Healthy Eating Strategies for The Workplace
Over the past 12 or so months, we all needed to adjust our lifestyle. A lot of us came up with new routines that incorporated regular walks and healthier food while working from our newly created home offices. Now that majority of businesses have opened their offices again and their capacity increased (while keeping it Covid safe), the danger of overall sluggishness and weight gain increases for all of us. The office environment and sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day promotes a sedentary lifestyle while also contributing to unhealthy office diet with access to vending machines and office snacks often leading to unwanted weight gain.
Work diet tips:
- Prepare Lunches and Snacks the night before
- Make sure you fit in exercise throughout the day
- Stay Hydrated
- Manage your stress levels
Tip 1: Prepare Lunches and Snacks the night before
Simply preparing a ‘Lunch Box’ the night before work can help you avoid either buying snacks/lunch which will most likely be overpriced and/or unhealthy. Food Prep can help you understand what a healthy meal looks like and you will know exactly what you are putting into your body instead of mindlessly eating unhealthy snacks while at your desk. Lunches should include a lean protein source e.g. (chicken, fish, tofu, eggs), vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, capsicum) and a low GI carb source e.g. (brown rice, quinoa, wholemeal bread/wraps). When including snacks make sure they are either high protein (yo-pro, low fat Greek yoghurt, protein balls) and/or a low-calorie fruit e.g. (apples, bananas, and berries). These foods are high in fibre and protein which will keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Here at Be Fit Food we understand the struggles of cooking lunches and dinners everyday which can be quite time consuming and some of us just do not have that time. We provide snacks and healthy meal bundles that include as much as 28 meals to be enjoyed by you. The best part about it is they are all snap frozen and ready to heat and eat so you can enjoy a healthy and delicious meal.
Tip 2: Make sure you fit in exercise throughout the day
Exercise remains to be one of the most important things to include when trying to follow a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, it is one of many things that get neglected when working 9 – 5. Even more so when sitting in the office and there is always another email/ task that needs your attention.
- Simply parking your car further away from your building can help you get in an extra 5 minutes of exercise, though it may not be convenient it will be beneficial for your health
- Use your lunch break efficiently, do not just sit at your desk or break room at the office, go outside and take a walk to the nearest park or café. Take the time to enjoy your food and experience the great outdoors because in the end it will help promote a healthy relationship with food
- Stand up every hour and walk around, chat to your colleagues and enjoy their company since you probably haven’t seen them much over the past year or so, this will reap massive rewards for your mental health
Tip 3: Stay Hydrated
A lot of the time we can misconceive dehydration as hunger which can result in overeating. Simply bringing a refillable water bottle to your workplace and sipping on it all day, can help you stay hydrated and curb your appetite to prevent overeating.
Dehydration can lead to difficulty concentrating, a lack of energy and sub-optimal brain function which can affect your overall productivity while at work. It also can contribute to the occurrence of headaches and migraines which can result in sick leave.
The amount of fluid you need per day is dependent on your body weight. Most people should consume between 2 - 3 litres per day to stay well hydrated. The majority of this should come from water, however it is not just water that keeps you hydrated. All beverages containing water can contribute toward your daily needs. It is important to consider that other beverages such as soft drinks and fruit juice most likely contain added sugar which can contribute to weight gain and damage your teeth.
Some ways that can help you remember to drink water include purchasing a new colourful drink bottle, placing bottles wherever you work frequently, using an app or alarms for alert reminders, infusing your water with lemon for flavour, marking your drink bottle to indicate servings and using a straw.
Tip 4: Manage your stress
Keeping up good habits can combat the stress and anxiety that comes with change in environment such as going back to the office. To help manage this, start by eating three meals a day, establishing a good exercise routine and some form of meditation/relaxation. At be fit food we incorporate the Mediterranean dietary pattern of eating, which is predominantly a plant-based diet. Studies have found that plant-based diets, high in prebiotics are the best for gut health and can improve mental health outcomes. In combination with a good diet, moving your body daily, getting outdoors and connecting with nature and participating in mindful practices such as meditation can assist with reducing stress and anxiety.
Mindful practices can also be applied to diet and ordering Be Fit Food can take the stress and guesswork out of your dietary choices. The meals are delivered to your doorstep and ready to heat and eat so you can put your focus on getting your routine back on track!
