Free Food?

Over the last few years, every company I have worked for has supplied some kind of food. Most commonly free fruit for all employees on a weekly, but usually a daily basis.

Most companies have also supplied unlimited free soft drinks (i.e. cans of coke and other fizzy drinks) and a few offices have even offered free breakfasts in every kitchen. Free breakfast usually consists of a huge range of different types of bread, “healthy” margarines, spreads and jam. There is also typically a wide choice of breakfast cereals and of course, skim milk to pour over the cereal.

Free fruit, cereal and bread at corporate offices – not so paleo

Paleo Food?

Whilst it’s nice to have things provided for free, unfortunately, on a Paleo Diet, nothing typically provided in an office environment is “proper food!” The fruit tends to be the fruit highest in fructose (and also cheapest), such as apples and bananas – never berries, which would be a good on occasion.

The breakfast foods on offer are all very high in refined carbohydrates, which cause a big spike in blood sugar levels – and then a crash soon after eating; making a rapid return to the refined carbs very likely. On top of the effect on blood sugars, bread and cereals are all grain based. This means an inflammatory reaction in the gut as well as having an acidic effect on the body. Not an ideal choice.

Unfortunately the typical office food on offer needs to be easy to store and prepare; bread and cereals couldn't be any easier to store – and are ready to eat as they are. These types of foods are also very cheap for a company to provide and popular with the low-fat-healthy-whole-grains conventional wisdom crowd.

Paleo food would be a lot harder for a company to provide in a work place environment. Most of the Paleo options would need to be freshly made and made with good quality ingredients; not very realistic in an office setting.

Until beef jerky, kombucha and bacon are common place in the office, I’d rather go without the free food and bring in my own.

Does your employer supply any food or drinks? What do they provide – is anything Paleo?

Free food offered to office workers and the impact on a Paleo diet

Why Free Office Food Can Sabotage Your Health Goals

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that free food equals good food. After all, who doesn't appreciate a stocked kitchen or complimentary breakfast bar? But if you're following a Paleo lifestyle or simply trying to eat clean, what’s on offer can quickly derail your health goals. From muesli bars loaded with hidden sugars to granola and yoghurt stations marketed as ‘healthy', the modern office pantry is a minefield for those avoiding grains, dairy, and refined sugars.

These foods not only fail to nourish — they often perpetuate the cycle of cravings, crashes, and bloating. Many employees eat breakfast cereal at 9am only to feel hungry and fatigued again by 10:30am. This is a direct result of the blood sugar rollercoaster set off by a high-carb, low-fat start to the day.

Common Office Staples and Their Paleo Replacements

If you're determined to stay Paleo at work, preparation is everything. Here’s a quick guide to popular office offerings — and how to replace them:

  • Instead of breakfast cereal: Bring hard-boiled eggs or a chia seed pudding made with coconut milk and topped with nuts.
  • Instead of toast and jam: Try homemade sweet potato toast topped with smashed avocado or smoked salmon.
  • Instead of fruit baskets brimming with bananas: Pack blueberries, raspberries, or an apple with a few macadamia nuts for balance.
  • Instead of skim milk and coffee pods: Brew your own coffee at home and add a splash of almond milk or MCT oil for lasting energy.

Bringing your own food does take effort, but it allows you to nourish your body properly and avoid the temptation of nutrient-poor convenience foods.

The Office Culture Around Food

Food plays a social role in many workplaces. Friday donuts, birthday cakes, mid-morning muffins — it’s all deeply woven into the rhythm of office life. Politely declining treats can sometimes feel antisocial or awkward, especially in close-knit teams. But sticking to your Paleo lifestyle doesn’t mean isolating yourself. Be confident and open about your health goals — most people are surprisingly supportive, and some may even be inspired to make healthier choices themselves.

Consider bringing in your own contribution to shared events — perhaps a platter of fresh veggies and guacamole or homemade Paleo bliss balls. That way, you can still join in without compromising your values or health.

How to Stay Prepared Without Spending Hours in the Kitchen

Being prepared doesn’t have to mean complicated meal prep marathons every weekend. Here are some quick and easy ideas to keep you fuelled at work:

  • Cook once, eat twice: Make extra at dinner and pack the leftovers for lunch.
  • Snack smart: Keep tins of wild-caught salmon, olives, and raw nuts in your desk drawer.
  • Freezer meals: Cook batches of Paleo soups, stews or meatballs and freeze them in individual containers for grab-and-go meals.
  • Portable condiments: Stock up on coconut aminos, avocado oil, or lemon juice sachets to add flavour and healthy fats to bland lunches.

The more you automate your food choices, the less likely you are to be swayed by the smell of toast or the sight of chocolate biscuits in the kitchen.

Rethinking What ‘Healthy Workplace' Really Means

It’s time for companies to reconsider what healthy really looks like. Offering low-fat yoghurt, cereal, and fruit juice may once have been seen as progressive, but the science has shifted. Modern workplaces that care about employee wellbeing could be offering filtered water, herbal teas, fermented foods like kimchi, or even a fridge stocked with hard-boiled eggs, carrot sticks, and guacamole.

In an ideal world, employers would provide real, whole foods — or at the very least, support staff in bringing in their own nourishing meals. Some forward-thinking companies have even begun including wellness initiatives that support Paleo or low-carb lifestyles, such as cooking workshops, lunch-and-learns with nutritionists, or fridge space and basic kitchen gear for meal prep.

Creating a Paleo-Friendly Routine at Work

Here’s a sample day that works for many Paleo professionals:

  • Breakfast: Frittata muffins made with spinach, bacon, and eggs, prepared on Sunday and stored in the fridge.
  • Morning tea: A boiled egg and a few strawberries.
  • Lunch: Leftover roast chicken with roasted veg and avocado slices.
  • Afternoon snack: Celery sticks with almond butter or a handful of mixed nuts.

This kind of menu keeps blood sugar stable, improves concentration, and eliminates the 3pm slump that haunts most office workers living on cereal and sandwiches.

The Bigger Picture: You Deserve Better Than Free Toast

At the end of the day, your health is too important to be dictated by what's easiest or cheapest for your employer to provide. While it's lovely to feel looked after, the reality is that most office-provided food is more about convenience and cost-efficiency than true nutrition. Choosing your own food — even if it means packing a lunchbox — is one of the most powerful forms of self-care.

It may not come in a box marked ‘Free’, but Paleo food pays off every single day in energy, clarity, and long-term health. Here's to reclaiming your desk from the cereal box and building a better routine, one real food meal at a time.

6 replies
  1. Carl
    Carl says:

    We have a lot of meetings during lunchtime and food is provided all the stuff that is just so tempting snack food, sausage rolls, cakes, sandwiches. I wish I had a say in more good choices.

  2. Rachael
    Rachael says:

    Hi

    Yeo we get fruit boxes at work too – no berries there however just mostly apples and bananas … which it has to be said when I ate them were pretty tasteless and made me wonder about where they came from and if they had been frozen or chilled to keep them ‘fresh’ for longer.

    We often have celebrations too which seems to mean cake. It would be nice to see a fruit platter once in a while.

    Funny though I was at the hospital last week and the visitors kitchen had free single serve Arnotts biscuits … I guess just because its a hospital doesn’t mean its going to be healthy

    Rachael

  3. Rob
    Rob says:

    When I was working in a corporate environment we were often shouted free lunches for meetings etc. There was always a call out for vegetarians, but the standard fare would always be white or wholegrain baguettes usually filled with salad and processed meat, or hot food like sausage rolls and pies, followed by a fruit platter. Ant the office supply of milk was always skim or low fat. It’s going to be a very steep up hill battle to get any workplace to change what they serve, especially if they are already serving what they regard as ‘healthy’.

  4. Jay Sempai
    Jay Sempai says:

    Actually I just came from a morning tea for a work colleague leaving. Until recently all the food provided for these occasions was sweets until they brought in a gourment platter with olives, stuffed capsicum, cheeses and salmon. It is great to have the alternative, i usually fold and have one sweet, which leads to maybe two. Sweets are where I have little self control so I usually prefer to have none there in the first place. I think the gourmet platter shows that our office is starting to change. The thing is, i know alot of the people in the office are health conscious but these occasions usually mean sweets because that is what they think everyone wants.

  5. MC
    MC says:

    I used to partake in office food offerings just to be part of the team and not seem high maintenance. But now that I have been at my job for five years and everyone knows I would not normally eat the bagels, doughnuts, pizza,etc., I just skip it and focus on the chatting.

  6. Wenchypoo
    Wenchypoo says:

    What if your “office” turns out to be a hotel/motel with one of those “continental breakfasts”? On WHAT continent do people actually eat this junk for breakfast?

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