Urban professionals can come up with a zillion reasons why they must eat their desk. The cafeteria is packed during lunch hour. eating at my desk allows me to read, surf the net or chat on Google talk while grabbing a bite. The question you should be asking is, is that what you should be doing every day at lunchtime? If you were to ask the expert, you'd hear what you don't want to. Dietician Jyoti Lalwani says eating at your desk raises the chance of consuming fast food, doesn't allow you to relax while having a meal, and ruins digestion since your attention isn't focussed on the meal, it's texture and aroma. Read on to figure out kya khana, kab khana.


What I'd hate to see in my colleague's dabba

Onions

Ishita Arun, TV host/ singer

I dread the day my colleagues bring or eat onion for lunch. It is rude to subject your co-actors to foul smelling breath. We need to be sensitive to the likes and dislikes of others.


Garlic, see them eat with their hands

Nausheen Sardar Ali, Actor

Garlic and onion would top my hate list. I am not comfortable with the smell. I also can't stand it when colleagues eat on the sets, using their hands. It doesn't make a pretty sight. I love eating with my hands when I'm in the privacy of my home.


Yoghurt

Stuti Sakhalkar, Photojournalist

I don't like to see yoghurt or any other item that can spill, on a colleague's desk. It can get messy, and that's a complete turn off. I also don't like people who gobble their food, as if they are eating their last meal.


Anything that stinks

Alka Yagnik, Playback singer

Something light like biscuits and sandwiches are welcome at work. But oily, masaledar and smelly food turns me off. We work in studios that are sound proof and air-conditioned, and the atmosphere needs to be maintained. Besides, I consider work, worship. So, I'd never eat where I work. There's a place for everything.

Yaad Rakhna

If you must dine at your desk
 
1. Put your phone off the hook and turn your computer off.
2. Invite colleagues to eat with you.
3. Play a little music to lighten the mood.
4. Make sure you MB-EAT. This stands for Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training. New research indicates that becoming more mindful of every mouthful is a powerful way to reduce our food intake, increase meal satisfaction, and savour more than just the taste of your veggies.
5. Wipe your desk with a disinfectant every day.


Bacteria buffet at your desk?

Eating at your desk also highlights the problem of disease-causing germs. A study by the University of Arizona in 2002 found that the typical worker's desk has hundreds of times more bacteria per square inch than an office toilet seat. If that's not disturbing enough, desks, phones and other private surfaces are also prime habitats for the viruses that cause colds and flu. It's best you eat in the office cafeteria, the study says.
 

4 point eat-at-your-desk etiquette guide

Keep it simple. If you eat at your desk, steer clear of messy foods that must be eaten with your hands. Opt for boneless dishes.

Don't be a cow: Don't chew your food noisily, or answer the phone and talk with a mouthful of food.

No smelly food: Be courteous and choose foods that don't have strong aromas that waft through office.

Clean up after yourself: Wipe off stains with a napkin when you are done.
 
Throw out leftovers: Don't allow leftovers to lie on your desk until the next day.
gargle: After having lunch, wash your hands and gargle. No one likes talking to a colleague with foul smelling breath.


PD Hinduja Hospital's chief dietician Jyoti Lalwani brings you

Crucial Dos and Don'ts

If you lunch at your desk, avoid:

Gravy/curry based food because it could get messy.

Crunchy food items. It's irritating to your immediate neighbours.
 
Strong flavoured food items. If carrying a  meat dish, be sensitive to vegetarians who might be seated around you. 

Perfect lunch items

Stuffed parathas, since the vegetable stuffing in the paratha will provide you with required nutrients. It's not messy to eat, either.

Chapati with vegetable rolled inside it.

Theplas are a very healthy alternative.

Vegetable Pulao with Raita is good too. A Sprout Salad provides you with protein, and is easy to carry.

Avoid:

Drinking tea/coffee immediately after lunch. It reduces iron absorption in the body. If you must, have a cup of herbal tea.

Replace wet dal with dry.

If carrying dal gets messy, a good idea is to add dry dal to the vegetable you are carrying. It makes the dish a complete meal when eaten with chapati.