going for lean protein dishes instead like chicken and fish. Grilled, baked, steamed or stewed chicken and fish are also healthier than escovitched fish or fried chicken because these have been heavily saturated in oil to give them that golden look and crispy taste that make them more appealing.
4. Use vinegar instead of salad dressing. Salad dressing might make your salad seem more attractive and taste better, but if you are conscious about your health, drizzling some vinegar on your salad is just as effective. Salad dressings — even some of the low fat ones — tend to add tonnes of unwanted calories which contribute to bad health.
5. Avoid the mayonnaise. Avoid the mayonnaise when requesting deli sandwiches. You can ask for mustard instead which is lower in fat, or ask for more lettuce and tomato which is even better for your health.
6. Snack on fruits instead of sweets. Most workplace canteens have a snack counter where you can get an endless array of chips, pastries and sweets. Also available sometimes too are fruits, which, while not as tempting stacked up beside the others, might actually help to prolong your life. You can also go for granola bars and nuts if these are available as well.
7. Go for the diet cola. Regular sodas contain lots of sugars which make diet colas a much healthier option. Some canteens do offer this option to cater to those individuals who are diabetic or who might suffer from other health issues. You should still be able to request this even if you do not suffer from a chronic disease.
8. Choose brown bread over white. Brown bread is always healthier than white bread and so you can make this switch while requesting sandwiches, hot dogs or rolls. You don't usually taste that much of a difference when your bread is accompanied with a meat kind, however, this simple switch can cut the calories and the whole-wheat bread will provide you with even more fibre.
9. Go for fewer condiments. Sauces and dips might make your meals taste better in some cases, but they are filled with saturated fat and unhealthy calories which affects your health in the long run. Choosing fewer condiments is therefore one of the suggestions the CFNI gives for eating healthy while having lunch. "Ketchup is high in sodium, while regular mayonnaise is a high fat food," said the Institute, which pointed to pickles, olives and soy sauce as other high sodium foods which should be avoided.
10. Choose water instead of sodas. This suggestion is not only economical, it is also the healthier alternative. If you are not able to have water alone, you can squeeze a lime in it for a little bit of tang, or go for the cranberry water which is widely available.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines...5#ixzz1f7O5cdmA
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