Now that I’m a working stiff, making sure I have healthy and accessible food at work is a necessity.

When I played Major League Baseball, I never had to worry about making sure I had food at the office. Everything was provided for us ever hungry, bat wielding lads. If the sustenance at the ballpark didn’t meet my nutritional requirements, we always had eager to please clubhouse attendants more than willing to make a run to Anna’s Taqueria or, later in my career, a natural foods market.

I no longer have that luxury, and I’m guessing most of you don’t either. More likely, you’ve experienced being knee deep in an intense work day as lunchtime rolls around. We reach for our midday meal, excited for the break. Unfortunately, we find an empty sack; we forgot our lunch. With no time or flexibility to go out, we’re screwed and crankiness ensues. Our productivity slips and our colleagues hate us.

Obviously, the ideal solution to this problem is to not forget to bring food to work. Inevitably, however, life speeds up and we have a below average brain day.  We can’t be perfect but we can be prepared for the breaking balls life throws our way.

Here’s how to sit back and drive that curve out of the ballpark to right-centerfield.

From the boardroom to the shipyard, there is likely a small section in your workspace to store a few essentials. Obviously, if you have access to refrigeration, you have some advantages over us poor saps limited to room temperature. Let’s assume no cold air and think through what items will help us make our nutritional ends meet.

1. Canned fish. This is my favorite. They “pole and troll” for their fish and source nothing from long-line ore purse seine fisheries. In short, they respect the ocean while giving us an easily accessible protein option at work. No need for a can opener, the cans have a peel off top. Bring a fork and you’re good. I tap in some hot sauce and eat straight from a can.
2. Fruit. Keep a bag of organic apples, a bunch of bananas and a grapefruit or two and you’re square on carbs, vitamins and minerals. Obviously, none NEED refrigeration and you can bank on the fact that if you bring them in on a Monday, they’ll still be good on Friday.
3. Avocados. Canned fish doesn’t have much fat and we know how important monounsaturated fat in the form of oleic acid can be to our diet. Avocados can reduce levels of bad cholesterol in your blood and lower your risk of stroke and heart disease. Extra credit for keeping sea salt and garlic powder nearby.

Stock these three items and you’ll always have a healthy meal when your lunch is spending the day lonely on your kitchen counter.