Posted by
Sara on
Friday, April 4th, 2014 with
2 Comments
When busy administrative assistants are tasked with ordering business lunches or meals for meetings, it’s easy to fall into a comfortable routine: deli meats, turkey clubs, tuna salad. And while sandwiches are the perfect meeting food — crowd-pleasing and portable — these “classics” can quickly become ho-hum.
Make sure your clients or coworkers are actually looking forward to their lunch breaks during a busy day — after all, taking a genuine break is key to maintaining energy levels and productivity for the rest of the afternoon. Give business lunch attendees a meal that will break up the monotony of the day, and orchestrate a twist on the usual sandwich standards by ordering one of these unexpected options:
Spice up the lunch table with tortas.
Image source: Flickr user Robyn Lee
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Posted by
Sara on
Thursday, April 3rd, 2014 with
Comments Off on Instagrammers May Be Onto Something: How Rituals Can Make Office Meals Better Comments
If your coworkers are constantly snapping photos of their Thai takeout orders, don’t be annoyed. Pay attention. You may not understand why sharing yet another office meal on Instagram is a worthwhile use of time (or Internet bandwidth), but they may be on to something. A recent study suggests that people who indulge in rituals (like taking photos of their food) before eating find their meals more satisfying… the food actually tastes better!
There’s more to food photography than meets the eye.
Image source: Flickr user Chris Tse
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Posted by
Sara on
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014 with
2 Comments
Ordering Indian food for beginners can be a little intimidating… even if you’ve been to one of the ubiquitous buffets spread across the U.S. While Indian buffets can be wonderful — you get to try a lot of different dishes without committing to a whole portion of something that might turn out to be too spicy for your taste — you might not remember what your favorite dish is called, and have no idea how to order the next time you go to a non-buffet restaurant!
When it’s Indian food delivery day at the office, don’t default to the most familiar-looking item on the menu: the following list includes some delicious yet approachable dishes to broaden your horizons outside the buffet.
Tandoori chicken may look hot, but it’s a milder Indian option.
Image source: Flickr user raymondtan85
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Posted by
Sara on
Tuesday, April 1st, 2014 with
Comments Off on Laziness May Be Key to More Productive Employees (and Healthier Corporate Catering) Comments
The latest findings in behavioral nutrition suggest that laziness can make you healthier, and the research conducted could have a direct implication on employee wellness and corporate catering. Laziness, in fact, may be key to creating a more productive, healthier, and happier workplace.
And no, this isn’t an April Fool’s joke. It’s true… with a few caveats, of course.
Don’t let unhealthy snacks be the most convenient!
Image source: Flickr user Mike Pickard
A new study published in Appetite, and conducted by researchers at Saint Bonaventure University in New York, revealed that people will eat more of a healthy snack when it’s within arm’s reach — even when a more tempting treat is a little further away.
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Posted by
Sara on
Monday, March 31st, 2014 with
Comments Off on Ordering Healthy Office Meals: Use Google’s New Nutrition Comparison for Quick Dining Comments
Is it better to get chicken or pork in my green curry from the Thai place?
I’m trying to cut back on salt — should I order coleslaw or baked beans from the barbecue joint?
When you want to order healthier office meals, these are the kinds of burning questions that you want answered… but comparing menus and nutrition facts isn’t always possible, and rarely convenient! Luckily, late last year, Google quietly rolled out a new nutrition comparison search tool that makes life a lot simpler for health-conscious office workers. For example, simply type in “compare baked beans and coleslaw”, and a handy side-by-side nutrition chart pops up. (It turns out that while both sides are roughly equal in terms of calories, baked beans contain more than twice as much sodium.)
It’s easy to choose a healthier lunch option with Google’s new nutrition comparison tool.
Image source: Sara Gates
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Posted by
Sara on
Friday, March 28th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Thai Food for Beginners: How to Order More Exciting Office Meals Comments
Bursting with bright flavors and fresh ingredients, Thai food is incredibly diverse and delicious — no wonder it’s one of the top cuisines ordered in for office meals. If you’re new to the wide world of Thai food, though, it can also be quite intimidating! Does something called Pad See Ew actually taste good? What’s the difference between Massaman and Penang curries? And what, exactly, is Larb?
There’s a wide world of Thai food waiting to be discovered!
Image source: Flickr user calamityjane
If all you ever order is Pad Thai, read on. Thai food for beginners can be confusing, but we’ve picked out a few delicious (yet still approachable) must-try dishes for those who want to explore this adventurous cuisine! This guide is also handy for admin assistants who might need to please a variety of palates (or even picky eaters). So next time your office orders Thai food delivery, consider one of the following:
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Posted by
Sara on
Thursday, March 27th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Busy Season at the Office? Follow Accountants’ Expert Advice on Overtime Meals Comments
When the going gets tough, the tough get going… but they can’t do it on an empty stomach! That’s why smart employers know that during stressful periods — like running up to tight deadlines or working especially long hours — feeding your team overtime meals is a must.
Accountants are the experts when it comes to busy season – and they know food helps!
Image source: Flickr user Tim Regan
Accountants may be the most famous example: the vast majority of accounting firms refer to the first quarter of the year, leading up to April 15th, as the “busy season”. Extremely long hours, working weekends, increased job stress, and a focus on simply surviving the crunch time are the norm for accountants as they work to meet tax deadlines for clients.
The busy season for accountants is predictable (most employees know what they’re getting into when they enter the field), but many firms put in extra effort to make their team feel appreciated and taken care of during the high-stress time. It’s a smart strategy that other industries can learn from: every company undergoes a time when employees are asked to step up, take on extra tasks, and work longer hours.
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Posted by
Sara on
Wednesday, March 26th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Can Vitamin Deficiencies Impact Office Productivity? Nutrient-Rich Business Lunches Help! Comments
It may seem like vitamin and mineral deficiencies should be a thing of the past — or only appearing on commercials starring Sally Struthers — but the sad fact is that many Americans are overfed and undernourished. We have plenty of food, but when we don’t eat the healthiest kinds (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and fish), we can end up being deficient in certain vitamins and nutrients.
Vitamins and minerals help employees perform at their most energetic best!
Image source: Flickr user sharynmorrow
This matters — obviously to individual health, but also in the context of the workplace. A lack of some nutrients can lead to symptoms like fatigue and depression, which certainly take a toll on productivity and energy in the office. Adults need adequate levels of vitamins to function at their best — both physically and mentally — and research shows that we absorb them best when we consume them through our diet, rather than a pill.
Cultivate a workplace wellness culture, and combat the most common vitamin deficiencies that could be harming your employees! Invite a nutritionist in for a health-focused lunch and learn, or provide an incentive for employees to track their vitamin consumption on a smartphone app for a week and determine any weak spots. And, most importantly, lead by example: make sure the business lunches and catered meals you serve are healthy and wholesome.
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Posted by
Sara on
Tuesday, March 25th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Don’t Blame Corporate Catering: 4 Everyday Mistakes that Derail Healthy Eating Comments
Having trouble eating healthy at the office? Don’t blame the birthday cupcakes or the corporate catering.
Occasional cupcakes do less damage than daily bad habits in the office.
Image source: Flickr user Christian Niles
When people complain about how hard it is to meet their diet goals at the office, it’s always the special occasion treats that take the blame. And while cupcakes, lavish catered lunches, and the occasional celebratory pizza party are the biggest temptations to forget all your good intentions, there are far more frequent roadblocks we encounter every day.
Instead of obsessing over occasional pitfalls, watch out for these everyday habits that could be affecting your dietary goals:
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Posted by
Sara on
Monday, March 24th, 2014 with
Comments Off on Consider the Salad Bar for Business Lunches: High-Protein Diets May Lead to Cancer Comments
The Paleo diet may be the one of the most buzzed-about health trends of the last few years, but a new study is suggesting that such protein-rich diets might be linked to cancer risk and a shorter lifespan. If your office is working to promote employee wellness, take note: the potential health ramifications of eating lots of protein, especially animal-based, over the long term shouldn’t be ignored.
We may have a meat-lovers’ problem in America… and our offices.
Image source: Flickr user camknows
The study from the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California tracked the eating patterns of more than 6,300 people in middle age — that is, 50 and over. Researchers found that people who ate high-protein diets (with 20% or more of their daily calories coming from protein) were four times more likely to die of cancer than people who only took less than 10% of their diets from protein sources. They were also three times as likely to die from diabetes, and had higher death rates from any cause.
Of course, the story isn’t that simple (as it rarely is in nutrition studies!). People who ate larger amounts of plant-based proteins (like legumes and nuts) saw a significant reduction in their risk of death compared to those who ate a lot of animal-based proteins, both from meat and dairy.
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