Keto in the Office 101
KETO IN THE OFFICE 101
6 min read
Many of us are looking at a full or part time return to the office in the near future. Whether you are new to keto or have followed it for a long time, having a few tricks up your sleeve will help you stay in ketosis at work.
This practical guide will help you maintain your healthy keto diet whilst juggling a busy office lifestyle.
Preparation is Key
If you’ve been working from home during the pandemic, your kitchen has been mere metres away for over a year now. Sticking to the keto diet at home is one thing, but making the right choices in the office will be a whole new ball game.
When working from the office, you’ll need to prepare meals and snacks in advance to ensure your body remains in ketosis all day. If you bring in keto-friendly foods from home, you’ll be far less tempted to reach for non-keto foods or treats that your colleagues might bring in to share.
Rather than winging it, writing down a diet plan for the following day or week can make it much easier to eat the right foods. Having a plan also helps you get into the right mindset for successful keto before you leave home in the morning.
How can I incorporate keto in the office?
Although we will consider keto friendly grab-and-go alternatives later, many people find it easier to prepare and pack a keto lunch at home.
What to Pack
If you’ve spent most of your adult life eating a ham sandwich for lunch, keto is a great way to brighten up office meals.
- 1. Lunch. Most people like to have something to look forward to in the middle of the day. Meat, fish, green leaves or broccoli, avocado and cherry tomatoes all make for a colourful and exciting lunchbox.
In addition to these staples, you might like to add a few berries, a small handful of nuts or seeds, and a few olives. - 2. Snacks. When everyone else starts reaching for the biscuits, it can be helpful to have your own supply of keto snacks.
Homemade egg muffins or a boiled egg can give you a great energy boost, and small pieces of cheese can be surprisingly satisfying, too. Adonis bars are a deliciously convenient on-the-go snack specifically designed to support the keto diet.
Adonis Vanilla MCT Oil contains the healthy fat caprylic acid to keep you in ketosis for sustained weight loss. MCTs are quickly converted to ketones by the liver, giving an immediate energy source and nourishing the brain for improved cognitive function. Using Adonis MCT oil may therefore help you focus on your work tasks whilst supporting ongoing ketosis. Caprylic acid is a medium chain triglyceride (MCT) naturally derived from coconut oil, and in an animal study it was also proven to reduce cholesterol levels in subjects eating a high-fat diet. Adding Adonis Vanilla MCT Oil could therefore also support your overall cardiovascular health on keto. - 3. Bulletproof Coffee. The bulletproof coffee is popular amongst keto dieters. The drink contains two cups of coffee, MCT oil and butter (or a plant based alternative). Bulletproof coffees are frothy and filling, which may help to prevent you seeking out a high carbohydrate snack in the shared kitchen. Caffeine also increases the metabolic rate and boosts energy, helping you to get through the mid-afternoon lull. Caffeine is known to improve cognitive capabilities, as well as having a positive impact on alertness, attention and reaction times. Ensuring you have a supply of butter and MCT oil in the office could lead to an improvement in your afternoon productivity.
When to Prepare
No-one enjoys making their lunch the night before work, but taking 10 minutes to prepare food for the next day could have a big impact on how successful you are at sticking to keto.
First of all, invest in a compartment or bento-style lunchbox. This will give you a fuss-free way to pack the components of your keto lunch without struggling with cling-film or foil. The compartments also keep your lunch looking delicious.
Secondly, think ahead. If you make chicken or a plant based alternative for dinner, cook double so that you can take the remaining half into work the next day. Similarly, when packing your lunch on a Sunday night ready for Monday, you might as well pack up 5 portions of any dried snacks, such as nuts or seeds, so that you can grab a pot each day. Small hacks can make a big difference!
Keto on the Go
Of course, there will be days when it isn’t practical to pre-prepare a keto lunch, or you simply run out of time. Luckily, there are some well-known food chains that have realised the benefit of offering keto options to customers.
Costa Coffee is popular with workers nationwide. If you’ve missed barista coffee whilst working from home, choose black coffee for a smooth caffeine boost. If you need milk, ask for a dash of almond, coconut or soy milk which boast the lowest carbs of all the milk options. You can also choose to add a shot of gingerbread or caramel syrup, as both are available as a keto-friendly sugar-free option. Costa’s protein nut mix also only contains 1.4g of carbs per serving.
The popular lunchtime haunt Pret-a-Manger is great when you need to grab lunch and remain in ketosis. With several keto-friendly options available, you could choose from a Tuna Niçoise Salad without dressing (4g carbs), Cauliflower Tabbouleh Veg Pot (8g carbs) or a Courgetti Veggie Pot (5g carbs).
Adonis bars are stocked by Sainsbury’s, Holland and Barrett and Amazon. They are plant based and contain less than 5% sugar, making them an easy, but healthy, snack when you need something to keep you going at work.
Keeping on Track
It can be easy to lose track of your diet, especially if you eat out or pick up lunch in a coffee shop. A few simple supplements and gadgets may help you persevere with keto.
Ketone Test Strips
The simplest way to check whether you are in ketosis is to check for the presence of ketones in the urine. A positive test indicates that you are in a state of ketosis, the mechanism of weight loss on keto.
Macro Calculator and Tracker Apps
Numerous keto apps are available for you to log your food intake, exercise levels and weight. This can help you monitor whether you are getting your macros right, as well as being able to track weight loss. Tracking your progress regularly is thought to increase the success of the diet.
Water Bottle
It’s low-tech, but having a water bottle on your desk at work may encourage you to drink more. It’s also easy to keep track of your fluid intake, which should be higher than usual on keto to replace the increased fluid excretion. Aim for light yellow to clear urine, as this is a good sign that you are drinking enough.
Electrolyte Supplements
If you are new to keto, it is worth adding electrolyte supplements to your routine in the office. A reduction in electrolytes due to increased water loss at the start of keto can lead to symptoms known as ‘keto flu’. Supplements can help minimise keto flu, and help you meet nutritional requirements.
Final Thoughts
With some planning, it is easy to maintain a keto diet when you return to the office. Prepare meals and snacks in advance, know where to turn to for keto-friendly meals on-the-go, and track your progress each day to ensure you stay in ketosis. To prepare for your return to the office, find out more about Adonis bars and MCT oil here.
References:
https://www.adonis-foods.com/shop/
https://www.adonis-foods.com/bar/vanilla-c8-mct-oil/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2671041/
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/bbb/77/7/77_120999/_pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912010/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763416300690
https://www.costa.co.uk/menu
https://www.pret.co.uk/en-GB/our-menu
https://www.adonis-foods.com/about-us/
https://www.sbm.org/healthy-living/the-7-components-of-a-successful-weight-loss-plan
https://www.adonis-foods.com/