Your Healthy Eating Cubicle Kit

I remember those lovely corporate days well, when I couldn't find the time to fit in three meals, and I often sat in front of the computer munching away on my lunch or dinner. Or worse yet, when I didn't have time for a regular dinner and ended up going back and forth to the office kitchen to eat the leftover sandwiches from the afternoon lunch meetings. Has this happened to you?

Are there work scenarios that prevent you from eating the way you would like? Do you have trouble figuring out healthy snacks during work hours? Or perhaps you just get so busy sometimes that you just can't sneak out to get lunch or dinner? Have you ever been stuck in a meeting through the lunch hour and wished you had a snack to tide you over?

If you can resonate with any of the above situations than you definitely need a healthy snack cubicle kit. I know, I know, most of you probably have offices. But I created this kit in my cubicle days and so cubicle kit is what I call it. So what am I talking about? A cubicle kit is a storage area where you keep healthy foods that you can snack or dine on in times of emergency. Your "go to" healthy area for those times when you can't get out for a healthy lunch or dinner and you need to eat something to keep your blood sugar levels stable and keep yourself from ripping your manager's head off.

Here are my suggestions for foods that you can keep at your desk and in your office refrigerator to get you through those rough times.

At Your Desk:

• Whole Wheat or Whole Grain Crackers: I like Ak-Mak, Dr.Kracker and Mary's Rice Crackers. If you are looking for something to fill you up and you don't mind the cardboard taste, Fibrestore crackers hit the spot. Whole grain crackers are a great supplement to a soup or salad when you just need some more calories or something to crunch on.
• Healthy Soups and Chilis: You can either get the ones that have the peel-off tops or just keep an extra can opener and Tupperware container at your desk. I especially like to keep vegetarian chilis and lentil soups handy in case I need to have a quick lunch or dinner. These soups have a little more protein in them and are more filling.
• Portable Fruit - Apples, Pears and Oranges: Is there a fruit market or stand by your office? Could you stop by and pick up some fruit? A container of fruit on your desk may inspire you to skip the cookies after lunch.
• Simple Trail Mix: I usually mix almonds, walnuts and raisins. Be careful with this one. A serving size is about 14 almonds. If you have trouble eating a small amount, than make the trail mix at home and bring small baggies of it with you to work.
• Easy to Prepare Veggies: Assuming that you don't have time to cut veggies at home, stick with ones that don't need much prep. My favorites are baby carrots, red peppers (you can cut these at your desk and throw out the seeds), and cucumbers.
• A Healthy Cereal: Try to find a high fiber, low sugar cereal that you can either eat plain or on top of yogurt or cottage cheese. I like Fiber One, Kashi and any brand that is whole grain.
• Canned Tuna or Salmon: You can find tuna in aluminum pouches now. It makes it easy to rip the package open, throw in some salad dressing, mix and eat. Just make sure you have a toothbrush and toothpaste handy.

In Your Work Refrigerator:

• Hummus or Tabouli Salad: Both of these are great for dipping fresh vegetables.
• Low-Fat Yogurt: I like plain yogurt because it is lower in sugar and encourages additions of fresh fruit.
• Low-Fat Cottage Cheese: This is a quick and healthy protein, but please choose an organic variety and be cautious if you suspect that you do not digest dairy well.
• A Bag of Whole-Wheat Tortillas or Wraps: If you love to eat salads in the summer but find yourself getting hungry afterwards then perhaps you need to add a whole-wheat tortilla to your lunch. The extra calories may leave you a little more satiated. You can also use these to dip into your soup or have with canned tuna or salmon.
• Healthy Salad Dressing: Bringing your favorite salad dressing to work will ensure that you won't be tempted to pour on the newest and unhealthiest dressing at the salad bar.

You now have the ingredients for a perfectly healthy cubicle kit. Let me know how this works for you - and especially let me know if you have any additions to the kit. I'm always open to new suggestions!