We all love reasons to celebrate at work.
“It’s so-and-so’s birthday, let’s have cake for a 4pm snack!” Or,
“The team has been working so hard, I’ll order in some pizzas for lunch!” Or,
“It’s Friday, here is a box full of doughnuts!” (Enough for us to have at least 2 each!)
We know why we do it. We love our colleagues and care a lot about our work community as a whole. Sharing a meal, a treat or a snack together deepens our connection to each other and often allows us a few minutes to share a story or a laugh. The intention is good — we care, so we share. The problem is in all of those unhealthy choices that seem to have become the norm.
Here at PATH we have been trying to show how we care for our colleagues in new ways. Below are some of the PATH team’s ideas.
6 ideas for sharing at work that won’t derail your health goals:
- Bring in a bag of something seasonal (apples in the fall, clementines in the winter, is anything better?)
- Soak up some sun! A 15minute lunch-time walk with a coworker (or three!) will give you an energy boost and put a smile on your face for your entire afternoon.
- Stretch. Take 3-5minutes at the beginning , middle or end of a meeting to give everyone some stretch time. Use chair or walls to deepen the stretch.
- Prep some ‘home-chopped’ goodies (cheese and crackers, fruit salad, veggies and dip, celery and peanut butter, the list goes on and on!)
- Cook some vegetarian chili or vegetable soup in your crock pot
- If you want to bring a baked treat, try finding a healthier version of a favorite treat. I like these muffins from Everyday Food.
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup skim milk
- 4 medium carrots, shredded
- 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. In a
large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt until there are no lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots, and banana and
stir until blended.
Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in
center of a muffin comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.
Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 3 days.)