6 Tips for Eating Breakfast at Your Desk

December 13th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner

About a month ago, we posted an important question: Do you eat deskfast?

That’s the morning meal you consume at your desk, and it’s rife with nutritional pitfalls.

“For some people, deskfast automatically means something that is picked up at a fast-food restaurant, coffee bar or convenience store on the way to work,” explains registered dietitian Karen Collins, nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research.

While our last deskfast post offered healthful solutions, we have a sneaking suspicion that some readers remain time-challenged and continue to struggle with the allure of a hot grab-and-go meal.

If so, check out Collins’ helpful tips:

  1. Identify your top breakfast choices ahead of time so you don’t grab the first thing you see.
  2. Avoid biscuits and croissants loaded with sausage, bacon, cheese and eggs. They’re high in calories and can supply nearly a whole day’s saturated fat and at least half a day’s sodium. Instead, pick up a small-size, meat-free breakfast sandwich on an English muffin, toast or small deli roll. An egg-and-cheese filling is fine. Whenever possible, opt for whole-grain breads.
  3. A jumbo muffin, Danish or scone weighs in at 350 to 500+ calories, which includes 8 to 12 teaspoons of sugar. These bakery temptations also invite an energy crash about an hour after you eat them. Instead, check local natural and organic cafés for oatmeal, and combine it with little packets of nuts and/or dried fruit. Add an extra piece of fruit or a small glass of juice or skim-milk latté, and you’ll keep your calorie count in the 400 to 425 zone, which works for most adults.
  4. Reduced-fat bakery items may appear healthier, but they often contain equal amounts of sugar and refined grains. The added punch line: You may not be saving that many calories.
  5. Fruit-and-yogurt parfaits can be a healthful option, as long as the yogurt isn’t too high in sugar and the granola isn’t piled on with a trowel.
  6. Eat mindfully when at your desk. Focus on your food as you eat, not on the papers stacked up in your in-basket. You’ll reduce stress, which means you’ll be less likely to grab a nutritionally bankrupt mid-morning snack.

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Do You Eat Deskfast?

November 11th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner

You’re late for work, skip breakfast and grab something when you arrive at your job.

In 1996, the dictionary listed a new word for this meal: deskfast.

Approximately 20% of us indulge in deskfast, according to registered dietitian Karen Collins, nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research. The trick is to choose whole—not junk—foods.

“A strategy for a high-energy, health-promoting breakfast is to include a good source of protein plus a whole grain and a fruit or vegetable,” Collins says. “For protein, consider dairy or soy versions of skim milk, low-fat yogurt or reduced-fat cheese, an egg, peanut butter, walnuts or almonds. For a less traditional breakfast, grab leftover chicken or chili.

“Juice is one quick way to get vitamins and antioxidants,” she adds, “but if you’re trying to lose weight or have trouble with mid-morning hunger pangs, studies suggest that solid fruit [or vegetables] may keep you satisfied longer and for fewer calories.”

Fresh fruit can pose the greatest deskfast challenge, unless you work close to a store that carries natural and organic foods. Collins urges readers to wash or cut up fruit the night before.

Packing a complete deskfast the night before is the most economical option.

“In 5 to 10 minutes, you can make a peanut butter and fruit sandwich on whole wheat, a container of whole-grain cereal with separate containers of milk and fruit to combine at work, or grab dinner leftovers,” she says.

Read More:Do You Eat Deskfast?

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