Eating in the Canteen
Every day, especially for work needs, millions of your country have lunch outside the home and it is often difficult to reconcile this aspect with their diet.
On the other hand, it is certainly not easy for restaurateurs to associate the palatability and quality of food with a reasonable price. For this reason, in canteens and cheaper restaurants, precooked foods, artificial flavors and condiments such as cream and butter are widely used.
In these cases it becomes really easy to fall into temptation and make even quite gross eating errors.
However, we all have tricks at our disposal to defend ourselves from poor quality or too fatty foods that risk making our waistline rise. As always, we will analyze the question from a quantitative and qualitative point of view.
Which foods to choose?
WHO STARTS WELL ... a nutritious and balanced breakfast allows you to start the day with vil your country without making us get tired and hungry at the lunch break.
If vegetables are served as a buffet, eat them before other foods. In this way the digestive environment is prepared and, thanks to the presence of fiber with good satiating power, unnecessary binges are avoided.
FAST FOOD, NO THANKS ... better stay away even if it must be acknowledged that recently "almost healthy" proposals have been introduced to meet the needs of a public that is increasingly attentive to line and health. If you just can't resist the temptation, at least try to avoid sugary drinks like cola or fried foods.
PIZZA, ONCE EVERY TIME ... watch out for pizza! It sounds harmless but actually hides a lot of calories. To be precise, this food, typically your country, is not among the high-calorie foods but it is easy to consume large quantities (a medium-sized pizza weighs approximately 250-300 grams).
BEWARE OF USELESS CALORIES ... sugar in coffee, wine or sugary drinks instead of water, adding oil or grated cheese and so on. Ten grams of sugar + 15 grams of olive oil + 20 grams of Parmesan +1 canned cola alone provide approximately 400 Kcal.
EAT BALANCED ... white pasta makes you fat! The problem with pasta is that it is not very satiating and very caloric (unseasoned we are already at 360 kcal per 100 grams). However, if you combine it with some fiber (vegetables) or with fats and proteins (meat and olive oil), the satiety index increases considerably. Pasta with tuna, olive oil and tomato is perfect, an excellent example of a balanced and balanced single dish. Pasta with legumes and tomatoes is also balanced, as is the one with minced meat and courgettes, just to give some examples. Pasta alla carbonara is less so (vegetables are missing), as is the one with oil (vegetables and meat proteins are missing).
So, if the canteen offers pasta with a varied sauce and not too rich in fat, it can be eaten safely as a single plate. Otherwise better than meat, obviously not too greasy, with a little bread and vegetables to taste.
CHECK THE PORTIONS ... the company canteens must make known the quantity of the foods they offer. For example, if you ask for a portion of raw ham, that portion will have a predetermined weight of TOT grams. This way you can control the total amount of food you eat.
IF YOU ORDER AT THE BAR ... a sandwich with a few leaves of lettuce and some lean sliced ​​is the best choice. Other healthy choices are, for example, a fruit salad and some walnuts, a little bresaola with plenty of rocket and some flakes of parmesan.
BRING YOUR LUNCH AT HOME ... and always keep snacks close at hand. If you have the time to do this, consider bringing your own lunch. Certain foods such as a large salad, or brown rice with chicken and vegetables can be eaten cold.
PRICE, ENVIRONMENT AND STAFF: for the same price (it is difficult to think that a set menu for 10 euros is prepared with quality food) try to evaluate the attitude of the staff. A dirty shirt is a sign of poor hygiene, a special menu for celiacs or special dietary proposals emphasize the attention of the place.
EAT WITH CALM ... who is quick to eat .. sleeps to work! Eating in a hurry with the anxiety of getting back to work or housework as soon as possible makes it difficult to digest food. Not only that, as you probably know it takes about 20 minutes for the first signs of satiety to arrive in the brain. So those who eat quickly are prone to gain more weight and work less since digestive difficulties combined with overeating lower the threshold of attention and concentration.
TRY TO VARY .. now that you have learned which are the healthiest choices if the canteen or restaurant gives you the opportunity try to vary the menu. For example, if you take meat one day, choose fish or legumes the next.
Of course, following a diet outside the home will also be complicated but as you have seen with a little organization and good will everything becomes easier.
Prevent Folic Acid Deficiencies
Those who eat in the canteen are predisposed to a lack of folic acid and other thermolabile vitamins. The habit of keeping food warm due to prolonged exposure to heat tends to degrade these vitamins. For this reason it is good to try to compensate for this deficiency by consuming an evening meal rich in raw vegetables if possible.
TRY AT LEAST TO BALANCE THE SITUATION WITH THE EVENING MEAL.
