It has thousands of employeesCorona pandemic forced you to work from home– and many of them now complain about extra pounds. The way to the refrigerator is not far. Between emails and video conferences, the drawer beckons with chocolate and snacks. Not an easy task to maintain a healthy diet in the face of these temptations. With a few tricks you can avoid the calorie trap and stay fit and productive even at your desk at home.
Home office needs structure – also when it comes to nutrition
For most employees, work is...Home office is a completely new working situationand therefore represents a special challenge. There is no daily contact with colleagues and meals together in the canteen or restaurant are no longer possible. This can sometimes have an emotional impact, which often leads to frustrating eating.
Here it helps to give structure to the working day with fixed times for meals. Whether it's breakfast, lunch or a coffee break: don't stay at the computer, but change rooms. If you feel cravings outside of meals, go for a walk. The fresh air will change your mind and give you new energy for the rest of your working day. Yoga exercises can also help to curb your craving for sweet or salty foods.
Healthy eating starts with shopping
If the fridge or pantry is filled with junk food and sweets, there is a high risk that sooner or later they will end up on your plate. If you stock up on healthy foods while shopping, you won't even be tempted.
So that ready-made meals etc. don't end up in your shopping cart at the supermarket, you should always have a shopping list with you. Before you go shopping, think about what healthy foods you want to eat in the upcoming work week and put together your supplies based on this.
Change the menu to “healthy”.
In the future, rely on fresh fruit and vegetables. Both are rich in vitamins and nutrients. Even those who don't like cooking can quickly and easily prepare healthy, delicious meals from frozen vegetables or fruit.
Protein-rich foods, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats are your most important allies in onehealthy dietin the home office. They keep you full for a long time, are responsible for cell building and muscle maintenance, provide energy and promote concentration.
Contains a particularly high amount of protein:
- Owner
– Quark
– Fisch
– Legumes
When it comes to carbohydrates, you should prefer whole grain products. Whole grain bread, pasta or rice only cause the blood sugar level to rise slowly - there is no sudden drop in performance, such as after eating white flour products. Furthermore, the fiber it contains ensures regulated intestinal activity.
Enrich your meals withgood fatssuch as those found in rapeseed oil, linseed oil, nuts or fatty sea fish. They make an important contribution to a healthy diet, have an anti-inflammatory effect and can reduce the risk of various diseases.
Drink low calories and snack cleverly
Sugared soft drinks, coffee with cream, the beer after work: healthy eating in the home office depends on the drinks. You should swap calorie bombs for sugar-free alternatives. Unsweetened herbal or fruit tea, coffee,but especially water, are suitable thirst quenchers. If pure water is too boring for you, you can spice it up with lemons, limes, mint or ginger.
If you can't or don't want to do without small snacks, you should exercise discipline. Instead of chocolate or cookies, health-conscious home office workers snack on fruit, a portion of nuts, dried fruit or dark chocolate. However, these healthy treats should also be enjoyed with caution. Divide the snacks into small portions and don't place them next to your computer!
Challenging but doable
Working from home is a completely new experience for many people. It's understandable that healthy eating falls by the wayside for now. But those who have settled into the new working environment will find their way back on the right nutritional track in the medium term. Well-thought-out storage with a focus on fruit, vegetables, protein, complex carbohydrates and high-quality fats helps you cleverly avoid calorie traps at your desk at home.