Tips for eating healthy at the office

8/20/08 Posted in Diet  |  1 Comment

Once you’ve made the commitment to eating healthfully, it may seem like all of your coworkers are conspiring against you to keep you from your goals. Just like it’s easy to succumb to a little office gossip once in a while, it’s easy to mindlessly pick up one of those homemade cookies the secretary brings in every Wednesday…every time you pass by her desk.

The following 8 tips to eating healthy at work, including ways to get your whole office involved, will get on your way to becoming a more healthy and productive you!

1. Just say NO! Out loud. You don’t have to shout, though that will work, too. Often times, people eat junk food mindlessly just because it’s there. It’s accessible. It’s easy. Saying “NO!” out loud will bring you back into the present, preventing mindless eating, and make you aware of your choice not to partake.

2. Bring healthy snacks to work in baggies. Munch on them when you need to. Sometimes, eating in the office has nothing to do with hunger. Stress is a major factor in unnecessary office snacking, as is oral fixation. Pre-pack baby carrots, fruits, and veggies to bring with you when you feel the need to nibble. Carrots and other veggies can satisfy the need for a crunchy food, while fruits, like grapes, will help curve the need for something sweet. Gum is great, too.

3. Keep a food diary. It may seem like a chore, but writing down everything you eat, even for only one week, along with your feelings at that time, may shed light on your work eating habits. Do you always grab a frappuccino around 2pm? Do you tend to hit up the snack room after meetings with your boss? Once you recognize certain patterns, you’ll be able to recognize why you’re reaching for Twinkies every time Edna in Accounting stops by your desk.

4. Make a meal plan. Write out everything you’re going to eat for the whole week, keeping in mind when and how long you will work out on certain days. Pre-pack your snack baggies on the weekend so it’s easy to grab-and-go throughout the week. If a coworker asks you out to lunch, that’s fine. Just make sure you order something healthful on the menu. Rigidity is not key here, but having a plan will make it easier to assess if that piece of birthday cake is a necessary part of your diet Wednesday afternoon. If you have to have it, fine. Just continue with your plan from there.

5.Mind your schedule. If you have a meeting at 12pm, and you usually eat lunch at 1pm, don’t count on getting out on time. If the meeting goes long, you’ll surely indulge in whatever’s provided at the meeting, and that just might be doughnuts. Eat a snack before the meeting. Or, better yet, if you can, bring a snack to the meeting, so you can eat it when hunger sets in. Not letting yourself go hungry because of work obligations is key in maintaining a steady blood sugar, and keeping yourself from overindulging after a long period without food.

 6.Talk to your boss. Does your workplace have a snack room? Jar? Table? Chances are it’s filled with over-processed, unhealthy foods. Particularly in today’s work-oriented society, energy drinks abound in work snack rooms. Talk to your boss about getting healthful foods added to the snack room, like apples, pears, bananas and oranges. Individual packs of beef jerky, almonds, and trail mix are also good picks for sustained energy, while their handy size keeps you from overeating. If your boss is really into it, maybe she’ll make an effort to eliminate things like doughnuts, muffins, and candy bars from the workplace. In the end, it’s up to you to choose wisely, but it’s nice to have options to help you do so.

 7. Make a food buddy. Chances are you’re not the only person struggling with all of the temptations office life throws at you. Nobody is going to prevent your kind secretary from bringing in her cookies. You might even be in the mood for baking one evening, then bring the leftovers to work the next day in an effort to make everyone else eat it, so it doesn’t sit at home taunting you. Enlist the help of a friend in the office. Be accountable to each other. If you feel comfortable doing so, share your food diaries. You can eat lunch together some days, and offer each other tips for healthful snacks and meals you enjoy.

8. Make an office-wide fitness challenge. Get your boss to thrown in a bonus to the employee with the fastest finishing time in a local 5K. It’s a chance to have the company do something outside of the workplace together, encouraging bonding (your boss will love that), as well as a chance to make everyone in the office more health-conscious.

It’s not always easy to stick to healthy eating in the workplace. But with some creativity and determination, you can achieve your goals of living a healthy lifestyle—even when it seems like every day is someone’s birthday in the office!