Fuelling your workday – healthy eating tips for busy workers

To be on top of your work game, you must give your body and brain the fuel and nutrition they need to fire on all cylinders. It’s too easy to load up on caffeine and reach for the sugar-filled snacks to try to top up your energy throughout the day – but does that approach actually work? In short, no – it leads to sugar crashes, tiredness and poor health that will sap your energy.

So, what should you eat to maintain good physical and mental energy levels at work?

In this article, we’ll take a look at optimal food choices, common snacking mistakes, and some simple changes you can make to improve your energy, attention and productivity at work.

Making the right food choices

Ultimately, you decide what to eat or not eat, and these choices have short- and long-term physical effects. Understanding how different foods work on our bodies can help you make an informed decision when meal planning and snacking, and support healthy eating throughout your working day.

• Protein fills you up for longer, so choose protein-rich foods like eggs, chicken, yoghurt and cheese to avoid premature hunger pangs. Protein is also instrumental in muscle repair and growth, so you get multiple gains if you like to train and stay fit.

  
  

• Complex carbohydrates release energy slowly, so you have energy for longer, rather than the sugar spike and crash you can get from eating refined carbs. Fuel up in the morning with slow-release carbs like porridge, muesli, a banana, or cereals like Shredded Wheat or All-Bran. Good lunch options include pasta, quinoa or pitta bread.

• Avoid relying on caffeine for an energy boost, especially in the afternoon. It can take up to 9 hours for caffeine to leave your body, so it’s a good idea to stop or reduce your caffeine intake from lunchtime onwards to aid a good night’s sleep.

• Don’t resort to sugary snacks for an energy boost – the sugar high might feel good, but the crash most definitely won’t. Instead, reach for healthier options, like nuts and seeds, boiled eggs, fruit, or raw vegetables like carrots, cucumber and peppers.

• Processed foods are not your friend. They often offer limited nutritional benefits and can hide unhealthy fats, high sugar content and free radicals that can cause havoc to your body. Eating clean helps you keep consistent energy levels and maintain better overall health.

Top tips for healthy eating at work

Although it’s good to get intentional about what you eat, it’s not all about the food itself. Here are a few other considerations to help you fuel up and optimise your output at work.

• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Dehydration leads to tiredness, fatigue and lack of concentration. The recommended fluid intake is 6-8 glasses or cups per day. Although most fluids count (no, not alcohol!), prioritising water or diluted juices will help you avoid sugary drinks or excessive caffeine.

• Don’t skip meals. Your aim is to keep blood sugar (and energy) levels steady throughout the day, so if you miss a meal and your blood sugar crashes, you’re more likely to resort to grabbing the first thing to hand to satiate your hunger pangs.

• Plan ahead. If you show up at work with no food or drink, you’ll resort to buying from the vending machine, canteen or local shop. Leaving your food choices until you’re hungry and in a rush is much more likely to lead to poor choices and opting for low-nutrition foods full of sugar. Get organised in advance and bring in a packed lunch or leftovers from your healthy dinner to heat up in the microwave. Keep a stash of healthy snacks, like nuts and fruit, in your bag for unexpected hunger pangs.

• Sensible eating doesn’t mean never treating yourself. As long as you have a balanced, healthy diet most of the time, the odd sugary snack here and there isn’t the end of the world. So, no need to hold back when someone brings in a batch of cakes for their birthday. Phew.

Are you interested in diet and nutrition? Do you want bring that passion into your working life? Find out more about what it takes to train and work as a nutritionist or nutritional therapist in our Harmonia Career Resources: Nutritional Therapy.