A N Increasing number of workers eat breakfast at their desks every day, writes Noreen Barr. A survey by Nimble bread found that four in ten employees now do this. However, should your boss object, here's some food for thought. Three-quarters of employers surveyed said they did not mind their staff eating breakfast in the workplace, while some caring bosses were positively encouraging the trend, with kettles, microwaves, toasters and even ovens now provided for one in ten of the UK workforce.

Another factor to throw in might be that in the long run, eating breakfast will boost your brain power and hence the company's profit-margins.

Dr Wendy Doyle, of the British Dietetic Association, says: "We know people perform better both physically and mentally when they don't go too long without food.

"If you leave large gaps between meals, your blood sugar gets low and you can't concentrate. So it is always a good idea to have breakfast, even if it is mid-morning."

But what to eat? While it might be tempting to simply buy a bacon roll from the local caf each morning, a healthier option would be to have some cereal.

Dr Doyle says: "Although your choice of breakfast will really depend on the facilities available, in most workplaces you can store milk and have a cereal.

"That would be a healthy option because it gives you fibre and also, maybe more importantly, it gives you a lot of vitamins and minerals since cereals are quite highly fortified with nutrients."

Another saintly and easy choice would be a fresh fruit salad and it might well be possible to make toast in your office.

However, for those who are prepared to make their own packed-breakfasts the night before, the mouth-watering range of options is much larger.

Wraps or flour tortillas are one tempting option. These can be bought ready-made from shops and filled with all sorts of delicious things. Or you could treat yourself to bagels, muffins or a smoothie drink of fruit or vegetables.

And if you want to do something really adventurous once in a while, why not prepare a Spanish-style tortilla? This dish, which is basically a thick omelette, can be made the night before, cut into wedges and eaten cold in the office for breakfast.

Recipe

Ham and thyme tortilla

(serves 4-6)

From Fran Warde's cookery book Eat Drink Live

Ingredients:

3 medium potatoes

3 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, sliced

100g ham, chopped

5 eggs

4 tbsp milk

leaves from 8 sprigs of thyme, coarsely chopped

75g Gruyere cheese, grated

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

u Cook the potatoes in boiling water until just tender. Drain and cool, then slice. Heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan. Add the onions and cook over a moderate heat for seven minutes or until slightly soft and slightly golden. Add the ham and potatoes and mix thoroughly.

u Beat the eggs in a bowl, then add the milk, chopped thyme, salt and pepper. Pour into the frying pan and mix carefully. Sprinkle with the cheese and cook over a medium heat for eight minutes. Reduce the heat and cook for another ten minutes, until the egg has almost set.

u Put the pan under a pre-heated grill and cook until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Remove from the heat. Check that the tortilla is firm, then turn it upside down on to a plate. Put another plate on top and turn the tortilla over again to reveal the golden cheesy topping. (At this stage the tortilla can be eaten hot).

u To transport the tortilla into work it might be best to leave it to cool, cut it into wedges and transport it in a Tupperware box.