In a recent Women In Optometry Pop-up Poll, nearly 51 percent of the respondents to our “Eating on the Run” questions said that they bring lunch from home to eat while they’re at work. About 20 percent said they sometimes take a break for lunch and sometimes don’t, and 17 percent said that they routinely leave the office for a lunch break. Ordering out for lunch is the typical MO for about 6 percent of the respondents.
Finding the time to eat lunch is tricky for about 15 percent of the respondents, with some noting their lunch break is often 15 minutes or less.
WATER BREAKS
More than two-thirds of the respondents said that they do not drink enough water while they’re at work. Those 67 percent said that they’re trying to catch up on water intake before or after work. Just fewer than one-in-four respondents said that they do drink enough water, and most of the remainder said that they do not track their water intake.
Even so, a slight majority of respondents said that they are general satisfied with the way they eat and drink during the workday, with 26 percent saying they are satisfied most of the time and 29 percent saying generally satisfied, but not always. Thirty-nine percent said they are not really eating or drinking the way they would like during the workday, and five percent said they are not at all satisfied. At least one respondent said that she has begun intermittent fasting because of the results she got from skipping lunch.
Ninety-one percent of the respondents to this Pop-up Poll said they were women ODs. Here are some of the tips they shared.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
“Bring lunch from home! Saves calories and money.”
“Keep healthy snacks like fresh fruit and nuts on your desk so you are not tempted to fill your hunger by grabbing from the office candy jar!”
“Meal prep is key. I prepare three days-worth of food at a time.”
“Take a minimum of 10 minutes…”
“Bring a lunch from home that is packed with your favorite fruits and vegetables.”
“Hard-boiled eggs or cashews to eat on the run.”
“Bring healthy food and snacks from home. Avoid snacking.”
“If you keep in-office snacks, make them balance nutritionally. I keep Greek yogurt for protein, packets of grits for iron, and hot tea with vitamin packets for little supplement boosts. It’s not perfect, but it helps when I find myself suddenly short on something.”
“I fast most of the day and have been doing this for 30 years!
“Always pack! Delivery and take out is a fast path to unhealthy habits!”
“I typically bring leftovers or salad from home.”
