Eating at work

Eating at work can mean preparing food at home and taking it with you. It can also mean eating “on the go”, or at cafes or restaurants with co-workers. 

Healthy options aren’t always available or easy to find. Planning in advance is key for eating more healthily at work, and could save you money too. 

Preparing and taking meals with you is the best way to have full control over what you eat by:

• making time in the morning to eat something, or preparing something to take with you, can stop you spending money on unhealthy breakfast options
• packing some healthy snacks can help you make better choices if you're hungry between meals
• buying fruit and vegetables and preparing them yourself is cheaper than pre-prepared. Chop up some apples, cucumber and carrots in advance and take them work in a reusable tub to save money
• splitting a bag of unsalted nuts and raisins into portions for each day
• taking soup or a baked potato to heat up, or leftovers from the day before if you have a fridge and microwave at work
• buying multipacks of plain, unsweetened yoghurt or fruit to store at your workplace

The workplace can have lots of temptation, such as birthday cakes and tubs of sweets. Keeping yourself full with healthy snacks could make it easier to choose less unhealthy ones.

You can still get involved in workplace celebrations without eating too much of the unhealthy food on offer. It’s important to find balance, so don’t be afraid to put your health first and say no thanks!

If you enjoy going out for lunch with colleagues, but feel like it's maybe too often, picking certain days to do it will make it more of a special occasion. If you aren’t able to bring your own food to work, read our tips on making healthier choices when eating out.