6 Ways To Improve Your Work Diet

A typical day at the office: You rush off with no breakfast. By morning tea time you're onto your third coffee. Since it's a tea break you go for a large creamy latté and a big muffin. Lunch rolls around and you grab something quickly without thinking. By afternoon you're feeling tired and groggy, so you go hit the snack box or vending machine and gulp down a Red Bull...

Welcome to the busy working lifestyle - where the combination of poor nutrition and high stress make for a sick and tired person - and most probably overweight as well.

So what are some easy ways to improve your work diet?

1. Don't Skip Breakfast
   Sure you've heard it all before - but this time you have to make it work for you. If you are not hungry when you wake or simply cannot make the time - why not set up some breakfast food at work? I've known many a colleague who will fix themselves some breakfast in the staff/tea room. Most offices will have at least a fridge and a microwave oven. No excuses there.
2. Throw Some Fruit in Your Bag
   This was role-modeled for me many years ago. A dedicated and fit workmate always had 3 pieces of fruit sitting on his desk. The fruit was always consumed by the end of the day. It rubbed off on me so I began bringing in fruit. I've never looked back. You don't have to keep reaching for the vending machine.
3. Get Out of The Office
   I've always been amazed at the folks who stay in the office for the entire day. Plan to get out at lunch time - go for a walk - clear your head - and make time to eat. If you plan ahead of time then you won't be pulled into any sudden jobs or meetings.
4. Stock Up Your Desk
   Most people tend to eat whatever is in front of them. Once you get the munchies - any food will become fair game. If you've got some better options nearby - the chances are you will eat better. Here are some food ideas:
   
   • Small packets of nuts.
   • Small tins of tuna or salmon
   • Small cans of beans
   • Rice Crackers
   • Whole-wheat pitas
   • In the fridge you could have some hummus or cottage cheese, or even sliced meats.
   • You have enough there to quickly make up some tasty snacks.

5. Coffee Overdose
   What can be said about coffee? Our entire civilisation would collapse without this drug. However some of us consume so much of it during our work day - that we end up strung out and fatigued - not realising that it could be the coffee to blame. Keep tabs on this. I frequently go through seasons of substituting green tea or herbal tea when my coffee consumption starts going up. Colleagues might look at you funny when you pour yourself some green tea with lemon - but that's their problem.
6. The Dinner Trap
   Let's say you have lunch at 1pm, and dinner at 7pm. That's a fairly long stretch. Instead of starving and then demolishing an enormous meal of pasta - it's better to have a good snack in between. Don't be afraid to leave food on your plate at dinner time. Most of us are used to big carb-heavy evening meals. Make a habit of leaving food on your plate - you never know - you might just have made tomorrows lunch.