Stick to healthy habits when working from home!

Have you been working from home for the past 1 1/2 years or longer?

So many people's work/home lifestyle has changed as a result of the pandemic, temporarily or more permanent, with some positive and some challenging outcomes.

With respect to eating and food choices, it can be hard to control your food intake when working so close to the kitchen/food prep area.

It can be tempting to treat yourself throughout the day...

How can you survive the work from home life, and balance your eating without overdoing it leading to weight gain or other health concerns?

Check out some helpful tips and strategies to keep you on track with your wellness goals.

1. Set boundaries around meal and snack time with an organized schedule.

Try to eat within an hour of waking and then every 3-4 hours to keep hunger controlled. Stop eating at least 3 hours before bed for best sleep!

2. Keep the healthy food options in the house and the trigger foods out!

Try to keep least processed food options handy for meals and snacks. Think fruit, vegetables, lean proteins, yogurt, eggs, etc...Try to stay away from anything in a bag or box.

If a trigger food for overeating is chips or cookies, try not to buy or keep them in the house to temp you!

3. Increasing hydration throughout the day.

Set a goal for water consumption like 64-96 oz./day. It will keep you energized and help with fullness. Start your day with water aiming for 1-2 cups before breakfast!

Too much coffee or caffeine can lead to dehydration and fatigue/headaches.

4. Keep a food journal and document when and what you are eating.

This will keep you tuned into daily habits and  prevent overeating.

You can use a paper journal, food tracker on phone app, or Healthie app working with a Registered Dietitian to provide feedback and accountability.

5. Cook/prep more with less often relying on food from outside sources.

Restaurants, fast food, and other quick meal choices can seem like the way to go but they can end up being expensive and calorie dense due to larger portion sizes, and richer ingredients. Keep meal time simple with a few go to meals...

If you need some inspiration check out the Nutopia Meal Planner with easy, healthy recipe ideas created by Dietitian's with taste and simplicity in mind.