6 Ways to Eat Well – Even When You Have a Demanding Job
Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder or just working a job that keeps you on your feet all the time, eating a healthy, organic diet is tough when you’ve barely even got time to hit the drive-through. Eating well, however, doesn’t have to be impossible when your schedule is packed. In fact, it could even save you time. These six tips will help you eat better on the job.
1. Plan ahead.
If you don’t plan your meals and snacks ahead of time, you’ll probably end up eating whatever is convenient and tasty – not necessarily whatever is the healthiest. Avoid giving in to the temptation of fast food or a giant burrito by taking a few minutes every morning to decide what you’ll eat later. If you’ve already committed to eating a chicken wrap and side salad for lunch, you’ll have an easier time saying no to the french fries.
2. Make it convenient.
When you’re worrying about bosses, deadlines, and projects, you’ll probably just eat whatever is most convenient, so make it easy to choose healthy foods. Consider bringing your lunch to work with you or signing up for a delivery service that can provide lean meals. When you know you’ve got something good to eat already, the vending machine will look a lot less tempting.
3. Pack foods that travel well.
Bringing your own lunch and snacks is a great idea, but make sure you choose foods that are easy to transport and eat. Sandwiches and wraps are good options, along with Tupperware-friendly foods like rice dishes and salads. If you bring something messy or inconvenient to eat, you’ll be less likely to actually eat it.
4. Snack smart.
It’s easy to snack in most offices. Candy dishes, vending machines, free food in the break room… if you get hungry, it can be hard to resist, even if the food isn’t good for you. Combat your cravings by keeping healthy snacks on hand. Bring your own organic fruit or veggie sticks, almond butter, hummus, string cheese, and other good-for-you fare.
5. Don’t get too hungry.
When you’re starving, you tend to make worse decisions about food. (Who hasn’t skipped breakfast and then overindulged later?) This is completely preventable, though, so don’t let it happen to you. Bring https://bootiquefitness.com/diet-friendly-snacking/ to your workplace and nibble on them when you start to feel hungry, so you won’t be so tempted to dive into a box of donuts lately. Drinking plenty of water is another way to make sure you feel full and satisfied all day – sometimes when you feel hungry, it is because you are actually thirsty because your brain is receiving different signals.
Whatever you do, stay away from white sugar and flour. Both of these ingredients cause your blood sugar to spike and then crash. This will make you feel groggy and irritable, as well as hungry. Go for complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats to stay clear-headed all day.
6. Make good choices at restaurants.
Maybe you go out for lunch with your co-workers every day, or maybe you travel for business often and eat in restaurants out of necessity. Whatever the case, restaurants can be a minefield if you’re trying to eat healthy and organic, but there are usually some good options on the menu. Go for dishes that have plenty of veggies and lean meats, and stay away from anything that’s fried, battered, or fatty. For instance, grilled salmon with a side salad is a great choice at a restaurant.
It’s not always easy to make good food choices at work. Between free food, job stress, and peer pressure, sometimes you might just want to throw healthy eating out the window and order the burger with fries. But you’ll feel better (and be more productive) if you eat well, so look for simple ways you can make healthy eating part of your everyday routine. What will you do to eat well at work today?
By Guest Author: Mia Morales is a loving wife and mother of twins from Colorado. She is a self-described “DIY addict”, and loves to decorate her house and office with her creations. As a mother, Mia is really passionate about health, nutrition, and what she puts in her body.
