The workplace is a minefield of potential diet disasters. Vending machines in the lunch room, a candy dish on every other desk and donuts served at every business meeting can break the resolve of even the most determined health conscious person.
It can be tough trying to resist temptation at every turn, but it's not impossible. There are ways to maintain control in the junk food jungle of the workplace. The worst thing you can do is to wait for your stomach to dictate your food choices at work.
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First of all, start with a plan. If you know what you consider acceptable snacks and food options before you get there, you will be less likely to be a victim of diet sabotage in the workplace.
It's important to be prepared. Make sure your desk or work area is well stocked with the healthy choices you would prefer to eat during your work day. Common healthy snacks include fruit, small packages of cut up vegetables or 100 calorie pre-packaged snack packs of cookies, crackers or chips.
Talk with some of your co-workers. Make a pact that you all want to limit the amount of snack bowls at the desk. Maybe take turns so that the overall supply of mindless snacks is kept to a minimum.
Homemade snacks can be a good resource for controlled eating. If you make it yourself and package it yourself, you know what ingredients went into the final product and you can determine what constitutes a serving. Two strips of graham crackers with a light touch of peanut butter are every bit as satisfying as a six-pack of pre-packaged crackers with cheese and have less calories and trans fat.
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A low-fat homemade muffin, sized as a normal portion and not super-sized, can provide fresh ingredients like nuts and dried fruit and still come in a third to a half lower in calories and fat. Even your own homemade cookies can be trans fat free, a quality you're unlikely to find in the office donut box.
Another great workplace treat is tea. Herbal green teas come in a plethora of flavors. Without sugar or creamers they can be enjoyed for zero calories. Even the addition of a splash of cream or a half teaspoon of sugar will have minimal impact on the calorie count.
Fruity flavors or sweet tasting candy flavors can go a long way to satisfying a snack attack. If break time with co-workers is a dangerous time for the munchies to attack, a cup of herbal peppermint tea can be just the thing to help you keep your distance from the vending machine.
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Finally, write it down! Keeping a food journal is a good way to track where you've been and where you want to go as you navigate the rocky terrain of workplace eating. If you're ashamed to put it down in black and white in a book where it's staring right back at you then, maybe, just maybe, you'll think twice before you eat it.
