5 Ways To Give Your Sad Desk Lunch A Makeover
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Many people struggle with navigating lunchtime during the workday. What do you eat? Where do you eat it? Will your office buddy judge your Chinese leftovers? Will you receive disapproving glances at your distracting crunching? Sixty-two percent of professionals reportedly eat the midday meal at their desks, and 55 percent eat alone, according to the New York Times. The sad desk lunch phenomenon is a reality so prevalent across American offices that there is an entire website about it. Are you in a lunch rut? Let’s say goodbye to the days of boring mid-day meals.
1. Give Your Sandwich An Upgrade
Are you so over your peanut butter and jelly? It may be time to give the lunchtime classic an upgrade. Try replacing ordinary strawberry or grape jelly with raspberry or peach flavors. Even better? Maximize the delicious gooeyness of a PB & J by heating it up. Or, you can add some character by incorporating some crunch. Think granola, nuts, pretzels or even crispy potato chips. If you want to get really creative, cut your sandwich in half and mix and match. Add bacon to one half and Nutella to the other to fulfill your sweet and salty cravings.
2. Say See Ya To The Tired Tupperware Meal
This is for those of you who have ever raided your fridge for anything remotely edible, packed it in a container and called it lunch. You’re not alone. Lucky for you, there is hope beyond your sad, sad lunch. Next time you’re in this desperate situation, try and stick to kitchen staples. Mix your leftover rotisserie chicken with mayonnaise and make chicken salad. Add it to a sandwich or on top of greens. Don’t discriminate and welcome eggs as more than a breakfast food. Add anything in your fridge (ok, not ANYTHING) and make a frittata. Or, try your eggs hard or soft boiled and just add bread or crackers. Don’t be afraid to make it interesting, just make sure it’s not spoiled.
3. Spice Up Your Salad
Just try to imagine an office meal that actually excites you. There is hope, we promise. Here are a few ways to spice up your salad. Diversify your greens and give your bowl a whole new flavor. If you’re over the lettuce, get rid of it all together. Instead of using leafy greens, switch your base to spiralized zucchini. Custom make your own dressing at home. More often than not, store-bought dressings can contain a lot of sugar. Stick to staple ingredients and create a dressing you will be excited to eat. For optimal deliciousness, follow the seasons and shop for ingredients that are local and fresh. Once you master your salad, you can eat healthily and enjoy your not-so-sad desk lunch.
4. Level Up Leftovers
Instead of bringing last night’s meal to work as is, trying giving it a makeover. Use leftover protein for today’s salad. Chop up your fish or meat and add it on top of a fresh bed of lettuce. And remember to put the dressing on the side so your salad doesn’t get soggy (see above). Or, if you’re tired of eating salads, put your protein inside lettuce cups for a make-your-own lettuce wrap lunch. If you’ve made more protein than you can eat for dinner, but don’t think it’ll fill you up for the next day, try making a protein bowl with yummy add-ins like chickpeas or avocado. When it comes to bringing leftovers to work, you probably will need to reheat your lunch. Make sure that the food is completely heated and let it stand for a few minutes after its time in the microwave.
5. Snack Smart
This is what happens when you just can’t with lunch. If you’ve ever hit the vending machine for lunch, these remedies are for you. Snack healthy with hummus and a few crunchy options for dipping. Or, bring in crackers and add mashed avocado, sea salt and spices of your choice. Keep an apple at your desk for a more filling fruit option. If you’re going to snack for lunch, make sure to snack right.
RELATED LINKS
8 Lunch Ideas That’ll Nix Your Need For The Microwave At Work
10 Lunch Options That Are Way Better Than Eating at Your Desk
8 Dishes That Taste Like Trash As Microwaved Leftovers
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