How Office Workers Can Eat Lunch Without Rushing
For office workers who have to dine out, what to eat for lunch has become one of the daily dilemmas. Where to eat? What to eat? Who to eat with? Experts say that lunch is the most important meal of the day--we need to nourish our bodies, which have been working hard all morning, with good food, and we also need sufficient nutrients to enable our bodies to handle more than four hours of office work in the afternoon. How to feel satisfied while also benefiting your health. Regarding office worker lunches, as professionals, it is necessary for us to understand the following health rules.
What to eat?
Besides the cozy home restaurant, the first choice for dining is a restaurant. Office buildings are surrounded by all kinds of restaurants. Besides taste, which one is the healthiest choice?
Japanese cuisine: Experts believe that Japanese lunches are relatively healthy because they are low in oil and salt, and provide high-quality protein from fish and shrimp, natural dietary fiber and trace elements from seaweed, and various vitamins from vegetables. Moreover, eating Japanese food doesn't make people overeat, which could reduce work efficiency.
French cuisine: If you like Western food, French cuisine is more recommended than American food. A survey shows that the portion sizes of meals in the U.S. and France differ greatly. A French-packaged yogurt is 82% smaller than its American counterpart, and drinks in French restaurants are more than 50% smaller than in American ones. Therefore, Americans are generally one to two sizes larger than the French.
Chinese cuisine: The wide variety of Chinese restaurants is also an option. In this season, restaurants featuring spicy hot pots and barbecues are less beneficial to health than those with home-style dishes that have a good mix of meat and vegetables.
Don't rush through lunch in front of the computer
Lunchtime is not only for replenishing the body's food energy, but also a period for the entire body and mind to relax. Experts say you must leave your desk during lunch and take a 30-minute break for your body and mind. In addition, eating takeout in front of the computer can easily allow germs from the keyboard to enter your stomach and intestines.
A restaurant that requires a 15-minute walk
A restaurant that is a 15-minute walk away is your best choice! After a busy morning, temporarily leave the office chair that "traps" your hands and feet. A 15-minute walk before a meal can relax your tense nerves and also serve as a good appetizer; a 15-minute walk after a meal can aid digestion, and you will be more energetic when you return to the office.
How Office Workers Can Eat Lunch Without Rushing
tips: Try not to eat buffet for lunch
It's best not to eat a buffet at lunch, as buffets most easily lead to overeating. If you have to, it's best to get yourself a small plate.
You should know that a healthy lunch has a corresponding nutritional ratio. Experts say that a "healthy" office lunch should include the following:
One serving of staple food: Carbohydrates. A portion of coarse grain bread, steamed bun, or noodles the size of a grapefruit;
Three servings of vegetables: Vitamins and fiber. Mainly green vegetables, and it's better to have a variety of colors. Adjust the amount according to your individual appetite;
One serving of meat: Fish is the preferred choice, followed by shrimp, chicken, and then red meat such as beef, lamb, or pork. The size should be about that of a business card.
One fruit: Preferably an apple, or other seasonal fruit.
A handful of nuts: Walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc., about 10 to 15 pieces is enough.
Psychologists have found that in the presence of food, people tend to eat everything they see, regardless of the portion size. It's a common psychological trait for most people to finish everything on their plate. Therefore, the most basic principle for a healthy business lunch is to eat small portions, which ensures nutrition without overeating. Experts believe that the portion size of food will determine your figure and even your health years later. The United States is a world-famous country with an overweight population, and one major reason is that the size of hamburgers in the 50s and 60s had doubled by the 90s. No wonder the accompanying growth was in the average American's body weight and their blood low-density lipoprotein levels. What's surprising is that more than half of the food calories that make Americans collectively overweight are consumed at the business lunch table. Another benefit of eating small portions at business lunches is that it allows us to have more variety in our daily food intake.
Drinking soup is a good habit; it's nutritious and makes you feel full more easily. Especially light soups, like Japanese miso soup, vegetable minestrone, or Spanish gazpacho, contain fewer calories and are healthier than thick soups. Additionally, research from the University of Pennsylvania found that people who love high-water-content foods like cucumbers and tomatoes generally consume far fewer calories.
As a rule, it's best not to drink alcohol at lunch. If you really want to, a small glass of wine is enough, or a small beer can also work. But the prerequisite is that you have time to rest for a bit before getting back to your afternoon work. Otherwise, alcohol may make you inefficient for the entire afternoon, which is not worth it.
Many large salads are mixed with high-calorie dressings. When ordering, you can ask the waiter or make your own dressing with mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, and vinegar, because these dressings are much healthier than creamy ones like Thousand Island dressing. Also, many stir-fried dishes in Chinese restaurants are quite salty. It's necessary to ask the server in advance to use less salt. The healthy principle is to use less salt and more vinegar.
For professionals, lunchtime is both a pause and a continuation of work—of course, it's also a good opportunity for colleagues to get closer and maintain communication.
Points to note when sharing a meal:
Use serving chopsticks. No matter where you eat or who you eat with, always ask the waiter for a pair of serving chopsticks or spoons. There's nothing to be embarrassed about; in fact, the person eating with you will be grateful for it in their heart.
The time for dessert and coffee after the meal is a good time for conversation. But it's worth reminding that you shouldn't order too much at once. Some dishes can be ordered later; maybe you'll change your mind after the main course. For example, a coffee might be more suitable for you than a dessert.
Discuss work after the main course
Professionals like to talk about business at the dining table. Experts remind us that for the sake of health, even when treating a client, it's best to first enjoy the food properly. After the main meal is finished, it's not too late to discuss business during the coffee time. This way, everyone's lunchtime can be more relaxed and healthier.
Instead of being limited to the few restaurants around the office, it's better to carefully prepare your lunch at home in advance. After all, lunch should rightfully be the most substantial meal of the day, and busy professionals especially shouldn't rush through it. Nutrition experts suggest that a healthy lunch bento, in addition to staples, vegetables, fish, and eggs, should also include a small portion of nuts and a fruit for a healthier combination.