We spend a lot of our time at work, so eating well at the office is very important. Our eating habits have a real impact on our overall health. According to a mini-survey by Swibeco, the Swiss spend an average of 30 minutes at lunchtime during the working week.

This important break represents a moment of relaxation during the working day, and an opportunity to enjoy a moment of conviviality with colleagues or friends.

But sometimes we eat quickly, and don’t necessarily pay attention to what goes into our menus, resulting in digestion problems and poor distribution of nutrients. With consequences such as lack of energy, weight gain and health problems such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

In this article, we’ll give you 5 good ways to eat healthily at the office.

1 – Eating well at the office means taking the time to enjoy it!

Sometimes the workday is chaotic and you think it would be better to eat quickly so you can be more productive afterwards. It’s a mistake: swallowing your lunch in 5 minutes in front of your screen won’t make you any more fit for work! This will prevent your brain from properly assimilating what you’re eating, and your feeling of fullness will be delayed.

It’s important to completely unplug from work and take a real lunch break. In a dedicated room or outside (not in front of the computer!) to enjoy what you’re eating.

What’s more, you can share your meal with your work colleagues. As well as relaxing, it’s a great opportunity to get to know them and build a bond. Healthy eating at the office also involves your working environment, which is also a factor in well-being.

2 – Eat a balanced diet at the office to boost your energy.

When you’re working, your brain runs at full speed and needs a lot of energy. With whole grains, fruits and vegetables, you’ll be sure to have enough to last. It’s all a question of balance.

How to compose your plate :

• cereals,
• starchy foods,
• proteins,
• vegetables,
• and fruit.

For example, a tuna and vegetable rice salad with a piece of bread and fromage blanc with a piece of seasonal fruit to finish. You don’t need to be an expert in the kitchen to eat a balanced diet and enjoy yourself at the same time.

And what if you want to take your meal outside, or take it away, with colleagues? There are now healthy (even vegetarian) alternatives on the menu. If you want to make a difference, don’t hesitate to do so! Deprivation has never been the leitmotiv of healthy eating.

Samaé’s experts can also advise you if you wish to take stock of your eating habits and modify them for greater vitality.

3 – Drink enough water!

We often forget to drink water – water, not a cup of tea or coffee! The body is composed of 60% to 70% water, depending on morphology. After oxygen, water is the most important element for life. So if your body doesn’t have enough water available, it won’t be able to carry out a number of metabolic processes.

So it’s important to drink between 1.5 and 2 liters a day.

Here are a few tips to help you drink the right amount of water throughout the day:

• Bring your best gourd back to the office,
• Add raspberries, cucumber and lemon to flavour your water,
• Download an app like Water Time to remind you when it’s time to hydrate.

4 – Prepare your meals for the next day to eat well at the office

To save time and make sure you can eat healthily at the office, there’s nothing better than preparing your meals in advance.

You have 3 options for preparing a balanced lunch yourself:

• Get up a little earlier in the morning so you can cook at your leisure,
• Prepare a larger quantity for dinner, to leave a portion for the next day,
• Set aside time on Sunday to prepare all the meals for the week ahead.

In fact, many recipes are ready in 20 minutes or less. There are lots of batchcooking ideas on the net, so don’t hesitate to get inspired. That way, you’ll have a healthy lunch in no time.

5 – Healthy snacks for the office

Who hasn’t felt the morning or 4 p.m. hunger pangs? So that you don’t reach for the vending machine and gobble up a March or a bag of potato chips, here are a few ideas for healthy snacks:

• a fruit smoothie,
• a fruit,
• a few dried fruits (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.),
• yoghurt or fromage frais with a little honey,
• a slice of wholemeal bread …

There’s something for everyone, and as with breakfast, you can prepare them the day before for the next day, or build up a small stock in your desk drawer.

At Samaé, we’re convinced that the workplace is a natural place for prevention, and that includes food! To this end, we offer a wide range of group workshops around this theme, so that every employee can benefit from the best possible working conditions.