Who would have thought your childhood lunchbox could be a collector’s item today?
Mint-condition “Star Trek” sets from 1968 have sold for around $2,000. A 1966 box depicting The Beatles has topped two grand at auction, while containers featuring Dudley Do-Right — the goofy Canadian Mountie from “The Bullwinkle Show” — have sold for more than $3,000. Speaking of Canadiana, even plastic Wayne Gretzky boxes from the 1980s are being sold for hundreds of dollars today.
That said, what’s ON a lunchbox is nowhere near as important as what’s INSIDE. In the new “Gold Medal Office Health Tips” ebook, which you can download for free in time for Canadian Men’s Health Week (June 10 to 16), Olympic champion rower-turned-executive coach Adam Kreek shares these super-easy pointers for eating healthier lunches and snacks at work:
Aim for breakfast
We’ve all been there: In the rush to work, breakfast gets lost in the shuffle. Then, by the middle of the morning, you’re either running on fumes or tempted to fill the void with salty, fatty or sugary junk food from a drive-thru or vending machine.
Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. These healthy breakfast ideas taste great, take minutes to prepare, and are easy to bring to work in sealed plastic containers. No time for food prep in the morning? No problem: By using a bit of spare time in the evening or on weekends, you can get ahead of the game by whipping up delicious morning meals — as well as lunches and snacks — that do your body good and save you some serious coin.
Break from your desk
You can boost your mood and creativity by enjoying a healthy lunch away from your desk.
Healthy snacks at your desk
It’s surprisingly easy to replace junk food with tasty and healthy snack foods you can keep at your desk. Here’s how:
Avoid temptation: Keep unhealthy foods out of sight and out of reach. Instead of having a bowl of candy on your desk, put out a bowl of fresh fruit or mixed nuts. You’re more likely to grab something healthy if it’s in your face.
Plan ahead: As with breakfast and lunch, prepare snacks ahead of time so they’re ready to grab when you rush out the door. Non-perishable foods, such as healthy granola bars, trail mix and dried fruit, can also be stored in your desk and car.
Skip the vending machine: Instead of shelling out for overpriced junk, head to a supermarket or corner store and spend your spare change on cheaper, fresher and tastier snacks that are better for you.
Go big with a water bottle
Drinking plenty of water is an easy, no-cost way to achieve so many awesome health benefits:
Extra energy: Your brain and body need water to work properly, and drinking lots of it at work will help make you sharper and more energetic. This, in turn, will give you the boost you need to get some easy exercise by taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Weight loss: Drinking water fills up your stomach, which makes you feel less hungry. Studies have also shown that drinking water reduces our intake of sugary soda pop and fatty coffees. At the same time, your body actually burns calories as it processes the zero-calorie water you drink. Talk about getting something for nothing!
Money savings: As well as contributing to weight gain, pop and frappuccinos cost money. How many calories does water have? Zero. How much does tap water cost? Bingo!
As you can see, the value of a vintage lunchbox pales in comparison to the value of bringing homemade lunches and snacks to work in any kind of container. For one thing, it can save you thousands of dollars a year compared to getting take-out or dining in restaurants. For another, eating nutritious homemade foods at work can help you feel and look better — and you can’t put a dollar figure on that!
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