I been thinking a lot about office jobs and how they can affect your health. Think about the normal circumstances for most individuals that work in an office based 9-5. They sit at a desk for 8 hours a day staring at a computer, more than likely eat snacks and lunch at their desk, and email, IM, or tweet co-workers rather than walking to the other person’s office (even if it’s a measly 10 feet away). And I’m not judging because I do all these things as well. But this is only part of it- there’s also the office kitchen with homemade baked goods, donuts and snacks. After that description the office is looking like a healthy living trap. But, it doesn’t necessarily have to be…
Women’s Health magazine had some interesting stats about healthy eating at work in their November issue.
- 47% of employees say office snack options keep them from eating healthy
- 63% of people think eating healthy at work is a challenge
- 36% say their company provides access to fruit and vegetables
- 35% say their company provides access to candy
- 28% are satisfied with the healthy snack options at work.
They particularly struck a cord with me because my office does provide snacks and drinks and I am actually in charge of purchasing the fruit. Typically I buy apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes each week and occasionally I switch it up and bring something seasonal. For instance, this past week I brought in the normal fruits along with some pears. I’m definitely not able to complain about the healthy options at my job because we do have things like nuts, fruit, oatmeal and pretzels. Plus if there is any snack you want the office manager (Hi Molly!) to buy you can simply put it on her list. She even started getting La Croix for us. I think there are only 3 people who actually like it, and a couple of my co-workers have picked it up thinking it was off-brand soda and were in for a real surprise. 
This doesn’t mean I don’t have the usual office suspects like birthday cakes and donuts to tempt me, but it’s good to know there are healthy options if I want a snack. After reading the survey results above, I’m assuming my office isn’t the norm and that the average workplace probably doesn’t provide healthy snack options or any snack options for that matter. But either way you can still eat healthy at work. Coming from a lady that works about 15 feet from the office kitchen, here are some of my favorite tips-
- Pack your own ready to eat snacks -veggies (carrots, peppers, cucumbers), easy to eat fruit (apples, bananas, grapes, pears, kiwis, oranges), single servings of nuts or trail mix, and healthy snack bars for emergencies. If you have access to a fridge you can bring in yogurt or cheese.
- Gum can help some people from snacking too often, but I try to stay away from gum because I’ll chew one piece after another of the sugar free variety and the sugar alcohols cause bloating, gas, and discomfort- I’ll stop there!
- Drink sparkling water (like La Croix, Sparking Essence) or Kombucha (Synergy or Katalyst Kombucha) Both are carbonated and keep me feeling full.
- VERY IMPORTANT- Always have water on hand so that you stay hydrated and can make certain your not feeling hungry but in reality just thirsty.
- Another good trick- especially in the fall and winter is to drink warm beverages like tea or hot water to keep you feeling full and warm. I do this all day!
- As for the sweet treats, if you really want to have a bite of something- don’t deprive yourself. Get a reasonable sized portion, enjoy the treat and don’t fret about it. I usually pass on donuts because I don’t really like them, but with cake and other goodies I usually keep the homemade rule in mind. If it’s store bought it’s probably not that great and not worth it, but if it’s homemade and looks delicious it’s probably worth it.
So that’s that. My eats today were good. To start, a bowl of quinoa flakes with raisins and two blobs- one of better n pb and one of homemade pumpkin butter.
For lunch I ate the Warm Butternut Squash and Chickpea Salad with Tahini again. This time I added a little protein- local, soy sauce marinated, herbed tofu.
Twas pure deliciousness yet again. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have this for dinner as well. I actually baked the marinated tofu and had a slice of that along with more butternut salad. It’s all gone now so you won’t have to deal with any more repeat dinner and lunches- at least not until I make it again (which probably will be soon!) muahhahaha
And last but not least, here’s a bad photo of something you’d probably never expect to see on my blog, but as proof that healthy living/eating bloggers aren’t always perfect. My snack tonight was a mug of Cookie Crisp!! Granted I didn’t buy the cereal, (it’s Isaac’s) I had a hankering for it that I couldn’t deny.
This mug is actually a cereal mixture (something I used to do all the time when I was a kid) of Cookie Crisp, Crispix, and Ezekiel Golden Flax cereal- what a combo! My favorite cereals growing up were Cookie Crisp, Cinnamon Life and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I hadn’t had any of these in ages but tonight brought back some good memories.
So with all that said, let me ask your perspective, do you work in an office? Does said office sabotage your healthy eating goals? If you don’t work in an office, do you think your healthier because of it? And lastly, what were some of your favorite cereals as a child?
- Brittany
PS. For the last 45 minutes of work today, I moved my laptop from my desk to a counter and stood instead of sitting. It was actually quite hard and I kept wanting to go sit down, but I think I am going to try to incorporate at least 30-45 minutes of each day of standing time at work. I don’t want to get the sitting disease so I’m trying to increase my NEAT.
PPS. I saw a guy at the gym running on the treadmill with barefoot running socks. I’m still not sure what I think of these yet.
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
Great tips, I’m in charge of planning food menus for our staff meetings. We love fruit trays and veggie trays. Once in awhile we indulge but rarely so. I love that my coworkers work out together and eat healthier too. We sometimes plan lunch menus and everyone brings something for a salad.
Local tofu? So cool!
I’ve actually never tried Cookie Crisp but always been very tempted by it…
I do not work at an office, but I think these are great tips that everyone can benefit from incorporating them into their lives when possible. I am at home most of the day and its easy to get in a bad habit of snacking all the time, so the hot liquid trick is nice.
love the standing idea! and i am not sure how i feel about the running socks either…
I started dieting one week into my job over 18 months ago, and have since lost almost 25lbs…whereas most of my coworkers told me they gained lots of weight at work from all of the birthdays, snacks, etc.
I bring 100% of my own food. It’s takes a lot of time, but I save a lot of money not eating out. Our company’s salad bar costs more than the one at Whole Foods!
My go-to snacks are bars like Larabars and Kind Bars, Apples and Dried Fruit/Trail Mix combos. I always have an emergency stash on hand too, just in case I get a case of the hungries I’m not tempted to snack from a candy bowl!
You are so right, water is key too. Plus I think getting up to use the bathroom is good for you too! All of that water serves more than one purpose!!!
Tee Hee! I love my vibrams! I’ve haven’t transitioned over to really running with them, but they feel amazing outside, hiking up hills in San Francisco. I must admit, I’m still in the slight embarrassment phase – it’s hard for me to wear them out and about without feeling foolish, even though they have been doing wonders to my exercise routines.
I think your healthy office tips are “right on”. As you know we try to stick with the 100 calorie snacks too. And, when something was calling our name all day, we put it out of sight, in a cabinet, and then tried to forget we had it. My next goal is to start having more hot liquids to curb the cravings! Thanks for all your help and great ideas in creating a healthy lifestyle, both at work and at home!!
great post- I deal with the same things at work- sitting at a desk all day, but I do try to get in a walk at lunch time (if the weather permits) but I guess its easier for me than others because my office is right in the city. I also typically bring my own lunch, but I love that more and more lunch places in my area are offering lighter fare.
I love the standing idea.. I do that a lot at work too!!
Great tips! AND your quinoa flakes look fabulous!
Great post and wonderful tips!!
I work in an office, and I do office yoga about once a day, and try to get up and walk up at least one flight of stairs for water/bathroom break per hour. I also concentrate on strengthening my back muscles while working out to compensate for desk slump back.
I do work 8-5 in an office and I am not a huge fan. I get little to no activity in the 8 hours I am there, mainly just walking from my desk in the back of the building to the front of the building to go to the bathroom, get water from the breakroom, or get paperwork signed off on. My office does not provide any snacks or fruit, only coffee for the caffeine addicts. I think it is hard to eat healthy working in the kind of environment mainly because you have to preplan and pack it up to bring yourself. I am constantly rushing in the morning trying to get my snack bag packed with enough good snacks to last me through the day.
I think it’s awesome that you guys get snacks and things there. The only things we have here are whatever we bring for ourselves.
That’s good, because I just bring what I want, but it would be nice to always have some healthy options in the office.
I don’t think I could ever handle a desk job. That’s one of the reasons teaching appeals to me – I’ll always be on the go! Cookie Crisp!! Did you know they have more flavors now? I saw them at the store (Rainbow and Oatmeal, I believe). Flashback cereal right there
haha i LOVE cookie crisp!! you balanced it out with the ezekiel..so it was basically good for you!
Oh this post is RIGHT ON! I work in an office and our kitchen is JAM PACKED with naughty type goodness every single day of the year. And unfortunately, the worst is yet to come. Our clients send us goodies by the truckload every year around the Holiday Season. I’m talking chocolates, cookies, cakes, pies, brownies, you name it. To remain sane I pack everything I eat while at the office ever single morning. Of course the temptation remains. I guess I’m lucky though because my desire to eat and live healthy screams louder then my cravings. Thank goodness!!
I don’t expect my office to babysit me or my lifestyle or to cater to my needs. In the end, it’s all up to me and how I want to live my life. Same rule applies no matter where you are.
Fave cereals were Boo Berry and Franken Berry. YUM!
I was always amazed when I was working in an office the amount of emails I got from people sitting less than 30 feet away from me. Get up, people!
I’m so glad to be out of that environment. It breeds fat and lazy.
I don’t work at an office. I am actually a law student, which I believe has been more harmful then when I have been in office settings. I spend about 4-5 hours a days sitting in class, then another 5-6 sitting in the library reading. Right now while studying for finals I can end up sitting at a desk for almost 13 hours a day reading/studying!
Love these tips! I try to drink water or seltzer when I get a hankering. Our vending has the opposite of healthy options, so I tend to bring my own snacks – or try to stick to not eating b/n meals.
Cookie Crisp! I have such memories of that cereal!
I love your tips! I’ve found that everything (vending machine) is more appealing if I don’t have a decent snack stash, I know I’m going to be hungry so I stocked up on snacks to keep at my desk so I don’t need to go to vending machine. I also try to stand if I’m on a conference call and get up and move around as much as possible! And, like you, I drink tea all day long
I have a BodyBugg and find that I actually burn more calories on days I’m NEAT-active versus days I sit most of the day and then go to the gym or run.
I wish my office would buy fruit!
Those running socks are all the rage at my office. I feel like every coworker I know who runs has a pair.
i love the tips! and i def used to stand and do my work to stop from all the sitting when i had a desk job, and even my last job where all i did was sit and watch the sky for 9 hrs a day.
I don’t understand the whole barefott running thing. It looks so painful. I actually saw two guys running the marathon this weekend with no shoes or socks! Crazy! I hope they didn’t step on that condom I saw at mile 4! Eww!
I love the standing idea! I work from home a few days a week and I find that to be tougher than working in the office. When I am home, my kitchen with all my food is just right there. It is so tempting to not cook all day — I just love being in the kitchen. In the office, I do hate sitting all day at work. I always walk to the bathroom that is on the other side of the building just to stretch my legs.
I just had cinnamon toast crunch the other day for the first time in forever! SOOOOO good! I’m gonna go with the justification that kid food keeps us young–muy importante for the healthy lifestyle haha
The last office I worked in had great healthy snacks–pretzels, a RIDICULOUS TJ’s nut mix/dried fruit stash, etc.–but these options didn’t negate the temptation to graze all day long. I did my best to practice self control–but eating was such a social thing… and I worked approx. 10 feet from the kitchen haha
when i ran my half marathon in october i actually saw a guy wearing the running socks too. it was weird to see and i wonder how he liked them. i’m not sure either how i feel about the whole thing
Sometimes you just need junk cereal! I do it sometimes too!
I’m so glad I don’t work in an office and never will, but I will work in a hospital so not sure if they are much better!
Tofu looks amazing I need to find a new way to cook it getting sick of BBQ and Lawry’s does NOT agree with Tofu and here I thought it went on everything.
I work at a corporate fitness center adn one our members had those barefoot running socks!! I just don’t see the point to them! they are supposed to mimic the fact that way back in the day before running sneaks were invented, our feet worked perefectly fine, none of these nikes and asics shoes exsisted so why not run like our ancestors did? My issue with this is that there is a lack of support and also, why not take advantage of the modern technology we have today?? I have mixed feelings!
cookie crisp?! ahh that brings me back!!
Wow this is a great topic! I actually gained my “freshman 15″ after I graduated! The sedentary lifestyle change ( I was always on the go in college) combined with fatty foods and drinks really packed it on for me. Luckily I took it all off, and then some! But Ive since learned. I bring all my own food and I always have snacks handy. So this really works for me as Im never caught in a situation where im hungry and theres tempting foods around. I can just bust out an apple or something and problem solved!! So live and learn I guess=)
Really great tips that you have btw! and its awesome that they have La Croix at work!!
The foods pics look so amazing as well. Im loving the squash and chickpea salad with tofu. Looks great!!