# Office workers - do you keep food at your desk? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 13, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627 "2019-08-13T21:37:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/1 "2019-08-13T21:37:55Z")
I keep chocolate at my desk all the time. It’s my caffeine. And it’s good quality chocolate - Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet. I also currently have two boxes of cereal - one that I have for breakfast occasionally, and one that I snack on as an alternative to eating yet more chocolate. I try to keep some sort of dried fruit at my desk, again, to do something healthier than chocolate, but I’m out right now. And some hard candy in case my mouth gets dry. We just got an email saying we “shouldn’t keep food overnight” in our desks. In my case? Not gonna happen. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/2 "2019-08-13T21:45:23Z")
I sometimes have a box of crackers on my desk, which I’ll nibble on over the course of a few days. If you’re getting notifications that your employer doesn’t want people keeping food at their desks, it suggests that they’ve had an issue with bugs or mice (or worse). I’d suggest, if you aren’t going to stop keeping food at your desk, maybe get some plastic containers (or resealable bags) to hold it, so it’s not easily accessible by critters. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/3 "2019-08-13T21:47:51Z")
Yes, they’re getting ants. All of my food is in sealed bags except the chocolate. Which goes too fast to worry about. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/4 "2019-08-13T21:52:35Z")
I’ll keep a bag of chips in my desk drawer so I can have a handful with a sandwich at lunch. I also keep a bowl of candy but I don’t have a big sweet tooth, it’s more for people passing by. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/5 "2019-08-13T22:11:07Z")
Nope, not unless you count the ziplock bag in my drawer with rather a lot of Tylenol in it. (It’s technically edible but I wouldn’t recommend snacking.) ---
**Author:** ![sjankis630](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ea924/32.png) [@sjankis630](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sjankis630)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/6 "2019-08-13T22:22:19Z")
I occasionally keep peanut butter there but it of course is sealed. The bread and jelly is kept in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/7 "2019-08-13T22:22:58Z")
No. I don’t like to mix business and pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/8 "2019-08-13T22:24:12Z")
I keep a bag of salted almonds in one drawer, and I have tea bags in another, but they’re so old, I really need to toss them. I do my best not to snack too much, and on days like today, I get so busy, I almost miss my lunch break. We’ve got a variety of snacks in the break room for cheap, but I avoid going in there - it’s dangerous if I have change in my pocket… ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/9 "2019-08-13T22:34:44Z")
Sometimes a variety of little chocolates or candies in a lidded jar to share with others–almond M&Ms at the moment. A box of teabags and, on a short-term basis, there might be a banana or two for breakfast placed in the overdesk cabinet. I’ve also occasionally kept those little pudding-cups in the cabinet. I used to put them in the kitchen fridge, but then someone stole them, and I’d rather have pudding at room temperature than not there at all when I want it. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/10 "2019-08-13T22:38:28Z")
I typically keep a bag of chips or something similar at my desk. I figure it’s cheaper than buying snacks from the vending machine all the time. I also usually bring a piece of fruit from home every day in addition to my lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/11 "2019-08-13T22:49:40Z")
My business was open 24/7 so I shared my desk with people on other shifts. If I had kept food in my desk, it would have been eaten. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/12 "2019-08-13T22:54:49Z")
I keep a box of Kind bars in my desk, for when I have an insulin reaction. We’ve got people that keep half a dozen different types of snacks out on their desks–chips, crackers, candy, stuff that’ll keep for a few weeks at least–and I’m constantly amazed that we don’t have any bug problems here. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/13 "2019-08-13T23:22:35Z")
I bring in candy and put it on someone else’s desk. That way people won’t come to mine. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/14 "2019-08-13T23:30:55Z")
I have little single serving packs of cashews, , a couple of sauce bottles, salt, and pepper, coffee grounds, and tea (loose and bags). The shared refrigerator is nearby so I keep everything else there. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/15 "2019-08-13T23:33:41Z")
I’ve got some Costco-sized boxes of granola bars and the like. I tend not to like a big breakfast, so I’ll have something small at home and a couple more snacks mid-morning. I also have a few bottles of booze, but that’s here mostly until the next time I drive as those are tough to carry on my bike. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/16 "2019-08-13T23:59:58Z")
I don’t eat breakfast on any kind of typical daytime hours work schedule. If it’s the most important meal of the day why do they schedule it so damned early? Some granola bars and nuts are pretty commonly stashed for the days where I need to eat something before lunch rolls around. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/17 "2019-08-14T00:02:30Z")
Sure. I keep tea, peanuts, tuna and crackers, and other shelf-stable food. Some is for snacking, but others are for a quick lunch if I can’t leave the office. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/18 "2019-08-14T01:09:03Z")
I don’t have an office job right now, but I always kept a lot of food in my desk. I usually needed some pick me up by 3pm on slow days. A few tootsie rolls, a mug of cocoa or tea (we only had coffee despite our pleas for variety), some hard candies. I started keeping a can of soup too for emergency lunches for when I’d forget or be broke. We never had bugs or vermin. I don’t think we were particularly clean eaters, but maybe our storage methods were more impervious. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/19 "2019-08-14T01:44:42Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Sure. I keep tea, peanuts, tuna and crackers, and other shelf-stable food. Some is for snacking, but others are for a quick lunch if I can’t leave the office. I have dried fruit, a few rice krispies treats, and oatmeal in case I don’t get my crap together enough to make lunch in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627/20 "2019-08-14T02:25:26Z")
I have fruit&nut granola bars in the desk drawer. A cylinder of oatmeal is over by the hot water dispenser for breakfasts, and my lunch is either in my lunchbag with me at the desk or over in the fridge, so any food in the drawer is really just for emergencies. I make sure to stock bars that I don’t like terribly much so I’m not tempted to eat them out of boredom. Salted nuts wouldn’t last a minute. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/office-workers-do-you-keep-food-at-your-desk/838627.md?page=2)