A repeat request from clients and readers alike is around how to eat healthy whilst sitting at your desk. The content of this post was featured in Square Mile magazine’s website here earlier this week (yay!), and it’s struck a chord with some people, so I thought I’d share the nutrition part with you here (I’ve added a few bits of info too which make it easier to count the calories)!
For most people, reality gets in the way of the dream of training in the sunny park; instead they have to slouch in front of a few computer screens for 9-12 hours a day. And everyone knows an office colleague who grazes through an entire bag of brazil nuts insisting it’s ‘healthy eating’. I think there is a better way to sustainably and realistically ‘eat right’ and ‘snack healthily’ in the office. Here are a few of my suggestions;
1) Breakfast? Try 2 slices of wholewheat seeded toast with 2 sliced hard-boiled egg whites (force yourself to bin the yolks) – this provides slow-release sugars (sustaining you for longer) with good quality protein ‘fuel’. Both egg whites sum to a mere 34 calories but will provide you with an instant 8g protein hit – and with zero cholesterol, fat, carbs and sugar! With the toast added in, the whole event comes to 170 calories.
2) Elevenses? Low fat cottage cheese on Nairns ‘Rough’ oatcake biscuits are a good source of protein, low in fat and a for you carb lovers plain Nairns are a fairly friendly little biscuit – just 45 calories, and all complex carbs (with 0 grams of sugar). One or two of these should do the trick!
3) Fruit snacks? Apples & Bananas are also relatively low in sugar / calories, high in dietary fibre, rich in vitamins, and satisfy sweet cravings whilst being remarkably filling.
4) Lunch? You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to healthy places. I’ll leave that to you! Think broth soups (not creamy ones), salads with limited stodgy ingredients and light sauces (i like lemon juice and a splash of olive oil) etc.
5) Healthy dessert? Try 150g ‘Total 0% fat Greek yoghurt’ with a handful of blueberries & sprinkled cinnamon – the yoghurt is rich in protein (15g in the serving), fat-free, impossibly low in calories (just 85 in 150g), and the super-food blueberries are rich in antioxidants / vitamins (with limited natural sugars). Add some oat-bran (wholegrain, low GI) to add further substance. The whole snack adds to c. 150 calories!
6) 15:00 boost? Peanut butter is is protein & energy-rich, reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol, regulates blood sugar levels, contains heaps of iron and potassium, and is rich in antioxidants. A tablespoon is the perfect 15:00 boost, injecting you with 6g protein for just 90 calories expense!
7) Nuts & seeds? You could go for all sorts of nuts, but Almonds are my favourite – they’re rich in mono-unsaturated (good) fats and dietary fibre, are overflowing with Vitamin E (for healthy skin), are gluten-free, low-cholesterol, and are teeming with Vitamin B. A handful is enough.
8) To drink? 1 litre of Evian daily is a must to stay hydrated in the air-conditioned office, but if you’re really struggling, try Coconut water, which is rich with replenishing electrolytes that hydrate and restore energy.
Send me an email if you have any good tips too – always happy to share. fitnessontoast@gmail.com. Faya x
