It’s so easy to reach for a custard cream around 10.30am when you’re craving something sugary at work. Being in an office is a poor environment for eating healthily, and it becomes all too easy to reach for something quick, easy and bad for you when hunger strikes! With that in mind, here are some tips to get out of the biscuit habit and onto something a little healthier:
- Eat a decent breakfast
Rush out of the door with no time to spare for breakfast? Many experts agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but when you’re in a rush you really don’t want to be thinking about making up a meal. Fruit and Veggies More Matters says that eating a nutritious breakfast sets the tone of the day and helps maintain weight. It also means you might be less inclined to reach for a mid-morning snack. Try adding brown bread to your breakfast to give your stomach something substantial to work with! Eggs are also great for protein in the morning and are filling and healthy, too. Think about preparing your breakfast the night before to save time. Muesli, a dash of yogurt and some fruit from the fridge are quick to toss together in the morning.
- Be prepared
When you’re in a rush and hungry, you’re more likely to spend out on an expensive cake in your work cafeteria. So, be prepared with some healthy snacks on board. These could include nuts and cranberries, dried apricot pieces, coconut and dried pineapples, or a healthy bowl of grapes.
- Stay motivated
It can be really hard to stick to your healthy snacks so remind yourself why you are having them. There are SO many benefits to eating fruit instead of biscuits! Fruitful Office’s “Great Fruit Experiment” found an 11% increase in staff agreeing that their workplace “enabled them to work more productively” following the introduction of fruit to the workplace. People who eat fruit generally have much better diets, too. They are full of vitamins and minerals that are key to the function of your body. People who eat more vitamin C generally get fewer colds! It’s also great to share fruit, so why not bring extra in, or get your employer to consider buying fruit baskets for the office. This way, you can all keep each other motivated and fewer people will buy packets of biscuits or tins of cake for you to be tempted by!
- It’s OK to have an off-day
Sometimes we all slip up; whether it is a piece of birthday cake or a tempting flapjack at the petrol station on your way into work. Every day is a new day, so you can quickly re-adjust your mindset again and get back on the (fruit) wagon! Don’t beat yourself up!
Don’t expect an Olympic effort of changing your entire lifestyle to stick. Make small adjustments and take each day as its own victory, it takes months for good practice to become habit. Don’t become discouraged!
