from www.whfoods.com

We would suggest that the best way to eat healthy at work is to prepare meals in your home to take to the workplace. Healthy options to take to work include:

Salads are a great way to enjoy a wide variety of vegetables, bean, nuts, seeds, fruits and meats for lunch. The combinations that can be created are limited only by your imagination, personal tastes and dietary needs. As with all food, it is preferable to select organically-grown varieties whenever possible. A lunch of precut crudités from the market (carrots, peppers, celery, etc.), a can of salmon, sardines or tuna, a single serving packet of dressing, and some whole wheat crackers is another option.

Chicken or turkey breast and other types of fish and shellfish are good options to provide the protein you need for a healthy lunch. Canned tuna, salmon and sardines is also a popular source of protein. These can be easily added to a sandwich or salad.

Sandwiches can be a healthy luncheon choice if you make it with a nutrient-rich, 100% whole grain bread and include fresh vegetables and a healthy protein source such as chicken or turkey breast, baked tofu or hummus. And hold the mayo (avocadoes can be a great substitute for mayonnaise)! 100% whole wheat and multi-grain breads are good choices for bread, and they combine well with tuna salad or peanut butter or cashew butter. Pocket sandwiches made with organic whole-wheat pita bread and your favorite filling are also very enjoyable.

Most varieties of fresh fruit, which are easy to transport and are concentrated sources of many vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients can be a great portable snack. If you have concerns about fruit negatively affecting your blood sugar level, select those with a low glycemic index such as apples and pears, oranges, berries, or plums. (See the for more information about fruits with low GI.)

Nuts make great snacks and are also a convenient way to include some extra protein in your diet while you are at work. Almonds and walnuts also provide rich sources of vitamin E and those hard to find omega-3 fatty acids, respectively. Yogurt can also serve as a snack and source of protein if you can tolerate dairy products. If you like yogurt mixed with fruit, it is best to add your own fresh fruit to plain yogurt rather than purchase already prepared yogurt mixed with fruit as they can be high in added sugars. Other dairy products such as milk and cheese are also good sources of protein but may not be for everyone, as many people have a sensitivity to milk and milk products.

While taking food to work from home may be the optimal way to eat healthy at work, many of us are eating out or purchase take-out more than ever before. While you may not have as much control over the quality of the food you purchase for lunch, the type of food you select is up to you.

Getting a salad at a salad bar is also a good idea for a convenient lunch. Not only will you get a cornucopia of nutrients from the many vegetables that are featured, but salad bars also have ingredients that can add great protein to your meal. For example, many salad bars have garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, or mixed beans, and these foods can also help you meet your protein needs. There are sometimes hard-boiled egg whites as well, and each bite-sized chunk of an egg white contains about a gram of protein. The sunflower seeds at salad bars also provide some protein - about 3 grams per tablespoon.

If you are eating at a chain or fast food restaurant that has pamphlets containing nutrition information, a great short-cut step is to look over the information to find protein and fiber amounts. If either of these nutrients has a value of one gram or less, keep looking! Meals with at least 5-10 grams of fiber and 10-15 grams of protein are the ones you’ll want to select in terms of nutrition. When meals contain healthy protein and fiber content, they often contain healthy levels of many vitamins and minerals as well. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for meals prepared the way you want - many restaurants are happy to do so in return for your business. So if you do not have time to prepare your lunch at home, select the same type of foods as suggested above and you will be on your way to eating healthy at work.

For more information on this topic, see:

• The articles about each of these foods, links to which can be found at http://whfoods.com/foodstoc.php.

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