Foods You Should Never Bring for Your Office Lunch
Foods You Should Never Bring for Your Office Lunch
Nov 26, 2021
If there’s one thing about working in an office, it’s that you’re in close quarters. A
cubicle wall can only be so much of a barrier, you know? So any foods that you
microwave, toast up, or simply open up and munch on at your desk are also going to
be experienced by your co-workers.
While bringing these foods isn’t necessarily a breach of etiquette, it is a little
inconsiderate. So, before you pack up your leftovers, make a peanut butter and jelly
sandwich, or decide to pack a week’s worth of hard-boiled eggs for breakfast and leave
them on your desk, consider these foods that you really should never bring for your
office lunch
Welcome message from author
Navigating the maze that is lunchtime etiquette at the office can be tricky because you want to have the freedom to eat what you want. Unfortunately, you also don’t want your co-workers to hate you for it, and glare at you for microwaving something that stunk up the entire office. Here are some foods you should avoid eating at the office at all costs.
Transcript
Slide 1Lunch
Overview
If there’s one thing about working in an office, it’s that you’re in close quarters. A
cubicle wall can only be so much of a barrier, you know? So any foods that you
microwave, toast up, or simply open up and munch on at your desk are also going to
be experienced by your co-workers.
While bringing these foods isn’t necessarily a breach of etiquette, it is a little
inconsiderate. So, before you pack up your leftovers, make a peanut butter and jelly
sandwich, or decide to pack a week’s worth of hard-boiled eggs for breakfast and leave
them on your desk, consider these foods that you really should never bring for your
office lunch.
Chicken
Wings
Chicken wings are great for tailgating, but not so great for typing away at a computer.
This beloved fried and sauced food is messy, pungent, and may just make your
coworkers ravenous. Essentially, it’s a trifecta of badness.
Chinese
Food
Your Chinese takeout was so good last night, but you just couldn’t finish it. Resist the
urge to pack it the next day for lunch. The sauce will get coagulated and look
unappetizing, and the variety of spices and vegetables will really stink up the office once
reheated.
Cooked
Broccoli
Broccoli is one of our favorite superfoods. It’s packed with fiber, antioxidants, and
vitamin C. But you know what this vegetable also is? Super-smelly when it’s cooked and
reheated. Avoid nuking broccoli whenever possible and enjoy it raw instead.
Curry
The flavor bomb that is beautifully cooked curry is one of our favorite spicy foods, but
in addition to being packed with flavor, curry is packed with offensive smells. From
cooked onions to sauces that aren’t typical in American cuisine, this traditional Asian
dish is best kept in your own dining room.
Fast-
Food
French
Fries
Fast-food French fries are simply irresistible — and that’s the problem. If you get
these crunchy, salty, and greasy beauties, your coworkers’ stomachs will start
rumbling, and you’ll start an unhealthy fast-food craze across the office.
Kimchi
Kimchi is notoriously smelly and unappetizing to a large number of people. It’s not
fully likely that you’re regularly packing this fermented Korean cabbage, but on the
off-chance you are, just stop.
Hard-
Boiled
Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are nutritious, protein-packed blessings wrapped in a shell. But if
left unrefrigerated, it’s shocking how quickly they start to smell like feet once
peeled.
Fish
We shouldn’t have to tell you why microwaving fish is a rude thing to do. But in case
we do, the answer is simple. It smells. Bad. And the smell does not go away.
Garlic-
Heavy
Dishes
Garlic is a magical ingredient, but it also happens to be a fragrant one (to put it
lightly). It will stink up the office and your breath. Have an important client meeting
at 3 p.m.? Congrats. You smell.
Microwave
Popcorn
Popcorn is a delicious, easy, and relatively healthy snack, but it also has a buttery,
salty scent that really takes hold of the room it’s in, including an office space.
Additionally, the loud noises of it popping away can be truly disruptive to your co-
workers.
Peanut
Butter
Peanut butter isn’t overly pungent (and it is simply delicious), but peanut allergies are
alarmingly common and dangerous.
Pizza
Everyone loves pizza. And that’s just the problem. If you bring in a hot slice of
pepperoni and melted cheese, you’re going to tempt everyone else get some pizza
too. This isn’t bad. It’s just a little inconsiderate.
Potato
Chips
and
Pretzels
Chips and pretzels make for easy midday snacks and have a wonderfully satisfying
crunch. But that crunch is also disastrously, distractingly loud.
Steamed
Vegetables
You may think that your leftover steamed veggies from last night’s dinner are the
perfect healthy accompaniment to your grilled chicken sandwich, but you are gravely
mistaken. Reheated steamed veggies don’t exactly smell like sunshine and roses, so if
you want your veggie fix at the office, buy yourself some baby carrots and celery
sticks.
Tuna,
Chicken
Salad
A fresh kale or taco salad is a great lunch option, but when your salads start venturing
into the tuna, egg, or chicken territory, you should stop. These kinds of smelly salads
don’t get any better if you stuff them in a sandwich or pita pocket, either. Save those
salads for your summer picnics and stick to fresh greens and grilled, mayonnaise-free
proteins.
Burritos
Chipotle, Qdoba, and Moe’s are found on practically every corner, so you’re not
alone if you enjoy a good burrito for lunch a couple times a week. But as tasty as
these burritos are, they’re quite aromatic, especially if you add weird toppings, like
sauteed mushrooms. The solution? Eat your burrito in-restaurant, so your co-workers
don’t have to smell it or witness the gross display of someone attempting to eat an
overstuffed burrito.
Sad
Pasta
Leftover Tupperware pasta that’s too small a portion to be an actual meal and you
microwaved it but it was like vodka sauce and meat (not sure what kind) and it's all
congealed… this isn’t how life is supposed to be.
Sushi
It’s impossible to buy enough to fill you up unless you get a party tray from Costco, it
tastes like wet, it’s mostly rice, and you’ve got a sneaking suspicion that California
roll has been around since before California.
Sandwich
It’s too bad your closest option is a “lunch concept” store. Instead of mayo, it’s
sundried tomato spread. Hero? Nope, artisan raisin loaf. Lettuce? Fresh dandelion
greens! Sure, the thing tastes fine but paying for an underprivileged youth’s first
semester at college would have been cool too.
Corn on
the Cob
If you’re eating it fresh — and you need lots of butter and salt. You also need corn on
the cob holders. THIS IS NOT AN OPTION. Take a look around your desk. Do you
have a pair of those handy? Does your office cafeteria keep a stack of them next to the
other, equally necessary utensils?
Cereal
It’s fine to let some foods just be home foods. Work isn’t you’re dining room table or
your late night comedown spot on the couch. Which is the only two places you should
be eating cereal, from a bowl, with milk.
Ribs
Ask any meat lover and they’ll tell you, ribs are great! Of course they are. They’re
also one of the most disgusting things you can watch another person eat. Not only do
you look like a legit caveman or cavewoman, you are running the risk of getting your
entire space, body, and face disgustingly dirty. At all costs, resist the ribs.
Pancakes
You’re a grown up. If you’re going to eat something with sticky, messy, penetratingly
sweet-smelling maple syrup to start your day, don’t do it in front of other people.
Conclusion
Navigating the maze that is lunchtime etiquette at the office can be tricky because you
want to have the freedom to eat what you want. Unfortunately, you also don’t want
your co-workers to hate you for it, and glare at you for microwaving something that
stunk up the entire office. Here are some foods you should avoid eating at the office at
all costs.
Overview
If there’s one thing about working in an office, it’s that you’re in close quarters. A
cubicle wall can only be so much of a barrier, you know? So any foods that you
microwave, toast up, or simply open up and munch on at your desk are also going to
be experienced by your co-workers.
While bringing these foods isn’t necessarily a breach of etiquette, it is a little
inconsiderate. So, before you pack up your leftovers, make a peanut butter and jelly
sandwich, or decide to pack a week’s worth of hard-boiled eggs for breakfast and leave
them on your desk, consider these foods that you really should never bring for your
office lunch.
Chicken
Wings
Chicken wings are great for tailgating, but not so great for typing away at a computer.
This beloved fried and sauced food is messy, pungent, and may just make your
coworkers ravenous. Essentially, it’s a trifecta of badness.
Chinese
Food
Your Chinese takeout was so good last night, but you just couldn’t finish it. Resist the
urge to pack it the next day for lunch. The sauce will get coagulated and look
unappetizing, and the variety of spices and vegetables will really stink up the office once
reheated.
Cooked
Broccoli
Broccoli is one of our favorite superfoods. It’s packed with fiber, antioxidants, and
vitamin C. But you know what this vegetable also is? Super-smelly when it’s cooked and
reheated. Avoid nuking broccoli whenever possible and enjoy it raw instead.
Curry
The flavor bomb that is beautifully cooked curry is one of our favorite spicy foods, but
in addition to being packed with flavor, curry is packed with offensive smells. From
cooked onions to sauces that aren’t typical in American cuisine, this traditional Asian
dish is best kept in your own dining room.
Fast-
Food
French
Fries
Fast-food French fries are simply irresistible — and that’s the problem. If you get
these crunchy, salty, and greasy beauties, your coworkers’ stomachs will start
rumbling, and you’ll start an unhealthy fast-food craze across the office.
Kimchi
Kimchi is notoriously smelly and unappetizing to a large number of people. It’s not
fully likely that you’re regularly packing this fermented Korean cabbage, but on the
off-chance you are, just stop.
Hard-
Boiled
Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are nutritious, protein-packed blessings wrapped in a shell. But if
left unrefrigerated, it’s shocking how quickly they start to smell like feet once
peeled.
Fish
We shouldn’t have to tell you why microwaving fish is a rude thing to do. But in case
we do, the answer is simple. It smells. Bad. And the smell does not go away.
Garlic-
Heavy
Dishes
Garlic is a magical ingredient, but it also happens to be a fragrant one (to put it
lightly). It will stink up the office and your breath. Have an important client meeting
at 3 p.m.? Congrats. You smell.
Microwave
Popcorn
Popcorn is a delicious, easy, and relatively healthy snack, but it also has a buttery,
salty scent that really takes hold of the room it’s in, including an office space.
Additionally, the loud noises of it popping away can be truly disruptive to your co-
workers.
Peanut
Butter
Peanut butter isn’t overly pungent (and it is simply delicious), but peanut allergies are
alarmingly common and dangerous.
Pizza
Everyone loves pizza. And that’s just the problem. If you bring in a hot slice of
pepperoni and melted cheese, you’re going to tempt everyone else get some pizza
too. This isn’t bad. It’s just a little inconsiderate.
Potato
Chips
and
Pretzels
Chips and pretzels make for easy midday snacks and have a wonderfully satisfying
crunch. But that crunch is also disastrously, distractingly loud.
Steamed
Vegetables
You may think that your leftover steamed veggies from last night’s dinner are the
perfect healthy accompaniment to your grilled chicken sandwich, but you are gravely
mistaken. Reheated steamed veggies don’t exactly smell like sunshine and roses, so if
you want your veggie fix at the office, buy yourself some baby carrots and celery
sticks.
Tuna,
Chicken
Salad
A fresh kale or taco salad is a great lunch option, but when your salads start venturing
into the tuna, egg, or chicken territory, you should stop. These kinds of smelly salads
don’t get any better if you stuff them in a sandwich or pita pocket, either. Save those
salads for your summer picnics and stick to fresh greens and grilled, mayonnaise-free
proteins.
Burritos
Chipotle, Qdoba, and Moe’s are found on practically every corner, so you’re not
alone if you enjoy a good burrito for lunch a couple times a week. But as tasty as
these burritos are, they’re quite aromatic, especially if you add weird toppings, like
sauteed mushrooms. The solution? Eat your burrito in-restaurant, so your co-workers
don’t have to smell it or witness the gross display of someone attempting to eat an
overstuffed burrito.
Sad
Pasta
Leftover Tupperware pasta that’s too small a portion to be an actual meal and you
microwaved it but it was like vodka sauce and meat (not sure what kind) and it's all
congealed… this isn’t how life is supposed to be.
Sushi
It’s impossible to buy enough to fill you up unless you get a party tray from Costco, it
tastes like wet, it’s mostly rice, and you’ve got a sneaking suspicion that California
roll has been around since before California.
Sandwich
It’s too bad your closest option is a “lunch concept” store. Instead of mayo, it’s
sundried tomato spread. Hero? Nope, artisan raisin loaf. Lettuce? Fresh dandelion
greens! Sure, the thing tastes fine but paying for an underprivileged youth’s first
semester at college would have been cool too.
Corn on
the Cob
If you’re eating it fresh — and you need lots of butter and salt. You also need corn on
the cob holders. THIS IS NOT AN OPTION. Take a look around your desk. Do you
have a pair of those handy? Does your office cafeteria keep a stack of them next to the
other, equally necessary utensils?
Cereal
It’s fine to let some foods just be home foods. Work isn’t you’re dining room table or
your late night comedown spot on the couch. Which is the only two places you should
be eating cereal, from a bowl, with milk.
Ribs
Ask any meat lover and they’ll tell you, ribs are great! Of course they are. They’re
also one of the most disgusting things you can watch another person eat. Not only do
you look like a legit caveman or cavewoman, you are running the risk of getting your
entire space, body, and face disgustingly dirty. At all costs, resist the ribs.
Pancakes
You’re a grown up. If you’re going to eat something with sticky, messy, penetratingly
sweet-smelling maple syrup to start your day, don’t do it in front of other people.
Conclusion
Navigating the maze that is lunchtime etiquette at the office can be tricky because you
want to have the freedom to eat what you want. Unfortunately, you also don’t want
your co-workers to hate you for it, and glare at you for microwaving something that
stunk up the entire office. Here are some foods you should avoid eating at the office at
all costs.
Related Documents
