Healthy eating at work and its effects
If you spend many hours in your office every day, you inevitably have to take care of your nutrition during this time. Many people take the supposedly "easier" path and simply go to the snack bar around the corner during their lunch break. But this is usually a misconception, because in many cases, this food has a negative impact on work performance. Healthy eating at work and sufficient water are aspects you should not underestimate.
In this article, we'll look at how to balance productivity and balanced nutrition.
Key takeaways
- Healthy eating at work can boost your concentration and improve your work performance – especially with vitamin-rich and low-fat foods
- With healthy food that you prepare, you won't stress about eating enough and well for your body
- In addition to healthy eating at work, sufficient water is also an important point to stay focused and productive on long days
- When it comes to healthy eating at work, high-protein foods and products with little sugar and fat are particularly relevant
These foods are suitable for healthy eating at work
If you want to prioritize healthy eating at work, you should ban certain foods from your daily plan or at least consume them only occasionally. Fatty and sugary foods will make you sluggish, more prone to headaches, and your concentration will also decline. In addition, these foods increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
You should fundamentally avoid these foods:
- Fatty foods such as sweets, certain types of meat, or fatty sauces
- Industrial sugary foods such as sweets or soft drinks
- Large, heavy meals
- Also loud and impractical snacks like chips or strong-smelling foods that can disturb other colleagues
You should avoid large meals for healthy eating at work, as they are very heavy on the stomach. Unless you can take a rest break of about an hour after this meal, because then your body can digest and you'll be fit again. However, there are also some small fatty snacks that can help you at work – more on that later.
Sitting for long periods every day already increases your risk of diabetes and obesity somewhat – but certain foods can accelerate this. Therefore, you should consider whether you should establish a height-adjustable desk in addition to healthy eating at work. This allows you to work standing up and thus promote your circulation – feel free to visit the detailed product pages of Deskspace.
Healthy eating at work – these snacks we recommend
Healthy eating at work consists of several small, healthy meals. Your workday should always start at home with a healthy and adequate breakfast, because this is the only way to create a solid foundation for the rest of your day. According to expert recommendations, you should ideally have your breakfast within the first 20 minutes of waking up, and also drink enough.
Tip: For healthy eating at work, we recommend always drinking at least half a liter of water in the morning, ideally in two glasses. If you manage it, even more, just not all at once.
A light meal is recommended for breakfast, but it should still contain some carbohydrates and, ideally, some protein. For example, muesli with Greek yogurt or Skyr is a good choice, as you also have a protein source integrated here. Ideally, you can also add protein powder or use a "protein muesli" from the start. As an alternative to muesli, wholemeal bread with cream cheese and some vegetables is always a good choice.
In addition, these snacks are suitable for healthy eating at work:
- Fruit or vegetable sticks as a snack for in between meals, ideally with a yogurt or herb dip for extra protein and calcium. Easily digestible and quickly prepared, these are an ideal companion
- Nuts or stone fruits like an avocado, healthy fat sources that you should not consume excessively. For healthy eating at work, you should eat a maximum of a handful of nuts or one avocado per day to cover your fat needs and promote your concentration
- Wholemeal or rye bread with cream cheese is also a good snack for work, as it is quickly prepared and you have many options for variations. For example, you can also integrate sweet ingredients here to create variety
- Rice or corn wafers are suitable for healthy eating; they can be topped with many things and require virtually no preparation time. A protein-rich spread such as hummus or cottage cheese is recommended here
In addition to healthy eating at work, you should also promote an ergonomic working posture, because only then can you remain productive and not struggle with back pain or posture problems. An ergonomic sitting and standing stool like the Deskspace Motion will help you with this. You can find out more here.
Just as important as healthy eating at work: Enough water throughout the day
If you don't stay hydrated during a long workday, your work performance will suffer almost immediately. Even if you only work sitting all day, you should drink at least 2-3 liters of water. If you add activity, you quickly need to increase the amount to 3.5-4 liters, especially with intensive exercise.
Tip: Add lemons or mint to your water to integrate not only hydration but also a change in taste and vitamins. Other citrus fruits are also suitable here.
If you are a "poor water drinker," you can also set reminders on your phone to drink a glass of water regularly. This way, you will inevitably stay hydrated on long days. A water bottle with a sufficient capacity for the whole day is also a good idea, because this way, in addition to healthy eating, you always have a goal in mind when it comes to water.
You will quickly notice the consequences of dehydration – headaches, sluggishness, reduced productivity, and severe fatigue already in the afternoon. Therefore, sufficient water is even more important than healthy eating at work.
We hope this article has given you the most important basics for healthy eating at work. If you would like to read more about exciting topics from all areas, feel free to visit our Deskspace Blogs.
