Healthy eating at work - we'll show you how it's done!

Many companies offer their employees their own canteen with healthy food options for the lunch break - but many people prefer to go to the neighboring currywurst stand or a snack bar. But how do these eating habits actually affect our everyday work? In this blog article we look at what healthy eating at work looks like and what you urgently need to consider if you want to stay fit even on long days.

Tip: In the blogs on the desqup website you will find numerous other articles on a wide variety of topics relating to the workplace, health and nutrition. Feel free to stop by if you would like to further optimize your everyday life.

The impact of unhealthy diets in the workplace

You may think that a poor diet only has negative effects on your health and your body - but this is only partially true. First and foremost, you always damage your body and your future, but your work performance and your job suffer as a result. In this paragraph, we therefore take a brief look at what effects an unhealthy diet really has in the workplace and why you should consider the following tips .

Loss of energy and a drop in concentration are the first major effects of a high-fat, high-sugar diet at work. Fatigue is also a consequence, which will sooner or later become noticeable. Fatty foods and sugary foods result in a brief burst of energy, followed by a drop in energy. This is due to the drop in blood sugar levels. You will quickly notice how your concentration decreases and you become sluggish on long days.

At your workplace, you may be sitting at your desk for most of the day – like around 60 percent of employees in Germany. It is not uncommon for you to sit in the same place for eight to ten hours a day. That almost inevitably leads to weight gain, the second negative consequence we're going to look at today. The sugary and fatty foods lead to a calorie surplus - which means you gain weight. They also make you more sluggish, so your motivation for sport after work decreases further.

By the way: An unhealthy diet and sitting for a long time also increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease enormously. Here you should pay attention to sufficient exercise breaks and your diet.

But now to how you can best incorporate a healthy diet into your everyday work . Another tip: If you would like to bring more movement and variety into your working day, then take a look at the height-adjustable desks from desqup. With them, it's child's play to keep your circulation going even on long days.

Tips for healthy eating at work

It may not be easy for you to implement a healthy diet - for example, many people find it very difficult to eat in the morning, and coffee is the only thing that ends up in the stomach. In addition, there is the often stressful working day , which only rarely allows for meal breaks or even not at all on particularly hectic days . In this paragraph we give you some tips for healthy eating at work, which you can easily implement.

Tips for a balanced breakfast

Most people can't get a big meal in the first hour after waking up - and that's a natural "problem". In the early morning, the hormone adrenaline is increased , but the hormone ghrelin , which is responsible for the feeling of hunger, decreases . That's why you might not be hungry in the morning.

Here, the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) advises to split up breakfast. If you don't really have an appetite in the morning, you can, for example, only eat a small amount of yoghurt, which is not heavy on the stomach and does not take a lot of time. Fruit is also a good starter for the day, so you have covered part of your vitamin needs straight away. A few hours later you can catch up on the missing carbohydrates and protein, for example with muesli or a few slices of wholemeal bread with cream cheese.

Important: You should not consume caffeine in the first two to four hours after getting up. Here the cortisol level is quite high and the body provides you with its own "wake-up stimulants". Extra caffeine just makes you jittery , more prone to stress , and more jittery too. So avoid coffee for the first few hours of the day and use caffeine only when you really need it.

What should I eat during working hours?

In order to establish a healthy diet at work, you should plan fixed breaks for eating every day. We do not recommend eating snacks on the side – unless they serve to promote concentration , such as nuts or small pieces of fruit .

First and foremost, you should avoid sugary and fatty foods in your meals at work. Vitamins of all kinds are also important, as they keep you fit and motivated even on long days. It is also crucial to cover your daily calorie requirements, otherwise you will lose weight in the long run. If you don't eat at work all day, you would have to catch up in the evening, which affects the quality of sleep for many people.

We recommend healthy, simple meals such as a whole grain or grain bread with cream cheese or another spread - you can even omit butter here to establish a healthy diet in the workplace. For example, you can use raw food, which you can prepare the day before. In addition, you can possibly cook a little more the night before, so the food is enough for the next day.

Milk and milk products also provide important nutrients, such as calcium for your bones . You should also incorporate this into your working day. Just make sure you don't buy foods that are too high in fat .

Tip: If you would like to learn more about topics like this, please have a look here .

Sufficient water at the workplace

A last major aspect is sufficient liquid at the workplace , which many people do not think about. Especially on summer days , two to three liters of water should be drunk on a normal working day. It is best to place a bottle of water directly on your table within sight, then you will always be reminded of it. If you still have trouble remembering to drink regularly , you can also set reminders on your phone .

Those were some basic tips to keep in mind for healthy eating in the workplace. There are also aspects such as sufficient exercise and a healthy working posture. You can achieve all of these points with the ergonomic office furniture from desqup . Take a look at our detailed product pages. There you will find, for example, the desqup Motion , an ergonomic sitting and standing stool at a fair price.

We hope we were able to help you with this blog article!