healthy eating habits

5 Healthy Eating Habits To Have While Working From Home

It is easy to develop bad eating habits when working from home with the refrigerator only a few feet away. However, healthy eating habits allow us to get a nutritious diet that supports the immune system as well as gives us the fuel that nourishes our body and keeps it in the right mood.

Following a healthy diet should not be too difficult especially at home. There are no office sweets that can tempt us, and we have a better opportunity to prepare home-cooked meals. To that end, we will take a look at 5 simple ways to eat healthy while working from home.

  1. Establish a Routine

Establishing a routine is crucial when it comes to eating while working from home. Just like you would establish a routine for work, in the same way, allocate meals and snack times. Keep to your break times as this can help to portion control during mealtimes and reduce the tendency to graze all day, which is easy when the fridge is just at your reach.

  1. Plan and or Prepare your Meals

Ever caught yourself saying something like “I am so hungry, I could eat almost anything?” This is typical in extreme hunger. If you haven’t planned your next meal or snack, you will find yourself eating any food you find and mostly in high quantities. This is a common habit of people with poor nutrition. This is why you have to plan your meals.

You can do this by keeping a mental note of all of the day’s meals, or creating a written menu, or using already available recipe items for quick cooking. Defrosting meats in advance can also be counted as meal preparation and planning.

  1. Don’t Take Too Much Caffeine

It might seem like a great idea to drink endless cups of coffee, but when it comes to caffeine, you have to tread carefully. Having too much of it has been known to cause headaches, anxiety, fatigue, and even digestive problems – none of which you want, especially if you are trying to work. Do not take more than two cups per day so that you don’t get any jittery feeling. Also, avoid using creamers and other calorie-laden add-ins. 

  1. Buy Wisely, Don’t Starve

For most people, it might seem expensive to eat healthily and now that they are working from home, it is easy to skip meals to save food. You shouldn’t fear getting canned food items like canned fish, legumes, and canned vegetables.

These are nutritious foods, cheap, and take nothing to prepare especially for those working from home looking for what to grab for lunch. Add some frozen vegetables to your cart as they are not only nutritious but last longer compared to fresh vegetables. Ensure you are bulk buying staples like whole grains, non-perishables that can be incorporated into your meals.

  1. Drink Plenty of Water

Aim to drink lots of water all through the day as it helps a great deal by having water close by and ensure it is cool. Do not take too many sugar-sweetened drinks and/or caffeinated drinks even if they offer that kick you want. They can negatively impact your eating patterns throughout the day. 

Take advantage of refreshing hot or cold homemade caffeine-free teas, fruit or herbs infused water instead.

Whenever you get the urge to go to the kitchen, take a sip of water and you can quench your hunger or thirst. 

Related article: Self-Care Tips For You And Your Team During COVID-19

Conclusion

It is a dream to work from home, sleeping in, flexible hours with no commute time, and meetings in your pyjama. But it can be difficult eating healthy as the desire not to distract with food can derail a diet completely. However, the tips presented here can help you prevent forming such negative habits that affect work productivity.