Renew You!

Fighting office temptations…
how to eat healthier at work

It takes a lot of work to keep a healthy diet…especially at work. The combination of busy days, office parties and fast food options often conspires to keep us from foods that are high in nutrients and low in sugar and fat. Here are some tips to help you avoid office temptations.

Don’t skip meals – especially breakfast!

An important part of keeping a healthy diet is routine. If you skip breakfast, you break that routine right out of the gate, and it’s hard to recover. People don’t make good dietary decisions when they’re hungry. The higher our level of hunger, the less likely we are to consider the long-term dietary ramifications of the food we eat.

Eating a breakfast that’s high in whole grains (bagels, low-fat muffins, whole-grain cereals), low-fat dairy (yogurt, milk) and fruit will give you the energy you need to get through the morning while keeping you satisfied.

Plan ahead

By taking time out on Sunday to prepare healthy meals for the work week ahead, you avoid the scenario that we’ve all faced: You’re swamped at work. You only have a half hour – if that – to grab lunch. So you go down to the cafeteria and grab a burger and fries.  Or you can’t help yourself and eat some left-over pizza from another department’s lunch that’s offered to you.

Preparing healthy food ahead of time allows you to take control over your diet instead of grabbing what you can when you can.

Stock up on healthy snacks

Along the same lines, keep healthy snacks like apples and oranges around instead of chips or cookies. Drink water or tea instead of soda. Not only are these healthier options, but they will help you maintain your energy throughout the day instead of trading a quick sugar rush for a late afternoon crash (which may lead to an energy drink or more sugary snacks to raise your energy level).

Don’t forget sleep and exercise

Much like hunger, lack of sleep can put you in survival mode. You’re not in the mood to think about what’s healthy or not healthy—you just know you need food that will give you energy. This can lead to bad dietary decisions. Exercise helps you get a better night’s sleep. It also burns calories. This will allow you to occasionally eat foods high in fat and sugar – like the seemingly never-ending string of treats offered during an office birthday celebration – without feeling the guilt and physical ramifications that are associated with those foods. 

What do you do to avoid over-indulging on office treats?