My office is a bar.
A snack bar. The brewery is next door.
Eating healthy on the job doesn’t have to be hard… or boring! I keep my office stocked with a few things that can accent any meal I bring (or buy, in an emergency).
- Flavor Shelf – red pepper flakes, cinnamon, NuNaturals cocoa syrup, nutritional yeast, coffee, and solo cups. (The cups are my boss’ – I keep my Georgia Tech Tervis on hand.)
- Water – I drink at least a gallon a day
- Snack Basket – stuffed with Quest bars (got the boss hooked), roasted chickpeas, jerky, and EmergenC
- Fridge – tupperware meals from home, mustard, more of the Oatmeal Cookie Protein Balls, and almond milk*
- Other things I keep around: nut butter, hot sauce, rice cakes, and an “emergency” frozen meal.
*The coffee is a great pick-me-up treat when combined with the chocolate syrup, cinnamon, and almond milk!
This WIAW is my version of fast food. I meal prepped on Sunday. Since I couldn’t stand very long on my blackened ankle, I knocked it out quick and easy. #twss
Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else’s delicious creations!
Breakfast:
My morning cocktail was followed by a local peach dessert breakfast. I soaked TVP oats with cobbler-eqsue spices and topped with with a perfectly ripe local peach. I mourned a bit when it ended.
You could do the same thing with regular oatmeal – soaked or warm! I’ve done it as chia pudding before too.
Peach Cobbler TVP Oats
- 1/4 C TVP (or oats)
- 2 T cottage cheese
- 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 T gelatin (optional)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp butter extract
- 3-4 drops vanilla stevia
- 1/2 large peach, sliced
- My toppings: dried coconut and almond slices
Mix together first 8 ingredients. Let sit for 15 mins, then stir again and adjust milk and spices as necessary. Top with peaches, nuts, shredded coconut, and anything else you’re craving. If you’re in the mood for a hot breakfast, microwave it for ~25 secs.
Note: If you don’t have butter extract, you may add vanilla or almond extract.
Mid-Morning Snack:
Salmon from Sizzlefish, baked in a mix of Roots mango-sriracha hummus. I mixed in extra sriracha and a little rice vinegar to think it out. I baked it with lemon slices for 15 mins at 400.
Eaten over a salad of mixed greens, mushroom, and red onion with Tessamae’s raspberry vinaigrette.
Lunch:
I topped turbot with tomatillo salsa and ate it with a corn tortilla and a side of BBQ Cauliflower Bites, butternut squash, and hatch chili peppers.
Mid-Afternoon Snack:
This is a bowl of meat. Sautéed ground turkey with Mexican spices, fire-roasted tomatoes, and bell peppers. (Read: This was the point in my meal prep that I got tired of standing.)
Dinner:
I use the term “dinner” loosely. This was my post-workout meal – a Cherry-Ginger Protein Smoothie Bowl. Cherries and ginger are both great for recovery and inflammation! I added kale and topped it with cereal, chocolate sauce, and another cherry. I have a tough time eating sold food after a workout, so smoothies are almost always round 1 of my refuel.
Dessert:
I gave in. I bought Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. It’s trashy, I know. I had a coupon. My ankle hurt. What can I say? I was weak.
They are actually pretty tasty… and the fact that I ate it with a Zucchini Bread Batter Bowl cancels out the chemical shit-storm, right? Plus a scoop of chocolate Nuttzo, chocolate syrup,, and sprinkles. So there. #sorryimnotsorry
***
Thank you for all the supportive comments and well-wishes for my new design and the lovely ankle sprain. I’m healing… and embracing “bro week” (all upper body) at the gym.
What healthy items do you stock up on at work?
Do have a hard time eating solids after a workout?
I keep my office full of healthy snacks…you never know when HANGER will strike!
Did you nosh on Meryl or Leo in that mid-morning snack? 😉
And now I want to go hunt turkey so I can have some delicious turkey meat like your PM snack. Wait, I guess it would be easier to just go to the store? I still want to wear hunting gear though.
I think your next video should be you “hunting” down your meat in the Whole Foods.
Call me trashy but I remember being a fan of Skinny Cow ice creams- it’s been a while since I ate one though! I’m just the same about eating post-workouts…smoothies are just about all I can manage so I try to pack in as much as I can so that it’s substantial enough to count as breakfast!
Whereas at this second I’m eating Ben and Jerry’s Salted Caramel Core straight from the pint. Again.
Come save me from myself.
I always have a stash of snacks at work except I can not keep nut butter there. I end up eating it by the spoonful too much!
I keep the individual sample packets. Forced self-control. 😉
Good lawd I love the site! Seriously, my eyes are drooling.
Work snacks! I can’t really store too much in my clients’ offices… but in a more frequently visited one I keep cinnamon and decent coffee. THIS is precisely why I struggle not buying a load of stuff when I work at theirs! I should request a Cat shelf 😉
Thank you so much Cat!!! 🙂
I’ve never tried Skinny Cow but it looks good!! I’m staying away from oats while I’m dieting because there’s no way I could limit myself to 1/4 cup or even 1/2 cup as a serve – I’m a cup or nothing haha!
….I am sorry my twerkithon. I was too busy admiring your epic shoes to realise you had injured your ankle. Let’s bro day together.
I strangely have the weirdest cravings after a workout- but it has to be solid. LAst week it was skinless hot dogs. Yep. Come at me, chemicals and 50% meat.
Hot dogs?! That would make me puke for sure. We can do bro day, but it’s every man for himself on the refuel. 😉
OMG that dessert. I want to eat my screen! Cancels out the chemical shit-storm…..Baby, I love you.
I used to be hooked on Skinny Cow, but now I’m addicted to “No Sugar Added” Klondike bars – something about that chocolatey shell …. Nice to find someone else who has a “snack cabinet” at work! Mine has Starbucks pods for the office Kurig, granola bars, Cliff Z-bars, cinnamon, and almond butter.
I did NOT need to know that… I stared hard at the Klondikes this weekend. 😉
I always did the same thing when I worked in an office. Now I’m home and need to be careful what we keep here… snacking is my favorite procrastinating activity!
You eat well everywhere you go! Since I work from home, it’s easy . . . .or hard sometimes when the kids’ treats are calling my name. As for post-workout, I never usually have trouble eating solid food ;-0
That’s the biggest thing I miss about working from home!
I wanna come to work with you!! I can’t really eat at my office…that would be GROSS.
Yeah… probably not a good idea to eat there. 🙂
You’re welcome here any time!
Im am Miss. PISTACHIO.
completely.
I literally cannot wait until I make my dorm my kitchen when I move out. I see you have cocoa syrup–I have it too! 😀
Did you know they’re coming out with a mint cocoa one???
GIRL, I AM SO ON TOP OF MY GAME–I’M EVEN GONNA REVIEW IT !
Those chemical shit-storms taste delicious.
Word. So do the sugar shit storms from General Muir.
Yes, it is! That is a good thing though. Just curious, what do you use your cocoa nunatuals for? I haven’t figured out what i want to do with it yet. I rarely have problems eating solids after workouts, I am usually ravenous for anything I can get my hands on, one of the good things of my high mileage!
All the things in the post above! If you want something chocolate and sweet, it’s the perfect add. 🙂
What a great idea and awesome that you work in a place where you can keep things like that on hand. As a student and someone who is going to be working in a hospital, I don’t think this will ever be an option for me so I just need to make sure to plan ahead and always pack my food I need!
That would be tough! Do you guys get lockers? Or is that just on Grey’s Anatomy? 😉
I have a whole head of cauliflower. Must make BBQ bites tonight! YUM. I have a drawer that is full of stevia packets, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, ThinkThin Bars and PB then I keep greek yogurt and berries stashed in the fridge. We have a water cooler and I go through copious amounts of water throughout the day. Good thing I lift heavy things so I can change out the cooler jug 😉
I am the water cooler hoister in my office too. 🙂
oh man when I went in to an office it often felt like I was packing for a week at camp 🙂 I always took a lot of food with me every day to try and combat the office sugar fest
Ha! That’s exactly what I feel like. Complete with backpack!
“this is a bowl of meat.” lol.
Your office is certainly stacked w good choices. I keep hearing about sizzle fish may need to try it!
It’s really is amazing stuff! I love having it on hand for quick dinners too.
I need to start stocking my office up – I’m always hungry, not sure what that says but either way. Fooood!!! I love nut butter but can’t tolerate almond milk boo – the taste throws me off! Happy Hump Day Laura! -Iva
Really? I can’t do regular milk anymore for that reason. Unless it’s raw milk. That is the jam.
Ahh Skinny Cow Sandwiches…I love them. I know they’re not great for you though, that and I can only have a minimum of three once I open the box, so I don’t buy them anymore. Great comfort snack though 🙂
“bro week” haha you’re amazing…or as Mac from “it’s always sunny…” calls it: glamour muscles. speedy recovery!
girl, I keep a bodybuilder’s draw in my desk at work…pre-workouts, protein powders, rice cakes, pb, pb2…the essentials
; )
Hahaha – Glamour muscles. I’m going to start using that.
Rice cakes! How did I forget to list those?
Omg your breakfast sounds amazing! I need to try that!
Question: are the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches better than the little ice cream pints things? Because they didn’t impress me…but I feel like you can’t go wrong with an ice cream sandwich so maybe they’re better.
I’m going to sub my purse for my office with the whole “I don’t have a job yet” thing – so I usually have a protein bar of some sort (or 2 or 3 of them) hidden away in there.
MUCH better! It’s been years since I had the little pints… so I guess it’s possible they changed the formula across the board.
I really need to buy butter extract…like yesterday. I usually have emergency lara bars stocked and bring a homemade trailmix or something like that to work daily… I need a little bit of sweetness in the afternoon in lieu of coffee. 9 times out of 10 I do the classic athlete chocolate milk after a workout, obsessed.
My boss has chocolate milk in our fridge to go in his coffee!
Meh, shitstorm schmidtstorm…one little thing like that won’t hurt ya 😉
All your meals look amazing! I am still so curious about TVP. Gotta try it!
Schmidtstorm. New favorite word.
i want to be your office mate. We can trade off bringing balls and fish.
Is it weird that I never have a problem eating after a workout? In fact, after running 13 miles I am starving and need food…The only times I am not hungry right away is after a short distance race where I run so fast I want to throw up. But that passes and then I am back to starving lol….And yeah, I mourn when my oatmeal breakfasts end too. So delicious.
My downfall is always not having enough snacks at work! I end up eating way too many nuts. That cauliflower looks dee-lish!
I was SO glad when our bag ‘o nuts ran out. They’re like crack!
Is it weird that after reading this whole post, I want the cauliflower bites? Don’t answer that.
Good luck with bro week and hope the ankle is recovering swiftly.
I will definitely try skinny cow ice cream on your recommendation now 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Nice snack bar! My favorite things to bring to work for snacks are usually granola bars because they’re so easy to just pop in my bag! As for food after a workout, I usually have a protein shake, a cup of coffee, and a banana.. not too solid haha.
Good luck with that ankle! Stay off it. Don’t be like me and push too hard.
Errrr… I tried… 😉
Our office manager orders our snack foods/coffee and such. Last month, she ordered a variety box of Larabars because they were on sale at Staples. I was overjoyed! I was like: “What?!! Who ordered these??? We got the good stuff for once!” Then our marketing director came in and was like “Gluten free? Allergen friendly? What the F is this crap. Don’t order these again.” I mean…this is the world I live in. If it’s not Nature Valley oats and honey granola bars, it’s crap. Sigh.
And I don’t get hungry for a while after a good workout, solids or liquids. But when hunger strikes—-watch out.
Laura, I want to know how many times you pee. Seriously!!! 🙂
I should start counting. I bet its once an hour – especially in this heat! I’m chugging cold water.
I used to avoid solids after a workout, but that only seems to affect me for endurance, not lifting. Weird.