New Years Resolution #3: Eat Better at Work

Let’s face it. Most of us could eat better at work.

Packing a lunch takes time, but fast food restaurants are everywhere. So are vending machines and coffeeshops with muffins and donuts. Who wants to crunch into a carrot stick when everyone else is having slices of pizza?

If concerns about your long-term health aren’t enough to convince you to eat better in the here and now, think about this: you’ll start feeling better—right now, today—if you start eating better.

First, the obvious

Eat your peas and lay off the fast food.

There. We said it. We’re not your mother, so let’s move on.

Start with breakfast

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Unless you snacked last night, your stomach will have been empty for a solid 18 hours by lunchtime if you skip breakfast. Your energy will be low, your brain will be fogged up like a sauna and your blood sugar will be on the floor.

If you don’t want to fall asleep during your 11:00 meeting, eat something in the morning before you go to work, and don’t make it a bowl of cereal either. If you’re going to work instead of out for a run, your body needs protein, not carbs, first thing in the morning.

Fruit is good too, but you’ve been kidding yourself about that glass of orange juice. It’s just a straight shot of sugar. You’ll crash long before lunch if you don’t also consume something else. Really, it’s not much better for you than a can of soda.

Pack your own lunch

You’ll save money, of course, if you pack your own lunch, and you’ll eat healthier too if you plan what you’ll have in advance instead of letting your id take over when the waiter asks what you’ll be having.

They say you’re not supposed to go to the grocery store when you’re hungry because you’re more likely to stock up on junk food. The same applies to packing your lunch. Tend to your brown bag after you’ve already had breakfast.

Eat away from your desk

Research has shown that if you turn your desk into a dining room table, you’ll subconsciously label your desk as the place where you eat and you’ll be more likely to chow down all day.

So pack it up and go somewhere else on your lunch hour. Getting up and moving around is good for your body and mind anyway.

Snack smarter

If you like sugary treats but you also want to eat healthier, there’s no need to cut yourself off entirely. Just bring a small cupcake, three of four Hershey’s kisses or half a Snickers bar, then switch to something a little better like almonds or pistachios.

You’ll satisfy your cravings just as much as if you’d scarfed down a whole candy bar plus a slice of cheesecake, but your body will thank you and you’ll feel a lot better.

And bonus: no sugar crash.

Watch it with the coffee

Coffee may be okay in moderation, but too much of it, according to Positive Health Wellness, can be a detriment, and Health Ambition argues that it may even be bad for you.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there’s a 21 percent increase in all-cause mortality among those who drink more than four cups of coffee per day. So you might want to switch to another stimulant after your third.

Try this: a cup of tea made with yerba mate and ginseng. (Yes, that requires two separate tea bags.) The effects are similar to those of Adderall—a boost in energy and sharpened mental focus—and it works almost as well, but it’s not a controlled substance, it won’t make you jittery, it won’t make you crash and it’s certainly not going to kill you.