Healthier habits are among the most common resolutions for a new year or a new chapter in life. Some of us resolve to live more healthily than during the pandemic's home office days, or to keep up good new habits now that we're back in the office. More movement is one important factor, nutrition is another.

Reason enough to put together our best tips for a healthy lunch break at the office, to help you build healthier routines. We also have ideas for team leads and HR on how you can support your team in eating healthier at work.

The challenge of office food

The more stressed we are, the harder it is to maintain healthy habits, or to build them in the first place. Busy office days are exactly when it's tempting to shove a ready meal in the microwave and eat it at your desk on the side. That fills you up and might even taste good, but it often doesn't have the nutrients you need to get through the workday well.

Depending on what food options are available at your workplace, more or less discipline is needed for healthy office eating. Your personal circumstances and your relationship with food and cooking also influence what you eat at lunchtime.

Healthy food for better motivation and productivity at the office

Healthy nutrition is an important foundation for better wellbeing. What we eat affects how well we can concentrate, when the "afternoon slump" hits, and how we feel overall. We've all experienced lunch sitting "heavy in the stomach" at some point, because we ate too much or the food was too fatty.

There's nothing wrong with treating yourself, but for a productive workday it's worth paying a little attention to what you eat. That doesn't mean you can only eat salad and drink smoothies. Tastes differ, just like eating habits. With a few tricks you can turn your lunch into a healthy meal.

How to make your lunch break healthier

We've all eaten quickly at our screens at some point, without paying attention to what we ate or considering whether there was a healthier option. Time, energy, or discipline is missing, which is completely understandable. Healthy eating doesn't have to mean a complete overhaul, you can start by implementing a few of our tips and gradually get used to healthier meals.

No eating at your desk

There's a lot to be said for getting up from your desk and eating lunch somewhere else. Variety and a change of scenery matter not just for more wellbeing while working from home. In the office too, many of us tend to move too little. Instead, find another spot to eat, maybe even outdoors to get some extra vitamin D, and invite your colleagues to join you and eat together. That also strengthens the sense of team.

Eat mindfully

The more distracted we are, the more likely we are to overeat and miss our body's signals for when we're full. Focus instead on the food, its taste, texture, and smell. Be mindful of every bite and pay attention to when you're actually full.

Move more

If possible, eat your lunch outdoors, maybe even combined with a short walk. Depending on how long your lunch break is, you can take a little digestive stroll. What our mothers and grandmothers already knew still holds true: "After eating you should rest, or take 1,000 steps!" Movement aids digestion, burns calories, and brings fresh energy and inspiration for the afternoon.

Variety

Healthy food doesn't have to be boring. Some people are happy eating the same thing every day, but most of us prefer variety in our meals. When you go out to eat, challenge yourself and try something new: discover vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes you haven't tried before. Stay open to it. Not everything will taste great, but try to stay curious about new flavors and preparations. If something doesn't taste good, it might not be the ingredient itself, but rather how it was prepared.

Meal prep

Home-cooked food is generally healthier and cheaper than ready meals or eating out. If you don't have time to prepare tomorrow's meal every evening, meal prep is a great approach: once a week you prepare food for the entire week. That might sound like eating the same thing every day, but clever preparation can turn a few base ingredients into five different dishes. Meal prep has been a trend in Germany for several years now, with plenty of videos and books to help you get started and suggest recipes.

Drink enough

Most people know we should drink around 2 liters of fluid a day. The role of coffee in that is debated, but water and unsweetened, caffeine-free drinks are definitely important. Not drinking enough has various consequences. For example, when we think we're hungry and are tempted to snack, we might actually just be thirsty. If you drink enough throughout the day, you can more reliably tell when you're actually hungry.

Tips for HR and team leads: how you can support your team

Companies can contribute a lot to their employees' wellbeing and health. Many of our tips do require some budget, but companies benefit when they improve their employee experience, especially when employees are healthy and motivated. Fewer sick days even saves money, so investing in employee health is worth it!

Healthy snacks & drinks

Coffee is free in most offices, but are there other drinks too? Is there a water dispenser or a case of water available? What other hot drinks are in the kitchen? We tend to reach for snacks when they're conveniently at hand. Whoever always has a chocolate bar within reach is more likely to grab one. You can use this to your advantage by providing your team with a fruit basket everyone can help themselves to. Other healthy snacks could be nuts or dried fruit, maybe even healthy bars, smoothies, or juices.

Office kitchen setup

How many employees cook something healthier for themselves also depends on what the office kitchen looks like. Is it designed for actual cooking? Is all the equipment available, from cookware to dishes, cutlery, and a fridge for leftovers and ingredients that need to be kept cold? Maybe you can even cook together as a team once a week and enjoy a fresh, healthy meal together. You could also provide basic ingredients, like the most important oils and spices.

Subsidies for healthy meals

Did you know companies can receive subsidies for employee meals? The so-called non-cash benefit values are up to €8.77 per day per employee. These subsidies can be used for canteen meals or meal vouchers, for example. You can also get subsidies for home office meal packages or a mobile canteen.

Healthy canteen food

If you have a company canteen, the menu can be adjusted toward healthier options if that hasn't already been considered. Many companies don't have a canteen because there isn't enough space, or because it doesn't pay off for the number of employees. But there are alternatives: have you heard of heycater's mobile canteen? With it, you can flexibly and individually order healthy meals for your employees in just a few minutes, or let everyone pre-order their meals for the week. That way there's a fresh, healthy lunch delivered straight to your office every day!

Eating at your desk should be the exception

As explained above, eating at your desk should only be the exception. Even on a stressful day with a deadline looming, there should always be 10 minutes to eat! Encourage your team not to eat at their desks, but to go to the kitchen or outside instead.

Encourage team meals

There are so many good reasons to eat together: strengthening team spirit and building new connections are just two of them. Deliberately organizing team meals can also encourage healthier eating habits, whether the whole team eats at a restaurant with healthy food or you all share meals from the mobile canteen together. You could also cook together once a week, or in small groups for the whole team. Turn it into a challenge: who can prepare the tastiest healthy meal?

Health education

Unhealthy lifestyles aren't always down to a lack of time, money, or discipline. Sometimes it's simply a lack of knowledge. Not everyone grew up learning about healthy eating, or knows what's healthy or unhealthy, or how to prepare a healthy meal on a small budget and with little time. A shared cooking course for the team, whether in person or as a virtual event, can help. Learn together how delicious healthy cooking can be!

heykantine! brings healthy food straight to your office

Does the mobile canteen sound like a concept you'd like to try with your team? Booking is quick and easy. Take a look at the details and get in touch, our team is happy to advise you on our mobile canteen solution, which can also be booked as a complement to an existing company canteen. Interested in a company café with tasty breakfast options, or a food truck for regular events? Just reach out!

Did this article inspire you? Want to try out some tips or motivate your colleagues to eat healthier together? Feel free to share this article!