Healthy eating at work. The lunch box: tips when preparing it

The way you eat in the work environment, where workers spend more than a third of the day, is fundamental to enjoying a healthy life.

When it comes to lunch, the options are varied: eat in a restaurant or in the company canteen, bring lunch in a lunchbox or take an occasional sandwich with you. Any of the above options can be suitable if complemented with the rest of the meals of the day, especially dinner.

It is also a good idea to have "a small pantry", with some food that allows you to take a short break and a refreshment (fresh or dried fruit, yogurt, breadsticks, infusion, etc.). It is necessary to avoid, however, doing it at the same work table or going "spicy" throughout the day.

In many workplaces, workers are offered the possibility of bringing their lunch in lunchboxes. This is the best option to reuse food and the Generalitat de Catalunya provides some advice:

All meals should include:

• vegetables
• Wholegrains (rice, bread, pasta...) or tubers (potato, sweet potato...).
• A protein food (legume, egg or meat).

In any case, it is recommended:

• Use virgin olive oil for cooking.
• Bread, pasta and rice should be wholegrain.
• Prioritize, as protein sources, legumes, eggs, dried fruit and white meat.
• For the salads, take the dressing separately and dress them at the moment.
• Complement the meal with fresh fruit for dessert.
• Drinkwaterduring the meal.
• Adapt the amounts of the lunchbox to the needs and feeling of hunger.

When preparing the lunch box at home:

• Make sure it is clean and microwave safe (plastic or glass).
• Renteu-la cada dia amb aigua calenta i sabó.
• Seguiu amb cura les quatre normes bàsiques per garantir la seguretat dels aliments (netejar, separar, coure i refredar):
  • Cuineu els aliments amb suficient antelació – millor el dia abans – i refrigereu els menjars, el més aviat possible, dins les carmanyoles. No els mantingueu a temperatura ambient.
  • Renteu les verdures i hortalisses, especialment si es mengen crues.
  • Coeu suficientment els aliments, sobretot la carn i el pollastre. Assegureu-vos que els sucs de les carns són clars i no rosats.
  • Qualleu bé l’ou de les truites, les quiches i els altres productes elaborats amb ou cru.
  • Eviteu:
    • les salses casolanes a base d’ou cru, com per exemple la maionesa.
    • les elaboracions de postres casolanes a base de nata, ou i cremes.
• Adjust portions to avoid wasting food.

During transport to the workplace:

• Take the lunchbox out of the fridge at the last moment and preferably place it in a cold storage bag or an isothermal lunchbox holder.

At work:

• emember to put the lunch boxes in the work center fridge as soon as you get there. It is important not to leave the bag with lunch boxes next to radiators or exposed to direct sunlight. At the last minute, when it's time for lunch, you can take the lunchbox out of the fridge and heat it up in the microwave.
• Reheat the food thoroughly in the lunch box. Remove the lid but put it on top to avoid splashes. A food is hot enough when it must be allowed to cool in order to eat it.
• Reject leftover food that you haven't eaten in the trash (container for organic leftovers) in the dining room itself.