Eating a healthy diet has a huge impact on employee health and work performance. Finding ways to “eat like a Dietitian” and incorporate healthy eating habits into your daily routine, will encourage your employees to do the same. And this will greatly benefit your workforce with:
- Improved concentration and cognitive function
- Increased engagement
- Better mood and sleep
- Fewer sick days
- Improved productivity
- Lower healthcare costs
However, there is so much confusion around what you should be eating. Most people don’t know where to start. Not to mention, it can be hard to find the time to cook nutritious meals or prepare healthy snacks with a busy schedules. That pint of ice cream in the freezer sounds much more appealing than cooking after a long day at work.
We have got 5 tips to help you eat like a dietitian without the adding stress and restriction of crazy diets and meal plans.
Breakfast Everyday
Have you ever wondered why breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Here’s why!
- Gives you the energy you need to focus which improves productivity
- Boosts your mood which allows you to collaborate better with your coworkers
- Makes it easier to make healthy eating choices throughout the rest of the day
It can be easy to rush out the door in the morning without grabbing a bite to eat. Waking up an extra 15 minutes earlier or preparing something the night before can take away some added stress in the morning. Here are some easy, balanced breakfast ideas you can try!
- Peanut butter + banana toast
- Greek yogurt + fruit
- Overnight oats
- Hard boiled eggs + toast
- Protein smoothie
Dump the Crazy Diets
Health is not one size fits all. The best diet you can follow is one that works for your lifestyle. While mainstream diets work for a little bit, they are not sustainable in the long run. A recent study reviewed the effectiveness of 14 popular diets including Atkins, Weight Watchers, low-fat, and Paleo. It found that participants lost weight and improved their cholesterol and blood pressure during the first 6 months but lost all of their progress by the 12 month mark.
So how do you start eating healthy if diets don’t work? You should focus on building habits that work for your lifestyle. Here are some things to think about when finding the best diet that works for you:
- Aim for at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day– the more the better. If that seems like too much, you can start by adding just one extra fruit or veggie a day for a week and then increase it once that habit becomes easy.
- Replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. Instead of cooking with butter, you can use olive oil. You can try putting mashed avocado or nut butters on your bread instead of butter or margarine.
- Replace refined carbs with whole grain carbs. You can swap out white bread or rice for whole wheat bread and brown rice. If you eat a lot of refined carbs, start by picking one meal a day to make this swap.
- Allow yourself to enjoy treats when the craving strikes. Restriction leads to overeating, so allowing yourself to sweets when you crave them will help you maintain your healthy eating habits.
- Plan your meals ahead go time to reduce stress during the week. Check out our meal prep guide for busy people to help you get started!
Eat like a Dietitian: Focus on Plant-Based Foods
Plant based diets have been shown to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and reduce your risk for developing chronic diseases. Adopting a plant-based diet is also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.
Don’t worry- you do not have to go completely vegan to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet! Here are some tips for adopting a plant forward lifestyle without feeling overwhelmed:
- Try one vegetarian recipe a week
- Do Meatless Mondays
- Focus on lean meats and fish over red meat
- Incorporate beans into more of your meals
- Try some plant-based meat alternatives
- Check out our blog posts on how to start a vegetarian diet
Focus on Fiber
Fiber is the part of plant foods that our body can’t digest but is very beneficial to our health. A high fiber diet helps:
- Lower cholesterol
- Control blood sugar levels
- Normalize bowel movements
- Lower risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and colon cancer
- Improve the gut microbiome
It is recommended that we consume 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day. However, it is estimated that 95% of Americans are not meeting this recommendation. When increasing your fiber intake, you want to start slow to prevent any gas and bloating. Check out this list of high fiber foods you can start incorporating into your diet!
Eat like a Dietitian with a Mindful Eating Practice
Mindfuless is the ability to be fully present and aware of how you feel at a given moment. Eating mindfully means that you are focusing your attention on the physical and emotional sensations you get while eating. This makes you more aware of your hunger and fullness cues and helps you feel more satisfied during a meal.
It can be tempting to eat breakfast on your way to work or go through emails while eating lunch. However, finding just 5-10 minutes to practice mindful eating can be beneficial. Here are some tips for eating mindfully:
- Notice the sounds, colors, smells, tastes and textures of the meal you are eating
- Notice how you feel before eating, while eating, and after eating
- Pause periodically during the meal to check in with yourself and your senses
- Eat slowly
- Try to eliminate as many distractions as you can like turning off the TV and putting down your phone
There is no perfect diet that works for everyone- you just have to find what works for you. Incorporating some of these habits into your lifestyle is a great place to start so you can improve your health, boost your performance at work, and eat like a dietitian!