Healthier Eating at Work or School

Let's face it - Americans are fat, and the rest of the world is joining us in our obesity. We have a propensity to over-eat, under-exercise, and demand that which is not good for us, under the guise that it will all make us "feel better". Eventually, it all catches up with us. Heart disease, diabetes, and other health conditions related to over-eating are all on the rise. That extra helping may have felt good at the time, but it can't compensate for having to inject yourself with insulin several times a day. Heart attacks don't feel very pleasant either.

It's time to change our diets and our lifestyles. If you want to feel good, you need to start by eat well. This series covers a variety of situations where you must eat, including home, work, and social settings.

Healthier Eating At Work or school

Work and school present many challenges and social situations. First of all, most people eat a mid-shift meal at work. Students must eat lunch, whether they're in grade school or college. Your choices may be bringing something from home, eating in the cafeteria, or going to a restaurant. Most people also eat one or more snacks at their desk or in their car. Some people snack all day! Work and school also present social situations centered around eating and drinking.

Despite these challenges, you can enjoy a healthier diet at work or school.

#1 - Whenever possible, bring your meals and snacks from home. If you can't, have a plan for conquering the cafeteria.

Portion control and healthy choices begin with a plan. Sit down once a week and plan your menu and snack choices. If you are able to bring your meals from home, this is always the healthiest and most controllable option. If you have access to a microwave, try bringing leftovers from your healthy dinner the night before. Some of the new low-carb, low-cal soups are also excellent. If you have no microwave, sandwiches made with lots of veggies on whole grain bread, tortilla wraps, and big salads are excellent choices. You can also experiment with soup in a thermos.

For snacks, plan on at least one piece of fruit or some crunchy vegetables daily. If you really crave protein in between meals, pack a small tub of peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese to go along with them. You can also bring low-fat yogurt, nuts and dried fruit, low-fat string cheese, or no-butter-added microwave popcorn (try a few shakes of herbal salt substitute for a very tasty snack!)

If you must eat in the cafeteria, take a walk through it when you're not hungry. Jot down options on a notepad: grilled chicken breast with vegetables, meatless lasagne, soup, or even a sandwich are good options. If you must follow a restricted diet, ask to talk to the chef or cafeteria manager about what choices are good for your particular situation. Some workplace and school cafeterias are able to work with your special needs, particularly if you have food allergies.

If you must eat out every day, consciously choose lower-fat, lower carb items. Limit your portion sizes. Ask for half of your meal to be boxed up in the kitchen instead of put on your plate. Ask if you can order from the children's or senior's menu, which have smaller portion sizes and are often more nutritious options. Choose grilled or broiled items over fried or greasy foods. Cut back on the meat and increase raw vegetables by choosing a big salad with grilled meat on it, and ask for low-fat dressing on the side.

#2 - Keep a supply of healthy snacks in your desk or car.

Some days, the snack you packed from home just won't be enough. Keep a stash of sugar-free hard candies and gum in your desk drawer or glove box. Nuts, sunflower seeds, and dried fruits all keep well. If chocolate is your ultimate temptation, try some of the new 100-calorie snack packs, or try sugar-free miniature chocolate bars. These really aren't very good for you, but it's definitely better to savor a sugar free miniature chocolate bar instead of wolfing down a whole box of cookies!

Resist the urge to hit the snack machine. In fact, if the snack machine is a big tempation to you, leave all your change and $1 bills at home. Make the snack machine too difficult to bother with.

#3 - Plan ahead for social situations and holidays.

Nearly every job has social pitfalls for people trying to watch what they eat. People bring cake for birthdays, or cookies "just because". Schools frequently have parties and special occasions. Many offices open for business with coffee and donuts.

Around the holidays, there's always plenty to snack on. Certain types of jobs, like purchasing, lend themselves to the receipt of holiday gifts - almost all of which will be food! Ask for dibs on any good-for-you snacks that come in, and pass the rest on to others. If the snacks come exclusively to you, it's perfectly acceptable to re-gift them to family and friends, or your hairdresser, doorman, or newspaper carrier!

If you know that sweets will be offered, eat a good quanity of a healthy snack at least half an hour beforehand. Drink a large glass of water as well. If you feel full, you'll be less tempted to over-eat. Take just one cookie, muffin, or small wedge of cake and take your time eating it. Really savor your food, and you'll be less tempted to have more. If you really can't eat what is being served, you have two options. Either simply say, "Sorry, can't eat it", or bring something you CAN eat with you. It's always awkward for someone else to be eating while you're not. Sometimes you can bring a low-fat, low-sugar muffin and a piece of fruit to a company breakfast and no one will even notice. If they do, just simply say that you're watching what you eat, and leave it at that.

If you're invited to a workplace holiday party, eat and drink beforehand. For example, if you're going to a buffet meal for dinner, eat a light supper first. Then, at the buffet, choose the smallest plate you can (so it looks fuller), and pick several light things to eat. If a salad is offered, eat a lot of it. If you're offered mostly high-fat, high-calorie items, choose items that you can pick at over the course of the meal, rather than consume in a bite and you're done.

Alcohol is often served at holiday parties. Most forms of alcohol are simply empty calories. While at one time it was considered a faux pas to forgo drinking, these days it's perfectly acceptable to refuse or request a "virgin" alternative. If you do decide to drink, limit yourself to just one drink that you can sip throughout the evening. If you do not drink often, please be aware that although just one drink may not put you over the legal limit, one drink can make it unsafe to drive. If you're having just one drink, plan for at least an hour for the alcohol to filter out of your system before driving. If you're throwing caution to the wind and consuming several, plan to get a ride home.

#4 - Let others know about your commitment to healthy eating.

If you let your friends and co-workers know that you are eating healthier, they'll be less likely to offer you snacks. Also, you may be able to inspire others to eat healthier along with you. Start a lunch club among people who are choosing healthier options. You can even start an after-lunch walk. Some companies will even help you with this by providing promotional and educational materials.

Eating healthy at work or school can be difficult, but it's not an insurmountable challege. Have a plan, keep snacks on hand, and get support from your co-workers or fellow students. You can do it!