Hi, this is Monica Reinagle, and you're listening to the Nutrition Deva

podcast, welcome. Bringing your own lunch to work can help you eat healthier and spend less money.

But with all the other demands on you, I know it can be really challenging to find the time and energy,

to plan and prepare those healthy lunches every day. and healthy lunch clubs. Co-workers take turn bringing in healthy lunches for each other.

So you get a healthy home cooked lunch every day,

but you only need to plan and prepare lunch once every week or two and instead of

eating the same old yogurt and protein bar at your desk every day, participating

in a lunch club brings some welcome variety to your lunch menus and a chance to connect socially.

And if you think you cannot afford the time to take an actual lunch break, studies have found

that workers who step away from their desks for lunch

are actually more productive than those who eat

hunched in front of their computers. This is a genius idea.

And now here are my six tips for starting a successful healthy lunch club where you work. Number one, keep it small. The ideal size for a lunch club is probably between four and eight members. Although a

bigger group means that you'd be on the hook to cook less often, it also means

that you'll have to cook for a crowd. If you find that you've got 30 people at your workplace

interested, I recommend setting up several smaller groups.

And to that end, tip number two is to do some matchmaking.

One of the things I like about lunch clubs is that it's a fun way to get out of your food rut and try new things.

At the same time, your club is probably going to be more successful

when the members have compatible dietary styles and goals. So if you have a vegan in your group,

everyone would need to be willing to stick to vegan lunch menus. If one person has celiac disease, then all the meals would need to be gluten-free or at the very least have a gluten-free option.

Those who are trying to lose weight might find it a lot easier to team up with others who are also

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