Whether you’re a teacher, office worker, or truck driver, your workspace is your little home away from home, adorned with cheering postcards, photographs, and maybe even a stress ball. And if it can take this junk, why not a cheeky couple of small bottles of oil and vinegar too? If you are lucky enough to have access to a kitchen in which you can store foodstuff without having to resort to the use of passive-aggressive Post-its [Jeff’s—please DO NOT TOUCH :)], then of course you don’t need to clutter your immediate work zone, but if not, do not despair. You don’t need much to ensure you have a full desk survival kit at the ready.
Seasoning
There’s nothing more annoying than munching on something accidentally underseasoned with no means of doing anything about it. If you don’t keep a stash of salt and pepper at your desk, get into the habit of bringing some in from home, wrapped in little squares of folded paper or foil. This also works well for any extra dried ingredients you might want to bring, like chili flakes or basil.
Dressing
Salad, be it leaf- or grain-based, should be coated in its dressing moments before eating. If you dress it in the morning before you leave the house, then it will be a soggy, decaying mess come lunchtime, and all your efforts will have been in vain. Pack your dressing separately and bring it with you.
As we’ve already mentioned, you don’t have to buy a special container: mini jam or pickle jars are perfect for making and transporting dressing. Just make sure that you give them a good clean before use, fasten the lid very tightly, and pack them inside the salad container to further minimize the chance of any leakage.
Alternatively, if you have the space, keeping dressing ingredients at work will save you having to make some in the morning and will gain you a little precious time.
These are the essentials that we would recommend keeping within easy reach in the workplace. Your colleagues may initially think you’re a weirdo, but it’s only a matter of time before your desk buddy asks for a pinch of salt or a splash of balsamic vinegar to enliven their sad salad.
• Salt
• Pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Vinegar
• Chili sauce (Sriracha chili sauce is an excellent desk condiment as it doesn’t need refrigeration)
• Napkins
• Wet wipes (for greasy keyboards)
• A penknife (keep in your locked desk drawer before Health and Safety come knocking)
• A variety of sauces (collect packets from takeout restaurants and sandwich chains)