If you are like us, you work full-time, mostly in an office (except for Jim since he is normally traveling all over the country) and ALWAYS crunched for time. Working in this type of environment actually makes it pretty easy to eat clean since you have a place to store your food. All you have to do is prep your food and you are good to go, right? Not exactly…meetings randomly pop up, you get busy with a client, you forget to pack all that food you prepped…what are you going to do? Grab what you have on hand and put together a “clean convenient meal”!
The picture above is a list of the items that we keep with us at all times while in the office. Even if there is not enough room in your refrigerator to store all the items listed you can at least keep a few in your desk!
Here are a few examples of quick and easy clean meals (all should be combined with veggies):
- Rice cake with almond butter and a protein shake (about 30g protein, 20g carbs, 15g fat = 430 calories)
- 1 cup of Greek yogurt (or cottage cheese) with some dried fruit (no sugar added!) or sliced apple and a few walnuts (about 25g protein, 20g carbs, 5g fat = 325 calories)
- Tuna (or canned salmon or canned chicken) on a piece of Ezekial bread or rice cake (about 20g carbs, 30g protein, 5g fat = 250 calories)
- An orange or apple with a Quest bar (about 22g protein, 25g carbs (the bars are high in fiber, so use total carbs minus dietary fiber) = just under 200 calories)
The key is to make sure you’re getting some protein (at least 20g for active individuals) and fiber. Always try to get some veggies in (some good veggie sources that stay fresh in a fridge for a while are celery, carrots, and raw broccoli…just make sure you put them in the “crisper” drawer).
Now you are thinking, what do I do if I ABSOLUTELY don’t have anything at work. Skip the drive-thru and head to the grocery store. You can purchase hard boiled eggs, rotisserie chicken (not my first choice but not the worst thing you can eat), nuts (almonds or walnuts), fruit, vegetables, etc. There are many options that are just as fast as “fast food” and you can keep those items handy for when you are in a bind again.
Here is a link to our Shopping List that may help you with where to purchase these items!
What clean food do you keep handy at your office?
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