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7 Ways to Make Your Desk Job Healthier

In an ideal world, none of us would have jobs in offices or at desks, and we’d all have the day free to roam the land, walking miles to hunt for tonight’s dinner or digging in the vegetable garden. Sadly, real life isn't that simple – and many of us rely on the jobs we have to provide ourselves with good quality, healthy foods to put on the table of an evening.

We know the health impacts long periods of sitting at a desk can bring about, so here are seven things you can do to make this kind of work healthier.

1. Take a movement break every hour

If your job forces you to sit still for most of the day, it’s important you take the time to move as often as you can. Try and schedule a five minute ‘movement break’ every hour, where you go for a walk and stretch. This will help to counteract the negative impact on your posture and muscle alignment of long periods of sitting down.

2. Walk to work

If you’re lucky enough to live within a reasonable distance to your workplace, why not walk (or even better, run) there once or twice a week?

3. Take the stairs

Simple things like taking the stairs instead of the lift can make a real difference, especially if your office is located on a high floor. If you can, why not incorporate some stair sprints into your breaks?

4. Take lunch outside

Whenever the weather allows, take yourself outside for some fresh air in your lunch break. It will give you a much needed break from technology and artificial light, as well as give you a real boost of vitamin D.

5. Get a light filter

If you’re concerned about the levels of blue light you’re taking in by staring at a computer, why not try a blue light filter for your screen?

6. Stand up / treadmill desks

Your boss may take some convincing on this one, but why not recommend standing / treadmill desks for the workplace?

7. Grounding mats

Grounding, or earthing, mats are brilliant if you want to get more connected with the earth. They slip under your desk easily – read more about them here

There we have it – seven simple ways to make your desk job much healthier. Have I missed anything? If you work in an office, what steps do you take to make it a healthier environment?

The Paleo Snack Recipe Book

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My post of Paleo Snack Ideas has been so popular, that I've created a new recipe ebook on Paleo snacks.

As well as lots of simple snack ideas that work well on a Paleo diet, the recipe book contains almost 80 pages of recipes. These recipes are for simple snacks that you can make and take to work, serve to children, travel with, eat after dinner, drink or use to help you on your weight loss journey. There's a snack recipe for every taste and situation! By popular demand I've also include a chapter on grab and go Paleo snack recipes.

As well as clear, easy to follow recipes, the book also features beautiful photos of most of the recipes to inspire you! The book also includes an introduction into the Paleo diet and the place of snacks on this plan.

These are some of the recipes and photographs featured in the Paleo Snack recipe ebook

The book is currently on sale for $17 and can be purchased by credit card, debit card or paypal. It comes with a 30 day guarantee and instant download. I'm also currently offering further discounts if you buy two or three of my recipe ebooks together! My recipe ebooks are currently available in digital format – I will update this page as soon as the print versions are available.

I'd love to hear your feedback on the ebook!

Buy Two or more Paleo Recipe Ebooks and Save

The book is $17, but I offer big discounts if you buy more than one of my recipe books in one transaction – you can find the bulk prices here.

Why Paleo Snacks Matter More Than You Think

Snacking gets a bad rap in many dietary circles, but on a well-formulated Paleo diet, the right snacks can play a vital role in keeping your energy stable, curbing cravings, and helping you stay on track — especially when life gets busy. Having nutritious snacks at the ready means you’re far less likely to fall off the wagon or reach for something that doesn’t support your goals.

Whether you're transitioning to Paleo, managing blood sugar levels, or trying to fuel long days at work or with the kids, the recipes in The Paleo Snack Recipe Book are designed to make healthy eating simple and delicious at every stage of your journey.

Who This Recipe Book Is For

This book was created for anyone looking for real-food, grain-free snack ideas that are easy to make, transport, and enjoy without second-guessing the ingredients. Whether you’re doing Whole30, following a strict elimination phase, living a flexible Paleo lifestyle, or just trying to eat fewer processed foods, you’ll find snack ideas that meet your needs and support your goals.

If you’ve ever struggled to find healthy options between meals, or you’ve been stuck relying on the same few snack staples, this book will help expand your go-to options with fresh ideas and bold flavours. And if you’re preparing snacks for kids or family members with food intolerances, there are plenty of kid-approved and allergen-conscious recipes included as well.

What You’ll Find Inside the Paleo Snack Recipe Book

Spanning nearly 80 pages, the book includes snack recipes for every occasion — from salty and savoury to sweet and satisfying. Here's a closer look at some of the snack categories featured in the book:

On-the-Go Snacks: Perfect for work, travel, or school lunchboxes. These include homemade jerky, seed crackers, and trail mixes without hidden nasties.
Sweet Treats: Made with whole food ingredients like dates, coconut, cacao, and nuts — but without the refined sugars or grains.
Post-Workout Fuel: Balanced combinations of protein and carbohydrates to help you recover and refuel after movement.
Drinkable Snacks: Smoothies, broths, and other liquid options for when chewing feels like too much effort but nourishment is still needed.
Kid-Friendly Snacks: Designed to please picky eaters with fun shapes, colours, and textures — but still made with 100% real food.

Each recipe includes simple instructions, a full list of ingredients, and clear preparation steps. The photos accompanying many of the recipes are there to inspire and help you visualise what the final result should look like.

How These Snacks Fit Into a Paleo Lifestyle

The Paleo philosophy centres on eating nutrient-dense, whole foods while avoiding modern processed ingredients that disrupt digestion, hormones, and metabolic health. That means no gluten, grains, dairy (unless tolerated), refined sugar, seed oils, or additives.

All the recipes in this book are compliant with these principles and focus on ingredients like nuts, seeds, meat, vegetables, fruit, coconut, natural sweeteners, and spices. They’re designed to support steady energy, satiety, and nutritional balance — without relying on modern snack traps like crisps, protein bars, or ultra-processed convenience foods.

Each snack recipe can easily be paired with meals or added to your meal prep rotation to keep your weekly planning simple and stress-free.

Make-Ahead and Freezer-Friendly Options

Many of the snacks in the book can be made ahead in batches, making them ideal for meal prep Sundays or busy weeks where you want to stay organised. Some can even be stored in the freezer, so you always have something nourishing to reach for — instead of defaulting to less optimal options when hunger strikes.

This is especially useful if you’re cooking for multiple people or trying to reduce the time you spend in the kitchen during the week. Just portion, store, and grab as needed.

Why Homemade Snacks Are Better

It’s tempting to reach for pre-packaged “Paleo” snacks from the supermarket — but many of these still contain questionable ingredients, high levels of dried fruit or nut-based sweeteners, and hidden additives or oils. By making your own snacks, you get full control over every ingredient and can adapt recipes to suit your personal preferences and dietary needs.

Making your own snacks is also a great way to cut down on food waste. Use up ripe bananas in muffins, leftover herbs in seed crackers, or extra roast vegetables in savoury mini frittatas. It’s a smart, sustainable way to eat — and your wallet will thank you too.

Bundle and Save

If you're enjoying this snack recipe book, don’t forget that there are savings available when you purchase multiple recipe ebooks at once. Whether you're interested in breakfasts, lunches, dinners, or treats, you can create your own bundle of resources at a discounted rate. Find all the details on this page.

Snack Smarter, Live Better

Snacks aren’t just something to tide you over — they’re an opportunity to nourish your body between meals, maintain energy, and keep your health goals on track. With this ebook, you’ll have everything you need to prepare delicious, nutrient-dense snacks that work with your lifestyle, not against it.

Whether you’re planning your weekly meals, looking for new lunchbox fillers, or simply want better options for your afternoon slump, The Paleo Snack Recipe Book is your go-to guide for smarter snacking.

Have you tried any of the recipes yet? I’d love to hear which ones are your favourites, or what snack you'd love to see added in the future!

Free Food?

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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.

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?

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.

Paleo lunch ideas suggestions primal diet recipes-min

Paleo Lunch Ideas and Recipes

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Last year I got pretty bad about bringing my Paleo Lunch in from home. This meant, most days, I went to one of the many food courts near my office. Whilst I always went for the Paleo, gluten-free options – roast meat and vegetables or salad for instance, it really wasn't the best option. I'm careful with the ingredients I use and how I cook things. If I make it, I know exactly what’s in it. When I eat out, it’s probably a fair bet that the meat isn’t organic/ free range/ grass fed. The meal could even have been cooked with seed oils – if not it’s likely to have come close to foods that have. Food I buy in the city is always served in far too large portions – this is either a waste of food, or leads to me eating far more than I should! The other issue with buying lunch in the city is the cost – I’d usually end up spending $10 a day on a not completely Paleo Lunch.

I therefore decided to start bringing pre-prepared lunches into work every day. I'm normally really busy during the week, so need minimal effort each day. As good as a salad would be I know I’d run out of time to make it – and end up having to buy lunch. I have a fridge and microwave at work (I don’t even own a microwave at home, but in the absence of a gas stove, a microwave will have to do) – this means home made frozen lunches are a good lunchtime solution.

Last Sunday I had a huge cooking session where I made soup, beef hash and bean-less chilli, giving me a few different options to pick from each day. I used the largest pots I had to ensure I was making as much as possible. Once finished, I separated the dishes out into individual sized potions and froze them. I managed to make enough for 20 lunches in just a couple of hours of cooking. I take lunch out of the freezer in the morning, run to work – and by lunchtime it’s just about defrosted.

Other than microwaving my lunch, the only thing I'm not happy about is freezing the food in plastic bags. Whilst the bags I use contain no phthalates, polycarbonate or use Bisphenol A (BPA) – it’s still plastic. Glass or metal containers would be an option, but might result in freezer burn. I’d also be concerned about my lunch leaking over my suit as I run into work – not to mention the fact my tiny running bag wouldn't have space for a bulky container.

This solution is working well for me – but perhaps you have an even better lunchtime routine? How do you keep your work/ school/ home lunch paleo?

Easy Paleo Lunches That Actually Work

Finding Paleo-friendly lunches that are affordable, portable, and satisfying can be a challenge — especially when you're busy during the week. That’s why bulk cooking and freezing homemade meals is such a game-changer. With just a few hours of prep on the weekend, you can set yourself up for a fortnight of stress-free, clean eating at work or on the go.

Soups, stews, curries, and hash dishes freeze particularly well and tend to reheat nicely, even in an office microwave. If plastic containers worry you, consider reusable silicone pouches or stainless steel bento boxes — many are now leakproof and freezer-safe.

The best part? You know exactly what’s in your food. No sneaky seed oils, no overly large portions, no surprises. Just real, nourishing ingredients that keep you fuelled for the afternoon.

Got your own Paleo lunch routine sorted? Share your tips in the comments — and help make lunchtime easier for the rest of us too!

Finding a Paleo Lunch in the City

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I always have good intentions of bringing a Paleo Lunch in to work with me. When I do, lunch is great. I take in leftovers from the previous evening, and reheat them at work. Or I take in slices of meat that I roasted at home and eat it with vegetables. But, there are often times when I don’t get round to making my lunch – or even more annoying, leave my lunch at home! I often catch up with friends over lunch – another occasion when I venture away from home cooking and towards the food courts.

I work in Sydney CBD, so there are literally hundreds of food outlets within minutes of my office. The choices however, often leave a lot to be desired, sadly they're are many that are not what I would class a Paleo Lunch! There are the usual fast food joints like McDonalds , Hungry Jacks (Burger King to the rest of the world), Oportos (Australia fast food chain specialising in chicken burgers) & KFC. Then there are Mexican chains like Mad Mex and Guzman y Gomez. There are pancake outlets, salad outlets, fruit juice outlets, Thai, Chinese, Japanese… the list goes on. There is a wholefoods chain, Iku, in Sydney, which should be amazing, but sadly they seem to have a vegan agenda – most of their foods contain grains and legumes – and soy seems to be commonly used.

Most of these options are strictly off limits for me, as they just aren't Paleo! Whilst the Mexican chains seem to use wonderful fresh ingredients, most options also include tortilla, beans, cheese and rice (grains, legumes and dairy!). Most lunch options in the city seem to serve grains, legumes and dairy. I'm also very mindful of the fact that these outlets don’t care about our health – they just want maximum profits, so are likely to use ingredients that I won’t – to improve the taste of their products to keep us going back. I can’t imagine a single outlet uses coconut oil or grass fed, organic meat! Whilst salads are a safe option, I find they tend to bulk them out with lettuce and meat is often in very small quantities; not good value for money and certainly not satiating.

The best option I've found so far, is from one of the many outlets offering roast dinner. I often have roast beef (or pork or chicken) with a serving of seasonal roasted vegetables.

I've also found a few good places that will let me get creative and go “off menu”. For example, last week I met a friend for lunch and found an organic burger joint, who were able to arrange a burger without bun, sauces or fries. Instead they served the burger with bacon and an egg – result!

Recently I've been trying to have brunch instead of lunch. This means I can get bacon, eggs and avocado; a much better option!

Until there’s a Paleo food outlet in every major city, I’d love to hear what your Paleo choices are for a city lunch?

How to Navigate City Lunches on a Paleo Diet

If you're working in a major city like Sydney, finding a healthy, satisfying Paleo lunch can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Between sandwich bars, sushi counters, and fast-food chains, it’s easy to be overwhelmed — especially when most menus are centred around grains, legumes, seed oils, and sugar-laden sauces.

But with a bit of planning (and a few strategic hacks), eating Paleo in the city becomes much more manageable.

What to Look for When Eating Out

Focus on protein-first meals — like grilled meat, eggs, or fish — and build your lunch around that. Then add some non-starchy vegetables and healthy fats (like avocado or olive oil). If you can’t see anything suitable on the menu, don’t hesitate to go off-script and ask for a custom combo.

Here are a few tried-and-tested go-to strategies:

Burger shops: Ask for a bunless burger and swap chips for a side salad or extra meat.
Carvery or roast outlets: Great for meat and veg — just skip the gravy and bread rolls.
Build-your-own salad bars: Choose leafy greens, a generous portion of protein (like boiled eggs, grilled chicken or tuna), and add extras like olives, avocado, or nuts — then skip the dressing or bring your own.
All-day breakfast cafés: A full cooked breakfast (minus the toast and hash browns) can make the perfect Paleo lunch.

Paleo-Friendly Cafés in Sydney CBD

While there aren’t (yet!) dedicated Paleo cafés on every corner, a few places stand out for their flexibility and focus on whole foods. Keep an eye out for:

Thr1ve: If still open in your location, they’ve historically offered great low-carb, high-protein bowls.
Grill’d (select locations): Their “low carb super bun” is still not Paleo, but they’re usually willing to go bun-free.
Independent cafés: Often more open to custom orders than chain stores.

And don’t forget the protein prep hack — bringing a hard-boiled egg, a small tin of wild-caught fish, or even leftover roast meat to top up a salad or veggie-based lunch when dining out.

Can’t Find Anything? Go Brunch

If lunch pickings are slim, try shifting your meal earlier or later in the day. A café brunch of eggs, bacon, mushrooms, spinach and avocado often ticks all the Paleo boxes and is widely available across Aussie cities.

Or, if it suits your energy levels and schedule, experiment with intermittent fasting and skip lunch altogether — just be sure to fuel up properly at your next meal.

What’s your go-to Paleo lunch when you’re out in the city? Found any hidden gems in Sydney or beyond that cater to grain-free, real food eaters? Drop them in the comments — let’s build a list of Paleo-friendly city lunch spots together.

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