Snacks for my home working day

Strong, milky tea fuels Sarah’s home working day

Recently I wrote about my home working day in snacks and there was so much interest I’ve decided to find out what other home workers eat and drink.

Sarah Clive is an inspirationalist, helping people do the things that they’ve always wanted to do, and here she reveals the drinks and snacks that keep body and soul together during her home working day:

Hi Sarah, what kind of breakfast sets you up for a day’s home working?
As much as I’d love to start every day with tea and pancakes for breakfast, I usually grab a bit of toast (if I remember!) as I haul the dogs out for their morning walk. I’m not really a morning person so getting outside and doing something a bit physical tends to wake me up better than a hearty breakfast would.

Are you a coffee or tea fan?
I fall solidly into the tea camp, drinking it strong and milky (it’s not a contradiction!) and if I’m feeling a little bit naughty, I occasionally have a sneaky ginger nut with my cuppa.

I used to drink about 7 cups a day but I’ve cut down in recent years and tend to settle comfortably at about 3-4. I made the switch to decaf tea too a couple of years ago because I thought it probably wasn’t all that healthy to be drinking quite so much caffeine during the day.

Drinking lots of tea does make me feel a bit bunged up though, so if I have a webinar or I’m doing some public speaking, I tend to switch to herbal tea for a couple of days beforehand so that I sound a bit clearer when I’m talking.

Do you have a favourite mug, plate or other kitchenware?
I love most of my kitchenware as it’s either come down through the family or been a present from my sister. My favourite tea mug, though, is a chunky blue and white polka dot mug from Sainsburys [pictured] – I find that there’s something immeasurably comforting about holding a warm chunky mug full of tea in your hands.

Do you have a policy for dealing with cake and other treats available at Jelly and other business events?
I only wish I did! I do tend to find that when I’m at Jelly and other business events, I get distracted by lots of fascinating people before my mind wanders to cake (lucky for me!) Unfortunately the Jelly meetings are at the Coffee Kitchen in Cockermouth and their food is virtually irresistible 🙂

When I’m working on my own, I hit a bit of a slump between 2-3pm in the office and chocolate biscuits suddenly look so much more appealing with my afternoon cuppa so I have to try and be quite strict with myself! 

Do you have a break for lunch, and what do you eat?
I work best in short, intense bursts so I do usually break for lunch although the time of lunch can be anywhere between 11.30am and 3pm, depending on what I’m doing. I usually grab a sandwich or a bowl of soup.

Do you plan ahead for supper or grab whatever’s in the fridge?
I generally feel inclined to just leave it and see what happens at the end of my home working day, but I do try to plan out what I’m going to be having for supper because it’s more cost-effective and it lets me work around my social engagements rather than leaving fresh ingredients languishing in the fridge. If I’m particularly busy, I have been known to put “eat supper” into my diary because I’d be prone to forget unless prompted!

Find out more about Sarah Clive on her website here.

What keeps your energy up during your home working day? Do you need lots of small snacks or prefer to keep working without interruption when you’re in the flow?