12 Ways to Eat Healthy No Matter How Busy You Are Resist the temptation to skip meals and rely on processed snacks to get through the work day. Sound nutrition is essential for staying sharp.
By John Rampton Edited by Dan Bova
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Busy professionals cannot waste a single second of their day. Our bodies need energy to keep moving at that pace. If you often work through lunch and go hours without even breaking for a snack, you may have difficulty concentrating and getting results from the work you're putting in.
There are a few things you can do to keep yourself healthy while you're powering through your day. Just a few simple changes can make a big difference in your energy levels, as well as your overall health.
1. Don't skip breakfast.
As you're running out the door for your early-morning meeting, the last thing you're thinking about is stopping for breakfast. But breakfast skipping has been linked with an increase in obesity and diabetes risks, as well as morning moodiness. Here are a few quick, healthy breakfast ideas you can put together at home or once you arrive at the office.
Related: 7 Reasons Too Much Coffee Is Killing Your Career
2. Make it convenient.
You likely find you have little time to stop by the grocery store, especially during the workweek. Grubmarket (love these guys) brings fresh food from local farmers directly to my home and office. Grubmarket's snack pouches are perfect for keeping on hand when you want a snack. You can also have farm-fresh poultry, eggs, produce, meat, and other items delivered, saving you a trip to the store or farmer's market.
3. Prepare in advance.
One of the best things you can do is prepare snacks and meals for your day before you leave in the morning, especially if you'll be working through lunch. But what if there is rarely time to put a meal together in the morning? You can solve this problem by setting time aside over the weekend to prepare snacks and meals for the week. Purchase plastic containers that can be refrigerated or frozen and picked up each morning on the way out the door.
4. Invest in grab-and-go snacks.
Look around your office. If there's nothing to snack on, you may find yourself shrugging off your hunger for hours or—worse—heading down the hall to the vending machine. Purchase healthy snack-size foods like boxes of raisins or healthy granola bars. Blue Diamond 100-calorie Almond Packs are a great way to get the many health benefits of almonds without eating an entire bag.
Related: 10 Simple Ways to Eat Healthy Without Thinking
5. Don't eat and work.
Multitasking has been proven to be disastrous to the waistline. Instead of distractedly munching on a salad while you're working on a proposal, set your work aside and focus completely on your meal. Better yet, take your lunch outside on a nice day and combine the benefits of fresh air with savoring your food. You'll have a more pleasurable eating experience and return to your desk feeling refreshed.
6. Eat and meet.
While distracted eating may be bad, socializing has its health benefits. Schedule lunch meetings as often as possible to make sure you get a good midday meal in. You could use the opportunity to take team members offsite to get their ideas, meet with clients, or network with local colleagues.
Related: How to Navigate the Tricky Terrain of a Business Lunch
7. Stay hydrated.
Whether you like the taste of it or not, water is an important part of good health. Consider having an in-office water cooler to make it easy for you and your team members to stay hydrated throughout the day. If this isn't a possibility, keep a small refrigerator in your office to hold bottled water.
8. Choose healthy options at restaurants.
Eating out is inevitable for a busy professional, but you don't have to settle for greasy fast food options. Almost all restaurant chains have healthy dining options to attract health-conscious customers. To play it safe, stick with grilled instead of fried and choose sides like fruits, soups, and salads over fries or onion rings.
9. Make family dinners a priority.
Evening meals are an important time for families. Make sure you're home every evening in time to share a leisurely meal with your spouse or your family. If you're single, schedule regular get-togethers with friends where you enjoy a healthy meal. This will help you maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Related: Sharpen Your Memory with Brain-Healthy Foods
10. Grocery shop wisely.
Experts recommend spending most of your time in the outer sections of the grocery store when shopping for food. Produce, dairy, meats, poultry, and eggs should make up the majority of your shopping time, keeping you away from the packaged, preservative-filled foods in the center aisles.
11. Choose quality.
Make sure most of your diet includes nutrient-dense foods that let you accomplish more with less. Avoid sugar and empty calories and instead focus on making sure each snack and meal packs as much punch as possible. Remember, you're going for fueling your body and mind so you can accomplish more.
12. Limit alcohol.
As tempting as it can be to indulge in a happy hour drink after work, it's one of the worst ways to add calories to your diet. While the occasional drink or two won't hurt, it's important to moderate your alcohol consumption, especially if the rest of your diet is severely lacking.
If you take care of your mind and body, you'll find you're more productive and have more energy throughout the day. You'll also keep yourself healthy, which will allow you to avoid visits to the doctor and ongoing illnesses. When you take care of yourself, it is not just your health that benefits -- your business will to.
