It can be tough to stay disciplined and eat healthily at work, particularly with all the delicious cafes close by, vending machines with chocolate and soft drink, or when you’re just plain bored and you use food as a distraction from your day’s work. To help keep you on track, here are four simple choices you can make every-day to avoid temptations and eat healthily.
Stop skipping breakfast!
You slept in too long, your kid can’t find their favourite toy, or you can’t find your keys. Being late can sometimes feel inevitable, but it can also cause you to rush out the door and skip breakfast. Come 10am, you’re so hungry you could eat anything, the temptation is too hard to ignore and you scoff down a bacon and egg roll. (Alright, I may be talking from personal experience here… but you get my drift, it happens!).
There are so many proven benefits to eating a wholesome, nutritious breakfast to start your day. These include regulated blood sugar levels, improved productivity, reduced risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, and most importantly breakfast gives you the fuel to keep you going for the day. By eating a nutritious breakfast, you’ll feel less distracted and tempted to eat something naughty, and you’ll also be far more focused!
Click here to view a list of healthy breakfast ideas.
Stick to structure
By creating a structured meal plan in your day, you can ensure you’re eating nutritious food, whilst remaining satisfied and reducing snacking. This encourages eating 5 meals a day, instead of snacking continuously through-out the day. Each week, set out a weekly planner of what you plan to eat each day.
Stay hydrated
Did you know the human body finds it difficult to distinguish between hunger and thirst? That’s why it’s so important to ensure you’re hydrated through-out the day. To do this, try taking 7 big sips of water before and after every meal you have, and to always keep a full water bottle at your desk. According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, men should have at least 3.7 litres of water a day, and women should have at least 2.7 litres a day.
Snack Smart
Stock up on healthy and balanced snacks. If you don’t enjoy packing your bag full of food, keep healthy snacks in your draw that don’t need refrigeration. To view a list of these snacks, click here. If you do have a fridge in your office and can store food, here are some fresh snacks! These snacks are nutritious, delicious, and most importantly – keep you full!