Here’s a fun tip for eating in the workplace: Don’t slack on the snacks.
Just like in kindergarten, snacking during the day isn’t a bad thing, when done in moderation. In fact, it can help you avoid pigging out when you get home.
Joanna Dietrich, a wellness specialist and registered dietician who works at St. Elizabeth Wellness Solutions, says responsible snacking is good for several reasons.
It can help you keep your mental edge and energy levels, especially during the afternoon. And, it can keep you from getting that irritable mid-afternoon “hangry” feeling.
How to snack smarter in the office
And there’s the avoiding-of-pigging-out thing.
“My general recommendation to most people is try to go more than four to five hours without eating something throughout the day, since a lot of people tend to skip lunch, or eat lunch and then wait until dinner to eat,” Deitrich says.
First off, “Make sure you get breakfast and lunch in, and maybe even an afternoon snack,” she says.
“For snacking, it’s good to aim for 100-200 calories,” she says, “Make sure to incorporate a good, healthy source of carbohydrates with some protein, just to keep your energy level stable and your blood-sugar stable, and keep you satisfied until the next time you eat.”
Some good combinations she suggests include a piece of fruit with some low-fat string cheese; almond butter or peanut butter with a piece of fruit or whole-grain crackers; certain cereal bars if they’re made with whole grains and contain nuts for protein. Dried fruit and nuts also are a good choice. Greek yogurt and fruit make another good combination.
To figure out the calories, read the labels on the containers. To avoid the temptation that can lead to over-eating, she recommends measuring things out at home and putting them into little food-storage containers. “Definitely, portion control by measuring things out is helpful,” she said.
