5 eating habits to avoid at work
1. Missing Breakfast
Without a doubt, mornings are hectic and there never seems to be enough time to get everything done. When you have kids to feed, dogs to walk, and the school run, there’s barely any time left to worry about yourself. Sometimes it’s just easier to run out the door without breakfast. You’ll pick up something along the way.
You decide to go through the drive-thru and pick up one of your favorite egg sandwiches. You know the ones that boast only 5 ingredients on the label, but actually contain over 50 and most of those are either genetically modified or additives you can’t pronounce.
So that’s breakfast taken care of, or so you think. Just as you’re about to bite into your sandwich, your phone rings and it’s your boss. She’s set up a meeting first thing and needs you there right away. The sandwich gets tossed aside and instead, you settle for extra cream and sugar in your coffee to keep you going.
Solution:
Prepare as much as possible the night before (your lunch, school lunches, any possible breakfast items like maybe overnight oats that you can add some protein to the morning, and all clothes for the following day so that you are well organized and do not feel hurried. This will allow you to have more time to fuel properly and start the day in a more peaceful manner. You may also want to get up a bit earlier to ensure sufficient time to get everything done AND be able to enjoy a healthy breakfast.
2. Stuck In Meetings All Day
But you’re in luck. As soon as you walk into the boardroom, you’re met with the delicious smell of coffee and there in the center of the table is a great pile of baked goods, a large pitcher of orange juice, a huge fruit platter and coffee galore. That’ll fill you up till lunch. You help yourself to a glass of juice, a muffin and a generous helping of honeydew, cantaloupe, grapes, and strawberries. Problem…sugar overload which will play havoc on your blood sugar levels and although you just consumed a ton of imbalanced calories, your insulin level will drop and you will feel fatigue, possibly have cravings for more sugar, and hunger.
Solution:The solution is in the answer for breakfast above…eat a healthy breakfast and then at the board meeting have some coffee and if you had a small high protein breakfast go ahead and have a piece of fruit.
3. Skipping Lunch
You’re feeling guilty about the muffin you had at the meeting, so you decide to skip lunch and settle for some more fruit that you’ll you eat at your desk. You have to get the meeting report done by 1 p.m., so no time to stop. Another cup of coffee should be enough to keep you going till 3 p.m.
Solution:If you are still finding yourself in situations where you need to have a snack or lunch at your desk, have 100 calorie packs of nuts in your desk, packets of tuna (there are some really tasty ones out there now), string cheese and fruit in the fridge at work, some pre-cut veggies and hummus, last resort protein powder, maybe some plain packages of oatmeal. The key is balance…have some protein, fats, and carbs available so that you can be taking in some fibrous carbs for energy and brain function, some healthy fats to fill you up and slow the digestion of your carbs, and some protein to feed your cells and repair your body. If you food prep on your day off, you should always have grab and go lunches that you can eat at your desk if necessary.
4. Mindless Snacking
Around 3 p.m., you start dragging your feet and head for the kitchen for another cup of coffee to wake you up. On your way back to your desk, you pass the vending machine and purchase a chocolate milk, a bag of nuts, and some cheese and crackers. You promise yourself when you get home, you’ll just have a salad or something light to make up for all the snacks during the day.
Solution:When you find yourself in this situation, see above as this is also covered in question 3
5. Working Late
But your 4 p.m. meeting is running over time and it’s going to be another late night tonight. You’ll just have to pick up a pizza on the way home and call it a day.
Solution:So if you have NOT meal prepped and do not have already precooked protein and vegetables then there are healthier options than stopping for pizza. Any Asian restaurant has healthy steamed options that are delicious. Most grocery stores have salad bars with a large selection of veggies and some protein and healthy fat options so throw together a large salad and top it with balsamic vinegar and some olive oil!
That’s a pretty typical workday for a lot of us – going for long periods without proper fuel, drinking too much coffee and filling up on high sugar foods to stay energized. At the end of the day, it all adds up and can cause weight gain, high stress and reduced productivity. So what do you do?
Get into the habit of cooking your meals in batches once or twice a week, so you always have food on hand when you need it. Known as “meal prep”, it’s a simple trick that takes all the hassle out of eating healthy. All you have to do is cook a batch of protein like chicken, a batch of carbohydrates like sweet potatoes or rice, and a batch of veggies like green beans and you have the makings for a healthy, well-balanced meal that’s perfect for packed lunches at work.SHIT does happen… like you forget your prepped food, or you are in meetings off site, or you are traveling but these situations do not need to throw you off of your game!!