How to work it at work. Vegan Mofo Day 12.

Being a shift worker can make your butt huge. I'm not lying. There comes a point where you crave food and there is often a lot of crap food around that you wouldn't normally eat- especially when it comes to night shift.
The best way to get around this is to have tasty food on hand that you get excited about. Desks jobs are a similar situation. I put on 20 kilograms at my last desk job. I swore I would never work a desk job again.

First thing is first. Your lunch box.
Make sure you own the coolest lunchbox to your liking. May it be vintage tupperware, some space age fandangle thing or the latest in Japanese bento boxes. Make sure it's something you enjoy looking at.
Also, you want compartments. I have a stainless steel tiffin which has three compartments and will last forever. I found it at an op shop in Semaphore.

Secondly, what to put in it.
I have three containers in my tiffin. I also had three sections of my vintage Tupperware container I used to use. I highly recommend compartments or three separate containers. In one, I put fruits, nuts and raw (don't be afraid of that word!) bliss balls and truffles. In another I put a sexy salad, with delicious ingredients that I buy specifically for my working days. I also carry in my bag wraps just in case I am extra hungry and feel like turning my salad into a super comforting and filling wrap.
In the final one, I add either a desirable soup or a main of sorts, like a pasta or rice dish.

Where do I find the food to fill my lunchbox?
I love food shopping. I shop at the local markets, asian stores and fresh produce stores and rarely ever venture into a big supermarket chain. By "rarely", I mean maybe once every year or two. I love the vibrancy of markets and how cheap (yes! Cheap!) everything is.  My lover and I often have dinner dates on Fridays at the Central Markets and wander around tasting glorious foods. We always find interesting foods that create the most intense mouth-gasms that have ever existed. So, in order to have something to cook in the first place, I recommend supporting local farmers and grocers and having a fun time doing it.

Time poor? Let's talk about that.
I spend maybe two hours a week cooking food that goes in the fridge and freezer and lasts the whole week. I make a soup or a risotto or a lasagna or sushi or cold rolls or a burger patty or whatever I want the main to be and then divide it up into batches.
Then I make a batch of bliss balls or truffles or muesli bars or whatever I want my sweet treat to be. Whilst waiting for these things to cook, you can cut up veggies for your salad and pop them in containers in your fridge. Too easy.
Honestly, it really only takes ten minutes to cook a good meal. It's not like you have to watch it cook whilst it's in the oven. Find something else to do (like that pesky washing) and smell the goodness wafting from the oven whilst you're at it. Then, you'll have everything ready to grab for each day.

Allow yourself ten minutes a day to get your lunchbox ready. That's all the time you need. Think of it as a little "you" time. This seems like a lot of food and it is but it's also low calorie eating, packed full of nutrients and vitamins to keep you fit, happy and healthy. I lost 15 of those original kilos simply by packing my lunch and eating more.

These tips should see you through being a healthy, happy little work bunny and keep you away from the darkside. My lunchbox is the envy of my work colleges. Let yours be, too.

Need any more advice? Just ask... xx