Best Lunches For Sedentary Jobs

Best Power Lunches To Help You Avoid Afternoon Sleepy Time
|
Open Image Modal
Paul Bradbury via Getty Images

Of all the meals in the day, lunchtime is the one that no longer has any 'me time'.

For office workers, this midday meal was long ago subsumed into the work routine, and is now more likely to involve something-from-Pret than a lovingly prepared homemade food offering, which satisfies both your taste and energy needs.

More than any other daily meal, lunch signifies precisely how desk-bound workers feel about their day.

Utterly bored by your current task? It's straight to the baguette section of your nearest supermarket, no questions asked.

Lunch for office workers has become an intriguing symbol of necessity and self-reward. A moment to cram something into your mouth that brings instant delight, and distract your mind from the sight of your PC screen.

However, as much as chomping a ham and cheese baguette might bring sweet relief, your physical body probably needs more than a hedonic, carb and fat kick around 1pm.

What have you done to make work wonderful? Share your stories on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #makeworkwonderful

If you find yourself nodding off around 3pm. Or craving your lunch at 11.30am, it's possible that you need to rethink what you're putting in your mouth during the work day.

Imagine if you had enough energy to power through the afternoon and always leave on time. Sound tempting?

According to Lifehacker.com, there's a relatively simple way to keep your energy levels constant throughout the day.

"The glycemic index is a very useful guide for measuring how quickly the food you eat will be turned into glucose.

"High GI foods like white bread, white rice, and most cereals, are easily converted into glucose in your body. Low GI foods like most vegetables, whole grains, meat, milk, nuts, and eggs, are converted much slower. Steer yourself towards Low GI foods and you'll iron out most of the bumps in your daily blood."

Luckily, GI food choices tend to be terrific either ate hot or cold. So you can make up a batch of your favourite pulse-based salad, pop it in the fridge at work and eat small amounts throughout the day to keep your energy levels high.

The British Dietetic Association recommend eating regular meals, and planned snacks to maintain a healthy weight.

It's clearly time to start listening to our bodies, and working out the best time to eat... before we hit that energy slump and head to the vending machine.

We've pulled together some of the best recipes on the web to inspire your lunch choices

Best Lunches For Sedentary Jobs
Tuna, Asparagus And White Bean salad(01 of71)
Open Image Modal
Click here to find out how to make this incredible salad from the BBC's GoodFood team. (credit:BBC GoodFood)
Chicken Satay (02 of71)
Open Image Modal
244 calories This chicken satay can be either barbecued or grilled (broiled). They taste delicious served on a bed of spinach with some lime juice squeezed over, adding on the appropriate calories, if you are on a fast day. If using wooden skewers, make sure they are soaked in a bowl of water for at least 30 minutes before using to prevent them burning during cooking. Serves 2 Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus 3–4 hours marinating Cook time: 10 minutes 250g (9oz) skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes, about 2.5cm (1in) square (265 cals)1 shallot, peeled and diced (5 cals)1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed (3 cals)2 tsp curry powder1 level tbsp peanut butter (182 cals)1 tsp runny honey (23 cals)2 tbsp soy sauce (9 cals) To make the marinade, mix the shallot, garlic, curry powder, peanut butter, honey and soy sauce together in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss until the chicken is coated all over in the marinade. Leave to marinade in the refrigerator for 3–4 hours. Preheat the grill (broiler) to medium or light the barbecue. Thread the chicken cubes onto 2–4 skewers, leaving room between the chicken pieces to allow them to cook thoroughly. Grill (broil) for about 10 minutes, turning regularly, until cooked through. Serve immediately.Recipe courtesy of The 5:2 Bikini Diet
Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry Recipe with Sweet Potato & Chickpeas(03 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry Recipe with Sweet Potato & Chickpeas recipe from Cookin' Canuck (credit:Cookin' Canuck)
Hot Butter Bean Salad(04 of71)
Open Image Modal
Possibly the easiest and tastiest salad in the world. Find out how to make this brilliant lunchtime meal, here. (credit:BBC GoodFood)
Halloumi Salad(05 of71)
Open Image Modal
215 calories Serves 1 Preparation time: 5 minutes Cook time: 8 minutes, plus 10 minutes cooling 2 vine ripened tomatoes, sliced (26 cals)½ red (bell) pepper, deseeded and cut into strips (25 cals)50g (13/4oz) light halloumi, drained and sliced into thin squares (122 cals)75g (3oz) Italian mixed salad leaves (greens) (10 cals) For the marinade½ garlic clove, peeled and crushed (2 cals)juice of 1 lime (3 cals)1 tsp chopped fresh parsley½ tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)freshly ground black pepper1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (27 cals) To make the marinade, combine the garlic, lime juice, parsley, chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), pepper, 1 tablespoon water and the olive oil in a wide bowl. Add the sliced tomatoes to the marinade. Heat a large frying pan (skillet) and dry-fry the red (bell) pepper strips for about 5 minutes until slightly blackened, then put them with the tomatoes in the marinade. Fry the halloumi slices in the same pan until golden on both sides, they will only take a minute in a hot pan. When they are cooked add them to the marinade and turn until the halloumi is coated all over. Leave the halloumi to cool for about 10 minutes. Arrange the salad leaves (greens) on a wide serving plate and put the halloumi, pepper strips and tomatoes on top. Drizzle over the remaining marinade and serve.Recipe courtesy of The 5:2 Bikini Diet
Basil Hummus(06 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Basil Hummus recipe by Simply Recipes (credit:Simply Recipes)
Garlicky Swiss Chard and Chickpeas(07 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Garlicky Swiss Chard and Chickpeas recipe from FoodieCrush (credit:FoodieCrush)
Super-Green Mackerel Salad(08 of71)
Open Image Modal
To find out how to put this super-simple salad together, click here. (credit:BBC GoodFood)
Chickpea, Avocado, & Feta Salad(09 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Chickpea, Avocado, & Feta Salad recipe from Two Peas And Their Pod (credit:Two Peas And Their Pod)
Moorish-Style Chickpea And Spinach Stew(10 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Moorish-style Chickpea and Spinach Stew recipe from New Media Publishing (credit:New Media Publishing)
Rice Salad(11 of71)
Open Image Modal
One to make in advance and spoon out when needed! Find out what to do, here. (credit:BBC GoodFood)
Quinoa Chickpea and Avocado Salad(12 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Quinoa Chickpea and Avocado Salad recipe from SkinnyTaste (credit:SkinnyTaste)
Moroccan Chickpea Barley Salad(13 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Moroccan Chickpea Barley Salad recipe by Simply Recipes (credit:Simply Recipes)
Vedge's Spiced Little Carrots(14 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get Vedge's Spiced Little Carrots with Chickpea-Sauerkraut Puree recipe by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby from Fodo52 (credit:Food52)
Homemade Falafal(15 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Homemade Falafel recipe from Alexandra Cooks (credit:Alexandra Cooks)
Chickpeas With Tomatoes And Carrots(16 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Carrots recipe by Cedric Angeles from Food&Wine (credit:Cedric Angeles/Food&Wine)
Easy Hummus With Tahini(17 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Easy Hummus with Tahini recipe by Tina Rupp from Food&Wine (credit:Tina Rupp/Food&Wine)
Beetroot Risotto(18 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Beet Risotto recipe (credit:New Media Publishing)
Roasted Beets And Celery Root With Goat Butter(19 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Roasted Beets and Celery Root with Goat Butter recipe (credit:Quentin Bacon/Food&Wine)
Beet-and-Apple Salad(20 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Beet-and-Apple Salad recipe (credit:David Malosh/Food&Wine)
Carrots With Tahini Dressing(21 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Carrots with Tahini Dressing recipe (credit:Quentin Bacon/Food&Wine)
Warm Winter-Vegetable Salad(22 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Warm Winter-Vegetable Salad recipe (credit:Jan Baldwin/Food&Wine)
Turnip Kimchi(23 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Turnip Kimchi recipe (credit:John Kernick)
BLT Chopped Salad With Corn, Feta And Avocado(24 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the BLT Chopped Salad with Corn, Feta and Avocado recipe by How Sweet It Is (credit:How Sweet It Is)
Grilled Zucchini Ribbon And Kale Salad(25 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Grilled Zucchini Ribbon and Kale Salad recipe by Bev Cooks (credit:Bev Cooks)
Sushi Salad(26 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Sushi Salad recipe by A Beautiful Mess (credit:A Beautiful Mess)
Pickled Strawberry And Roasted Beet Salad(27 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Pickled Strawberry and Roasted Beet Salad recipe by Foodiecrush (credit:Foodiecrush)
Chopped Chicken Taco Salads(28 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Chopped Chicken Taco Salads recipe by How Sweet It Is (credit:How Sweet It Is)
Pear Roquefort Salad(29 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Pear Roquefort Salad recipe by Verses from my Kitchen (credit:Verses from my Kitchen)
Asian Tuna Salad(30 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Asian Tuna Salad recipe by Simply Recipes (credit:Simply Recipes)
Carrots And Courgettes Linguini With Tomatoes(31 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Carrots and Courgettes Linguini with Tomatoes recipe by Steamy Kitchen (credit:Steamy Kitchen)
Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Salads(32 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Salads recipe by How Sweet It Is (credit:How Sweet It Is)
Butternut Squash Butter Lettuce Salad With Spicy Avocado Dressing(33 of71)
Open Image Modal
Quinoa Fajita Salad(34 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Quinoa Fajita Salad recipe by A Beautiful Mess (credit:A Beautiful Mess)
Roast Carrot, Lentil & Avocado Salad(35 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Roast Carrot, Lentil & Avocado Salad recipe by Verses from my Kitchen (credit:Verses from my Kitchen)
Greek Salad(36 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Greek Salad recipe by Simply Recipes (credit:Simply Recipes)
Stacked Apple Salad(37 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Stacked Apple Salad recipe by Verses from my Kitchen (credit:Verses from my Kitchen)
Tequila Lime Flank Steak Fajita Salad(38 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Tequila Lime Flank Steak Fajita Salad recipe by How Sweet It Is (credit:How Sweet It Is)
Quinoa Salad With Black Beans, Corn, And Tomatoes(39 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Corn, and Tomatoes recipe by Simply Recipes (credit:Simply Recipes)
Fried Citrus Salad(40 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Fried Citrus Salad recipe by A Beautiful Mess (credit:A Beautiful Mess)
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad(41 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad recipe by merrill via Food52 (credit:Sarah Schatz/Food52)
Dilled, Crunchy Sweet-Corn Salad(42 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Dilled, Crunchy Sweet-Corn Salad recipe by creamtea via Food52 (credit:Food52)
Raw Kale Salad With Lentils And Sweet Apricot Vinaigrette(43 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Raw Kale Salad with Lentils and Sweet Apricot Vinaigrette recipe by Gena Hamshaw (credit:James Ransom)
Ginger Beef Salad(44 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Ginger Beef Salad recipe (credit:Yunhee Kim/Food & Wine)
Ham And Egg Salad(45 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Ham and Egg Salad recipe (credit:Taste)
Spinach, Gruyere, Dried Cranberry And Walnut Salad(46 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Spinach, Gruyere, Dried Cranberry and Walnut Salad recipe (credit:New Media Publishing)
Kale And Apple Salad With Pancetta And Candied Pecans(47 of71)
Open Image Modal
Thai Crab And Green Mango Salad(48 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Thai Crab and Green Mango Salad recipe (credit:John Kernick/Food&Wine)
Winter Salad With Rice Vinaigrette(49 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Winter Salad with Rice Vinaigrette recipe (credit:New Media Publishing)
Lemony Bulgur Salad With Shrimp And Spinach(50 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Lemony Bulgur Salad with Shrimp and Spinach recipe (credit:Petrina Tinslay/Food&Wine)
Winter Chicken Salad With Citrus And Celery(51 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Winter Chicken Salad with Citrus and Celery recipe (credit:Quentin Bacon/Food&Wine)
Bitter Greens With Almonds And Goat Cheese(52 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Bitter Greens with Almonds and Goat Cheese recipe (credit:Frances Janisch/Food&Wine)
Warm Flank Steak Salad With Mint And Cilantro(53 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Warm Flank Steak Salad with Mint and Cilantro recipe (credit:Cedric Angeles/Food&Wine)
Pan-Roasted Salmon-And-Bread Salad(54 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Pan-Roasted Salmon-And-Bread Salad recipe (credit:Kana Okada/Food&Wine)
Barley And Spinach Salad With Tofu Dressing(55 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Barley and Spinach Salad with Tofu Dressing recipe (credit:Hallie Burton/Food&Wine)
New-Style Greek Salad(56 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the New-Style Greek Salad recipe (credit:Taste)
Winter Greens Salad(57 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Winter Greens Salad recipe (credit:Antonis Achilleos/Food&Wine)
Warm Spaghetti-Squash Salad(58 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Warm Spaghetti-Squash Salad recipe (credit:John Kernick/Food&Wine)
Scallops With Grapefruit-Onion Salad(59 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Scallops with Grapefruit-Onion Salad recipe (credit:Con Poulos/Food&Wine)
Warm Chicken And Rice Noodle Salad(60 of71)
Open Image Modal
Black-Eyed-Pea Salad(61 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Black-Eyed-Pea Salad recipe (credit:Frances Janisch/Food&Wine)
Beet-And-Apple Salad(62 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Beet-and-Apple Salad recipe (credit:David Malosh/Food&Wine)
Green Goddess Chicken Salad(63 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Green Goddess Chicken Salad recipe (credit:Petrina Tinslay/Food&Wine)
BLT Bread Salad(64 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the BLT Bread Salad recipe (credit:Hallie Burton/Food&Wine)
Pickled Vegetable Salad With Soft-Boiled Eggs(65 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Pickled Vegetable Salad with Soft-Boiled Eggs recipe (credit:Keller + Keller/Food&Wine)
Grilled Beet Salad With Balsamic And Goat Cheese(66 of71)
Open Image Modal
Butternut Squash Salad With Hazelnuts(67 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Butternut Squash Salad with Hazelnuts recipe (credit:Frances Janisch/Food&Wine)
Green Mango Salad(68 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Green Mango Salad recipe (credit:Maura McEvoy/Food&Wine)
Roasted Pears With Creamy Goat Cheese And Wild Arugula(69 of71)
Open Image Modal
Smoked-Trout Salad With Mustard Dressing(70 of71)
Open Image Modal
Get the Smoked-Trout Salad with Mustard Dressing recipe (credit:Con Poulos/Food&Wine)
Lentil, Cilantro And Chili Salad(71 of71)
Open Image Modal