Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Life
    2. Food and Drink

    Dining al desko? Here's 3 recipes you can make in the office kitchen

    Check out these easy healthy recipes you can whip up at work

    Lucy Pavia's avatar
    By Lucy Pavia
    Published 9 October 2016 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Courgette ribbons
    Courgette ribbons
    (Image credit: Made in the Office)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Easy and healthy ideas for your lunch hour

    Bored of packet sandwiches? Try these 3 simple recipes you can knock up in the office kitchen with minimal ingredients and utensils, taken from Rachel Maylor's new book Made in the Office.

    9am breakfast: Overnight tropical chia pot 

    Recipe: pour ¼ mug of chia seeds into a jam jar or mug. Add ¼ pineapple and ¼ ripe mango (chopped). Pour 1 tsp honey and ½ mug coconut milk on top. Put the lid on the jar or cover mug and leave to set in your work fridge overnight, ready for when you arrive in the morning.

    Tip: Sprinkle with coconut flakes for additional crunch.

    You may like
    • Emily English, aka Em The Nutritionist, cooking and with a plate of gut-health friendly food Em The Nutritionist: "You Can't Optimise Your Way Out of Chronic Stress or Exhaustion With a Spoonful of Fermented Vegetables"
    • 90's supermodel-turned-Nutritionist and Functional Medicine Practitioner Rosemary Ferguson Forget the Crash Diet: The 4-Week Midlife Reset That’s About Feeling Better, Not Eating Less
    • Health freelancer Ash S trying a daily exercise snack to boost mood I've Been Using "Exercise Snacks" on Days I'm Too Tired to Work Out—My Mind and Body are Feeling the Difference

    1pm lunch: Zesty courgette ribbons with goat's cheese

    Al desko lunches

    Al desko lunches

    Recipe: in a mug, mix together 1 tsp of garlic purée, a squeeze of lemon juice and 1 tsp olive oil. Peel 1 courgette into ribbons (you may have to bring in a potato peeler if your office kitchen doesn’t have one), add to a bowl and toss with dressing. Add a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved, and crumble over 1 heaped tbsp goat’s cheese. Sprinkle with 1 tsp chilli flakes.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    Tip: Add prawns for extra protein.

    4pm snack: Apple crackers with almond butter and mashed berries

    Recipe: cut an apple into slices, sprinkle with cinnamon, lay on a plate and put in the office microwave for 3 minutes. Take out, turn over and blast again for 30 seconds. Leave to dry for a few minutes. Pop on a plate, spoon over a small quantity of almond butter and top with mashed raspberries and blueberries.

    What to read next
    • Monikh Dale 4 Stylish Throw-On Outfits for Busy Mums Currently Juggling Kids’ School Holidays, Work and Everything In Between
    • @anoukyve summer in the city outfits I've Spent Weeks Spotting the Chicest Summer Workwear Outfits—These 5 Are What I'll Copy Next
    • A beach, flowers in a meadow, and a pink and blue sunset Everyone’s Trying Dopamine Menus—A Psychologist Weighs In on Whether They Actually Make You Happier

    Tip: no time for toppings? The apple crackers are just as moreish on their own.

    Your desk drawer store... Chia seeds, olive oil, honey, cinnamon, chilli flakes.

    Your work fridge stash... Coconut milk, garlic puree, fruit and veg.

    Want more at-desk recipe inspiration? Pick up a copy of Rachel Maylor's new book Made In The Office (£12.99, Frances Lincoln)

    Lucy Pavia
    Lucy Pavia
    Social Links Navigation
    Read more
    Emily English, aka Em The Nutritionist, cooking and with a plate of gut-health friendly food
    Nutrition Em The Nutritionist: "You Can't Optimise Your Way Out of Chronic Stress or Exhaustion With a Spoonful of Fermented Vegetables"
    90's supermodel-turned-Nutritionist and Functional Medicine Practitioner Rosemary Ferguson
    Nutrition Forget the Crash Diet: The 4-Week Midlife Reset That’s About Feeling Better, Not Eating Less
     
     
    Health freelancer Ash S trying a daily exercise snack to boost mood
    Fitness I've Been Using "Exercise Snacks" on Days I'm Too Tired to Work Out—My Mind and Body are Feeling the Difference
    Monikh Dale
    Shopping 4 Stylish Throw-On Outfits for Busy Mums Currently Juggling Kids’ School Holidays, Work and Everything In Between
     
     
    Latest in Food and Drink
    The best things to do this October
    Food and Drink The Agenda: Your October Just Got More Interesting
    Best rooftop bars: The Standard
    Food and Drink The Best London Rooftop Bars To Visit This Summer
     
     
    Turning down food noise at Christmas
    Food and Drink Feel Like You're Constantly Thinking - or Worrying - About Food? Your Failsafe Guide to Turning Down Food Noise This Christmas
    Britpop range
    Food and Drink This top-rated Sparkling English Wine is refreshingly affordable — and also has an enticing low-ABV option in the range
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Beauty Digest: New beauty products Givenchy /  Diptyque / Jones Road / Dr Reju-All / Liberty London
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: Lip Balms Are the New It-Bags, Diptyque Does Halloween & Bobbi Brown Does It Again
    Sephoria new beauty brands: Substance of Light / French Cowboy / Omad's
    Beauty Beauty’s Next Breakout Stars—Why Beauty Fans Are Flocking to SEPHORiA London
     
     
    Anti-blush makeup trend
    Make Up Why Makeup Artists Are Embracing the Anti-Blush Movement—And How to Make It Look Good
    A woman sleeping; in bed
    Wellbeing Perimenopause Ruined My Sleep, So I Tried the Huberman ‘Sleep Stack’ for 7 Days—It’s Changed My Shut-Eye for Good
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.