‘If it’s any way nice, I’ll have it eaten by 10am and be starving by lunchtime. Nothing survives the mid morning dip – except carrots’

From my perch beside the kitchen in IT Towers I see a steady stream of colleagues plying the microwave between 1pm and 2pm. Fair play to them with their curries and quinoas, or should I say with their ability to actually wait until lunchtime.

I bring in carrots.

Every day of the week. That’s all I can have in my lunchbox.

I’ve tried all kinds of other things. Last night’s dinner; hard boiled egg; rice many ways; dips and crackers; healthy oaty things; salads with nuts and seeds. Cereal even. But if it’s any way nice, I’ll have it eaten by 10am and be starving by lunchtime. Just knowing there is a big fat sandwich in my handbag is a torment. It just has to be eaten as extra breakfast.

Nothing survives the mid morning dip – except carrots. They’re beyond boring no matter the variety – I’ve tried heritage ones and multi-coloured ones and extra knobbly sweet organic ones – but in the end they all just taste of carrot. But they do the trick and save me from the muffins in our canteen which sometimes are small and dainty and other times are as big as a cat’s head.

Carrots are not such hard work as celery, they’re easier to eat than radishes and they don’t go all brown like apple. They could even be doing some good in the vitamin department. But I’m not saying they’re all I’ll eat in a day. There’s a Spar close by and 4pm often finds me there, thinking, what’s needed now is BISCUITS. They’re great for deadlines. A few chocolate chip cookies could be the difference between an okay headline, or one with a bit of guts.