No more Sad Desk Lunch: Lunch ideas that will get you away from your desk

We have a phenomenon that is know on social media as ” sad desk lunch”.  Many of us are guilty of it, eating with one hand while keyboarding with the other.  We convince ourselves that we absolutely need to get the work done and somehow we believe that we can be productive.  We think that taking 20 minutes for a change of scenery and to eat well means we are “less than” as an employee.  Our perception is that if you are in your office that you are working.

Who are we kidding, eating lunch in the same spot that we work all day is not making us more productive.  Taking a break is good for our mental and physical health.  Shifting our brain and moving our bodies to another location is a good thing.

Ways we can keep lunch interesting.

• Change things up, make a lunch date once a week with a friend or colleague. Put a reminder in your calendar and set a date.
• Organize the office to pitch in for a team salad bar once a month. Ask each person to sign up to bring in an item.  These can include things like black beans, feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, hard boiled eggs and of course lettuces. An office salad bar can last the group for a couple of days and encourages everyone to get together for lunch.
• Start a Pinterest lunch idea board. Check out our Lunch Ideas board for inspiration.   Create a board with easy healthy lunch ideas that you will look forward to.  Bento box style lunches are kind of an an adult version of lunchables.  There are boxes online  and even a the local bookstore, that make this portion controlled, variety filled  way of eating , fun and aesthetically pleasing. These lunches will be the envy of your co-workers and you’ll want to show them your fabulous meal instead of eating at your desk.
• Plan an office delivery day from your favourite Thai or Pho takeout on a Friday.  One person can take orders and payments and many restaurants will deliver right to your door.  It takes the pressure off having to make lunch on a Friday and brings the group together.