Office work can negatively affect a personβs health. Not only do we sit in an uncomfortable position in front of a computer for eight hours, we also tend to make unhealthy food choices during the day.
Furthermore, itβs very tempting to skip lunch or stress-eat on chips and candy when youβre racing against the clock to meet an approaching deadline.
The combined lack of movement, unhealthy diet, and stress exposes office workers to many health risks like heart diseases and obesity. Hence this post to make your eating habits healthier at work.
6 Easy Tips and Tricks for Eating Healthy at Work
1. Hydrate, Hydrate, and Hydrate!
Keeping your body hydrated is the most fundamental rule of all. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day to ensure that you will stay hydrated. Always keep a tumbler or a bottle of water nearby so you can take a sip at any time.
Our body needs water to break down food and facilitate processes in the body. Remeber to drink before you feel thirsty. Thirst and headaches are the first signs of dehydration.
If water is too bland for you, you can try other beverages that suit your taste buds like unsweetened tea, sugar-free (preferable homemade) juices or smoothies, or infused water.
2. Avoid sweets
Deep down we all know sugar and processed foods are evil, yet so many of us run to the office vending machine to get some candy to get them through the afternoon slump.
Munching on candy while you work does give you energy and comfort, but it also increases your sugar levels and makes you more prone to throat infections and other diseases. Most people also don't keep track of how much candy they consume while they are working, eating more sweets than they intended to.
One or two bites of chocolate is all right, but itβs better to eat a regular healthy snack, like sweet potato chips or hummus and veggie sticks.
3. Watch your coffee habit
Though there is nothing wrong with having a coffee in the morning or in the afternoon, people working an office job often drink 6 or more cups a day. Too much coffee can lead to gastric acidity, especially if you drink it on an empty stomach. If you need a drink, opt for (infused) water, homemade juices, or herbal teas.
4. Pack your leftovers
Eating healthy at work doesnβt have to be expensive. Bringing healthy leftovers saves you money. You can also start preparing extra portions at home so you can bring some to work to skip those mayo-laden sandwiches and salads you find at work.
5. Choose snacks wisely
Instead of the usual bag of chips or candy bar, opt for healthy snacks. Swap junk food with nuts like pistachios, peanuts, and almonds. Pick the unsalted ones to avoid high salt content in your blood.
Fruits are always a great, sweet and easy option. Youβd be surprised at how sweet and filling they are. Other snacks that you can eat at work are unbuttered and unsalted popcorn, cultured dairy-free yogurt, chia pudding and pre-cut vegetables like carrot and celery sticks combined with some hummus or guacamole.
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6. A big lunch is no longer necessary
Instead of having 3 big meals a day, try to have 3 smaller ones and combine these with 2 to 3 healthy snack to keep you going.
The beauty of eating snacks is you are compelled to eat less during your lunchtime. Eating a big meal in one sitting increases the risk of your waistline expanding, as well as suffering from heartburn or other digestive issues.
As much as possible, avoid having your lunch or snack on your desk since this means not getting up and changing your position. Your attention will also be on your work rather than on your meal. You deserve to enjoy your food and set your mind to something else than work.
Thanks for reading and stay healthy and happy at work!
Thanks for the really good tips. It was part of my New Year's resolutions to start preparing healthy food to take to the office. Often I am too lazy to do this in the evening and then the next day I snack on junk food in front of my computer.
Thanks for stopping by! I'll do a post on meal prepping lunches for a few days ahead soonish ;)
Sounds good, I'm looking forward to it. :)
@amy-goodrich Thanks for the tips . I am definitely gonna try to control my coffee habit
Thanks @marwah! And good luck... I was a huge coffee drinker in the past too. Now I reduced it to 1-2 cups a day.
@amy-goodrich so in that case now you are role model too.
Excellent post. I try to live by these as well, except for the coffee part.
I am usually good for 4-6 cups, trying to cut down.
I hear you. I was the same in the past. Not easy to kick the coffee habit. I love the smell and taste of black coffee.
Oh I struggle sometimes with bad eating habits at work, at least I try to hydrate and drink teas :)... But I should also try to make better healthy decisions
That's a start ;)
Great tips Amy! I need to keep my coffee in check βοΈπ
Thanks! A lot of us seem to struggle with our coffee habit.
Very good tips, I'll be looking to add one or two healthy snacks to my work day myself.
Thanks @deagonvegan! So many yummy healthy vegan homemade snack to choose from. My fav are nut mixes or veggie sticks and red beet hummus.
Great information and motivation Amy! I am a big fan of all of your tips in this article, especially bringing leftovers for lunch. I was working from 6am until 7:30pm yesterday, so my lunch bag was actually a medium size cooler because my regular lunch bag was too small to fit all my food for the day! π€£
Hehe! Yeah for homecooked foods instead of the foods you find in and around the office. Leftovers are the best! Though I usually have a salad for lunch.
Leftovers on top of greens counts as a salad, right? π
I sure does ;)
Great post! For me, working in an office, I try to prepare myself some tea or grab a glass of water every hour or so - it also gets me away from my desk and make me move a little, since sitting for so many hours is truly not doing the body any good ;)
True that. We all should incorporate the habit of standing up to grab a glass of water or a cup of tea. Thanks for stopping by!
These tips are really great! I always watch to keep hydrated all the time at work. For lunch there will be a tasty salad without oil and refined sugar and I'll try to walk around and stretch a bit every hour! The last one is so important because I have an office job!
True that. Movement is important. I love lunch salads and there is nothing wrong with adding a healthy oil to your salads. Healthy fats make it easier for your body to absorb nutrients from other foods. Take care and have a great day!