Introduction: For office workers who have to dine out at noon, what to eat has become one of the daily minor dilemmas. Where to eat? What to eat? And who to eat with?
Experts say that lunch is the most important meal of the day—we need good food to reward our bodies that have been tired for a whole morning, and we also need sufficient nutrition to enable the body to handle more than four hours of office work in the afternoon. How can you 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 restaurant at home, the first choice for dining is a restaurant. Office buildings are surrounded by various types 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 they provide high-quality protein from fish and shrimp, natural crude fiber and trace elements from seaweed, and various vitamins from vegetables. Moreover, eating Japanese food won't make people overeat and lead to reduced work efficiency.
French cuisine: If you like Western food, French cuisine is more recommended than American cuisine. A survey shows that the portion sizes of meals in the US and France differ greatly; a packaged French yogurt is 82% smaller than an American one, 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: Diverse Chinese restaurants are also an option for us. In the season when autumn dryness is about to begin, restaurants featuring hot pot and barbecue are not as beneficial to health as the dishes with a mix of meat and vegetables in family-style restaurants.
Where to eat?
Don't rush through lunch at your computer desk.
Lunch break is not only a time to replenish the body's food energy, but also a period for the entire body and brain to relax. Experts say you must leave your desk during lunch and take a 30-minute break for your body and mind. Additionally, eating takeout in front of the computer can easily allow germs from the keyboard to enter your stomach and intestines.
A restaurant that takes a 15-minute walk to reach.
A restaurant that is a 15-minute walk away is your top choice! After a busy morning, temporarily leave the office chair that "traps" your hands and feet. A 15-minute walk before the meal can relax your tense nerves and act as a good appetizer; a 15-minute walk after the meal can aid digestion and leave you more energetic when you return to the office.
tips: Try not to eat buffet for lunch.
It's best not to eat buffet at noon because buffets most easily lead to overeating. If you have to, it's best to prepare a small plate for yourself.
How to eat?
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 staple food the size of a grapefruit, such as coarse bread, steamed bun, or noodles;
Three servings of vegetables: Vitamins and fiber. Mainly green vegetables, and it's better to have a variety of colors. Take an appropriate amount according to your individual appetite;
One serving of meat: Fish is the first choice, followed by shrimp and chicken, and then red meat such as beef, lamb, and 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.
Order small portions, no matter what you order.
Psychologists have found that in the face of food, people tend to eat everything they see in front of them, regardless of the portion size. Finishing what's on the plate is a psychological trait for most people. Therefore, the most basic principle for a healthy business lunch is to eat small portions, which ensures nutrition without overeating. Experts believe that the size of food portions will, over many years, determine your body shape and even your health. The United States is a world-famous country for being overweight, and one major reason is that the size of hamburgers in the 50s and 60s had doubled by the 90s. It's no wonder that the accompanying growth was in the average American's body weight and their blood low-density lipoprotein levels. And surprisingly, more than half of the calories that make Americans collectively overweight are consumed at the business lunch table. Another benefit of eating small portions at a business lunch is that it allows us to have more variety in our daily food intake.
People who drink soup are healthier.
Drinking soup is a good habit; it is nutritious and makes people feel full more easily. Especially clear soups, such as Japanese miso soup, vegetable pasta soup, and Spanish gazpacho, contain fewer calories and are healthier than thick soups. Additionally, a study by the University of Pennsylvania found that people who love foods with high water content, like cucumbers and tomatoes, generally consume much fewer calories.
It's best not to drink alcohol at lunch.
Principally, it's best not to drink alcohol at lunch. If you really want to, a small glass of wine is enough, or a small glass of beer is also acceptable. But the prerequisite is that you have time to rest a bit before you get back to your afternoon work. Otherwise, alcohol may make you inefficient for the entire afternoon, which is not worth the cost.
The healthy seasoning principle: less salt, more vinegar.
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 salad dressings are much healthier than thick, oily Thousand Island dressing. Also, many stir-fried dishes in Chinese restaurants are quite salty, so it is necessary to ask the waiter in advance to use less salt. The healthy principle is less salt and more vinegar.
Who to eat with?
For professionals, lunchtime can be a pause, but it can also be an extension of work—of course, it is also a good opportunity for colleagues to get closer and maintain communication.
Notes on sharing a meal:
Use serving chopsticks. No matter which restaurant you are in or who you are eating 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 to you for doing this in their heart.
Coffee OR dessert? Decide later.
The time for dessert and coffee after the meal is a good opportunity for conversation. But it's important to remind you not to order a lot at once. Some dishes can be ordered later; perhaps after the main course, you will have changed your mind. For example, a coffee might be more suitable for you than a dessert.
Talking about work? Do it after the main course.
Professionals like to talk about business at the dinner table. Experts remind that for the sake of health, even when treating a client, it's best to first enjoy the food properly. After the main course is finished, it's not too late to discuss business matters during the coffee time. This way, everyone's lunch break can be more relaxed and healthier.
Special recommendation: Prepare your own lunch box.
Instead of being limited to the few restaurants around the office, it's better to carefully prepare your own lunch at home in advance. After all, lunch should logically be the most abundant meal of the day, and busy professionals especially shouldn't rush through it. Nutrition experts suggest that a healthy lunch box should include a staple food, vegetables, fish, eggs, and also a small portion of nuts and a fruit for a healthier combination.