Food and nutrition
Food traps to avoid: shopping on the way home
Menu planning and strategic grocery shopping are the key to healthy eating during the week, and even more so for busy workers.
It's easy, and often tempting to pick up convenience food, such as readymade meals, which can be high in kilojoules, saturated fat and sodium. And this type of meal looks all the more tempting when you've worked hard, skipped lunch and survived on coffee and snack food all day
Healthy eating tip: Sick of sandwiches?
Trying to find something tasty and healthy for lunch can be a challenge. If you make your own lunch, try swapping sandwiches for pita breads or wholemeal wraps to add variety. Having some fresh fruit or dried fruit and nuts handy are helpful for that slump you may experience mid-afternoon.
Healthy eating tip: Water and milk
Making water or milk the first choice for drinks is the best option. Water is best - it's cheap and easy to get. Keep a jug of cold water in the fridge or on your desk at work. Milk is a good drink for children because it's highly nutritious and a good option to serve after or between meals.
Food traps to avoid: work dos
Christmas celebrations, leaving dos, colleagues' birthdays, engagement parties, good days, bad days, hooray it's Fridays...!
Where there are celebrations or commiserations, one thing that is guaranteed...food!
And when everyone else is tucking into sausage rolls and cakes - and encouraging you to, too - it can be tough to say no.
Healthy eating tip: Breakfast
Breakfast is an important meal of the day. Some good ideas for foods before work and school are fruit, for example, bananas, apples, oranges or tinned fruit in juice; cereal and low fat milk; toast and spreads. Other options include leftovers, toasted sandwiches, baked beans, spaghetti or an egg on toast. A glass of milk or a yoghurt is also a good choice.
Some ready to eat cereals are high in sugar, fat and salt and it's best to use the low sugar/low salt options, such as porridge and wheat biscuits, as everyday choices.
Healthy eating tip: Limit your alcohol intake
If choosing to drink alcohol, limit your intake. Remember, drinks containing alcohol are high in energy density and may contribute to weight gain. Have some alcohol-free days each week.
