Fitting a healthy lifestyle into our 9-5 daily grind can be tricky and daunting, especially when fast food is always right around the corner. We gathered up a list of practical tips that can put you on the path of mindful eating, help you stay more energized and productive at work, and avoid getting stuck in an endless loop of unhealthy food choices.
1- Develop nutritional awareness
Most of us already know what’s healthy and what’s not, but many of what we label ‘healthy’ is actually filled with hidden ingredients that don’t provide the nutritional value you think. Snacks like granola, energy bars, cereals, and dried fruits are calorie-dense and high in sugar and carbs.
Instead of granola bars, opt for muesli, overnight oats, bars that contain simple, recognizable ingredients like nuts, seeds, and honey, and whole seasonal fruits instead of dried ones. Rice cake is another nutritious snack filled with manganese, potassium, and vitamin B. You could have rice cakes topped with cheese, peanut butter, or avocados during the day. Adding nuts, oats, or chia seeds to your yogurt elevates the taste and offers you many nutritional values. By developing nutritional awareness, you will be able to make healthier, more conscious food choices and, in turn, perform better at work.
2- Avoid skipping meals
When and how often we eat is just as important as eating well and getting the right amount of nutrients during the day. Breakfast is one of the meals we tend to skip when preparing for a long work day ahead, when, in fact, it’s the most important meal of the day. When skipping meals, our bodies go through starvation mode and run several risks, including low blood sugar levels, a decline in energy levels, and mood swings, which will result in overeating or eating the wrong things. To avoid skipping meals, we advise you to wake up at least 30 minutes early to have room for a filling breakfast that boosts your metabolism and helps you stay full for longer. Eggs, Greek yogurt, and oatmeal pancakes are some simple breakfast ideas you can prepare in under 20 minutes.
3- Stay hydrated
Drinking water throughout the day maintains the balance of body fluids, cleanses your body from toxins, boosts your metabolism, and improves your energy levels. Coffee or soda isn’t enough to hydrate your body and keep you energized throughout the day. Make sure you drink at least 8 cups of water during the day. If you forget to drink water, apps like Water Tracker and Water Reminder can help keep your hydration in check during the day.
4- Practice smart snacking
Snacks are a double-edged sword. Over-snacking causes unwanted weight gain and can lead to skipping meals and unhealthy eating patterns throughout the day. Under-snacking can lead to overeating and crave greasy food. The When, Where, Why, What, and How Much are the pillars of intelligent and nutritional snacking.
Your Guide to smart snacking: ‘The 4 Ws and H’
5- Pack lunch for work
Preparing lunch the night before taking to work can help you avoid buying fast food and eating unhealthy meals during office hours. Meals like tuna pasta salad and grilled lean proteins like chicken, salmon, or beef with roasted veggies can be easily prepared in 30 minutes or less. If you don’t have time to prepare lunch the night before, pack some lunch or dinner leftovers and refresh them with some salad greens, roasted potatoes, or a simple olive oil dressing so that eating the same food twice a row doesn’t get dull or unexciting. Make sure you pack leftovers that can commute well and not get squashed on the way to work.
6 – Exercise portion control
Portion control is about exercising discipline about your food intake and tricking your brain into seeing a smaller-than-normal portion as satisfying. When trying to control your portions, go for smaller plates and use them as your portion guide; veggies, for example, can take half the plate, a quarter for meat, poultry, or fish, and a quarter for whole grains or starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes. You can always follow the 20-minute rule, where you wait 20 minutes before going for a second serving so that your brain registers you are becoming full. Apps like MyNetDiary and Fooducate help you track what you eat, help you grade the food you’re consuming according to its health benefits, and make healthier, more conscious selections in your food.
Breadfast Tip:
It’s normal to fall off the wagon and make poor eating choices – especially when we have to keep tabs on many tasks at work during the day. With those tips, we can always start small and build our way towards mindful eating habits and a healthier lifestyle. Here’s one tip that will work wonders with your mindful eating process; always pick meals and snacks that excite you and not make you feel like you are depriving your body of something it craves. Count on Breadfast to deliver all your healthy snacks, from small nibbles like nuts and air popped popcorn, all the way to dark chocolate, fruits and veggies, or specialty coffee to fuel your energy and help you stay on track during office hours. Download Breadfast here: https://brdfst.com/blogx
