Well Fed Network

Posted by Rachel Baumgartel on Fit Fare.

Looming deadlines. Demanding superiors. Hunger prevails.

Whether it is meal time or not, when stress hits at the office, it can lead to damaging behavior for one’s body. Tempting as it may be, vending machine fare is generally not healthy with high sugar and fat content. Running out to grab some fast food for a convenient lunch isn’t much better, and frozen meals aren’t always the best choice either.

Here are some helpful tips for healthy eating and stress management at the office:

• Keep a large stash of healthy snacks in your desk drawer and/or in the refrigerator. Snack mixes with under 20 grams of carbohydrates per serving can stave off the munchies, as can granola bars with the same carb content. When consumed in moderation, cheese sticks and pudding cups can be useful in fighting off cravings from the vending machines as well.
• When stress strikes in the middle of the afternoon, try going for a short walk. Often, I find that a walk will relax me more than chocolate will. If going for a walk isn’t a possibility, try a cup of tea for a pick-me-up. Green tea may or may not suppress one’s appetite, depending what studies you read, but I know it always takes away sugary cravings in order for me to enjoy one of those healthy snacks instead.
• If you aren’t having leftovers for lunch, know what you’re eating. Whether it is fast food or a frozen meal, check out the nutritional information. If something doesn’t seem like it will match up to your typical eating (whether lower-carb or low-fat), then choose something else (or somewhere else) to get a meal. Sodium content should be watched as well. Remember that the daily recommended allowance for sodium is 2300 mg. When lunch contains half (or more than half) of that, there’s a problem!
• Take moments to breath. Your work might suffer more under stressful conditions than if you take five minutes for some relaxing breathing.