I eat lunch at my desk almost every day. Yes… I know that’s not the way that you’re suppose to do it. That it’s supposedly better to go for a walk, get together with friends or do something to get away from your desk, but the way I see it, if I spend lunch at my desk, I can go do all of those other things a little sooner.
Plus, when I get in a groove it’s good to stay in it.
So then the question is how to make lunch at my desk the most exciting it can be. 95% of the time I pack my lunch from home, but after being in a container for five hours, if not overnight, often it could use a boost, so I created a little foodie first aid kit that I keep in my desk drawer for all my foodie first aid needs.
I think it was something I read on the Airfare Watchdog blog about things to pack to make airline food more palatable that served as the inspiration.
• Olive oil – Leave the cheap bottle in the break room cabinets for the masses and keep the good stuff for yourself to toss with salads, dip bread in or give creamy soups a little finishing drizzle. Plus this is sure to reinforce your foodie status with your office mate.
• Black pepper – Treat yourself and pop for the $2.89 bottle that includes a grinder because fresh ground is really that much better and frankly, you deserve it.
• Salt – Granted if you’re eating prepackaged foods added salt is probably the last thing you need but it’s amazing what a little sprinkle will do to bring a salad to life. I particularly love this little pinch-sized container of Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.
• Almond butter – Perfect to grab if the hangries are setting it. Spread on an apple or a couple multi-grain crackers and it keeps the beast at bay. I like the fresh ground variety available at Winco or Whole Foods.
• Hot sauce – For one, because I never know when I might find myself with a bag of warm goodies after an impromptu appearance by the tamale lady but that’s certainly not the limitations of a bottle of hot sauce. It goes a long ways towards adding flavor and excitement to a brown bagger.
Other things come and go but these are the staples of my foodie first aid kit. Know of something I’m missing that would make lunch at my desk that much better (besides a bottle of wine)? I’d love to hear from you.