Claudine is 36 and a communications consultant
She has just moved to Waiheke to run her own business from home, however she often has to travel into the city to meet clients. When working from home she tends to be more organised with cooking her own meals. However when her day is busier with meetings and commuting all that goes out the window—meal times are random, often with big gaps between, eaten quickly and bought rather than made. Would she say her diet is typical of others in her profession?
"Yes, I would say so — consultants tend to sway between having free time to cook (and eat more wholesome foods) and grabbing something on the run when things get hectic!"
8.30am Scrambled eggs (organic and free range) with a little bit of cheese, blanched silverbeet from the garden and 1 piece of gluten-free 5-grain toast. Breakfast was made for me, packed and eaten in the car as I was being driven to a meeting.
10.30am & 12pm Soy flat whites between meetings
2.00pm Tandoori chicken sandwich from a bakery which was made up of two large pieces of wholemeal bread, salad, pieces of tandoori chicken and some cheese and mayonnaise.
4.30pm Tamari almonds (approx. 10), a mandarin and some grapes. Wasn't prepared for afternoon tea so what I ate was determined by what a workmate offered me and what was in the lunchroom.
6.30pm Vietnamese noodle salad at the Ponsonby Food Court
8pm 2 small cubes gluten-free chocolate brownie, a mint chocolate biscuit and a herbal tea. Leftover from a friend's baking session.
I realised I only drank about 3 glasses of water throughout the whole day!
Nadia Lim's nutrition quick fix
Even though you are eating away from home, you’ve managed to keep a reasonably balanced diet through your food choices, however I would suggest you take a "snack pack" of cut up vegetables with you to bump up your vege intake. Nevertheless it’s not so much what you’re eating, but how you’re eating that could be improved. Though eating in a hurry may help you get to the next meeting, it’s not very good for digestion or your weight — studies have found that those who eat in a rush are likely to consume more calories without realising. You also need to watch your fluid intake — less coffee (a diuretic) and more water will ensure you’re hydrated.
