Holiday Joy is Being Spread Around the Office in Full Force!
During December, there are a ton of fat and sugar filled holiday treats floating around many offices. People bring in homemade baked foods or leftovers from weekend social gatherings. Some buy treats just to put a smile to their team members’ faces during this special time of year.
Don’t throw out the healthy eating habits you’ve worked so hard to build throughout the year! Try following one or more of these strategies below.
5 Strategies for Healthier Workplace Eating
- Avoid Trying to Eat Perfectly over the Holidays Restricting yourself from eating all holiday treats, backfires more often than it works. Turning down every delicious looking food may lead to binges later in the week or month, which often leads to feelings of guilt and shame. Enjoying a couple of sweet, homemade treats during the week won’t throw you fully off course. Just focus on keeping the amounts and frequency under control. Taste only the treats that look amazing and different. Pass on store bought donuts and pies that you can have anytime. Save your calories for unique treats that are really worth it to you.
- Plan for it.
If you know it’s going to be a junk-filled food day at the office, have a healthy, veggie-filled breakfast before leaving your house. Bring a baggie of veggies with you to snack on throughout the day and have a light, healthy dinner. - Eat more veggies. Make it your goal to consume at least 3 servings of vegetables before heading to the treat plate in your office. Remember, the more you fill yourself with healthy foods, the less room you’ll have for those fattening snack foods!
- Save half of your snack for later.
Eat a half of a snack at a time. If you take a chocolate square, as an example, eat half of it and pack the other half away to enjoy later. Often, a small taste of something is enough for a craving to pass. Chances are, you won’t feel like, or remember to consume the treat later in the day. But, if you do crave it later, at least you’ll only eat one treat versus a potential two pieces. - Slow Down and Focus on Water!
When consuming the fat and sugar filled treats, chew twice as much as usual to slow yourself down. Snack foods don’t often taste great when they’re eaten slowly. This strategy may even turn you off of your favourite junk food completely! Eat less than everyone else by drinking lots of water when hanging out by the snack table with co-workers. Water will help keep in full, in addition to staying healthier over this busy holiday time.
To Sum it up…
Don’t completely deprive yourself from eating all of the delicious looking holiday treats laid out everywhere in your office. Not fully depriving yourself, planning for treat-filled days, consuming half a treat at once and eating slower will help you stay in better control this holiday season. Have I forgotten any tips that you use?