Mindful lunch?
For many years free lunch at work was my jam! I became giddy when I’d see “lunch provided” on the meeting invitation. Working many years in Chicago, I knew the food would most likely be delish! Shout out to all the many food vendors that keep tummies happy in the Chi!
However, what I wasn’t always mindful of was whether my choice lunch time meals were nourishing me regardless of the free or paid expense. No shade at all to free lunch (which I still love the word free) I’ve just become more deliberate in asking questions ahead of time to ensure I can be mindful of what I eat.
My lunch time learnings last year made me curious if my previous struggles were only my own. So as I usually do, I began researching the topic.
Define nourishment for yourself
Nourishment is different for every body, and although this post isn’t about how to find the right formula to nourish your body, I highly recommend you consider building a team that can help you do so. I write a bit about the process I used to build my team in this post.
Survey says?
More than half (56%) of employed Americans who typically eat lunch during work struggle to make that meal healthy, and more than nine in 10 are interested in making their work lunches healthier, a survey from the American Heart Association and the food service company Aramark has found.
Social eating has its benefits and opportunities as well. We support our social wellness by seeking out opportunities to socialize and connect with others. Also, research states our meal time comrades can affect our choices. According to AHA, when eating an unhealthy lunch, employees younger than 40 are more likely to be affected at least a little bit by cost (91% vs. 79%) and choices of their peers or co-workers (75% vs. 50%) than employees older than 40.
Good News!
The best news in the survey is that 77% stated if they make a healthy choice at lunch they are more likely to make healthy choices the rest of the day! I can also attest to this statement. Without a doubt if my lunch is prepped and ready to that choice is easy. I then make additional good choices at snack and dinner time. The key point to this part of my testimonial is if the lunch is prepped and ready to go.
For reference I’m a stickler for ensuring we separate meal plan vs meal prep. Meal prep involves the process of preparing items ahead of time for easy consumption or cooking. Meal planning outlines what meals to consume for a given week or month and preparing a list for grocery purchase. I tried to go alone with one and not the other, and without fail I’m never as successful as when I pair both a plan with prep. For those that will be attending our Whispers Workshop, we’re going to be diving deeply into the difference between the two and how to be consistent.
In terms of the Work Lunch, the joy of this journey can be individualized to you! Your work lunch can be the one meal you plan, and mindfully prepare for yourself. Giving yourself that one win (and little love through nourishment) may propel other better choices! Especially if you have other household members involved that may make it a bit more difficult to prep and plan all your meals. I found this especially helpful for myself as I was able to focus on one meal and not feel overwhelmed taking on all of them.
The Adult Lunchable
Early last year during nutrition therapy my Dietician and I decided the right formula for my Body. One that would keep me satiated at each daily interval AND keep it fresh and interesting! With formula in hand (and taking baby steps) we started integrating the formula with break fast, then snacks, next was lunch.
I was far more worried about tackling lunch as I know work days can be much more variable. Addressing lunch would be much more of a task. I tried many options, purchased prepared meals, frozen meals, bought salads I crossed my fingers and hoped they were healthy (they weren’t… which is a whole different post) ect..ect… although so many of them weren’t bad options, they just didn’t “spark joy” for me. My long term formula in the equation needed to be consistency. I knew that wouldn’t occur without a bit of joy sprinkled in. So I went to Pinterest… that’s where I discovered the concept of the adult lunchable!!
I am more of a visual eater than anything. Compartments, order, formulas make my heart sing 🎶! . I started trying different mixes and matches and found myself suddenly eating new foods in the lunchables I never would before. Cucumber slices with cute cutouts, carrot chips (love the texture) and the visual color that would await me when I opened my bento box make me smile every time. Still does!
$4.26
So my husband the skeptic, wanted to know exactly how much these beautiful lunches and snack were costing us. So I decided to begin calculating incremental cost. When I handed him the breakdown equaling $4.26 he was sold!
As I close this post, I hope this small portion of the journey helps you think about tackling your work lunch. Perhaps we all together can make 2024 the year of better lunches!
In peace,
J
Resources: Meal Prep Recommendations podcast; Building Healthy Work Habits at Lunch;