3 Methods to Avoid Eating Office Junk Food

Eating healthy at the office is not always easy, but if you set some ground rules and plan ahead you can fuel yourself with the right kinds of food.

The Problem

The workplace is the perfect storm of readily available junk food and spontaneous eating opportunities. Whether it’s the vending machine down the hall, the fast food options within a 5-minute drive, or the birthday cakes,  donuts, and other goodies brought in by well-meaning co-workers, it’s a veritable smorgasbord of dietary disorder.

It can all be overwhelming and too much to resist when it occurs on a near-daily basis. Even If you bring your own lunch you might find yourself derailed by the sight of a sweet treat  that only leads to soaring blood sugar levels.

The following methods have proven effective, and each one depends on knowing yourself and knowing what you’re more likely to have success with.

Method 1: Adopt a “No Eating In The Office” Policy

This method involves disassociating the workplace as a place to eat. If you normally eat your lunch in the break room, cafeteria, or at your desk consider changing locations somewhere off-site like a nearby park.

This way you simply won’t eat inside the office and your policy will be a blanket rule that covers both healthy and unhealthy food. You won’t feel like you’re only eating healthy food at work and forbidden from eating junk food, your rule will apply to all food.

Method 2: Bring Your Own Supply of Healthy Snacks

If you’re able to resist temptation and opt for something healthier, be sure that you are always arriving at work with a decent supply of healthy snacks to get you through the day.

This pre-planning could mean the difference between a healthy or unhealthy day at work. Or better yet, if your office does have office vending services, propose that your employer stock it with healthier options.

You may have to experiment with how much to bring if you find yourself not having enough and running out at the wrong times. If you bring too much you might be tempted to eat all of it even though you’re not even hungry.

Time It Properly –  By spacing out your snacks at the right intervals you’ll be able to easily say no to the birthday cake being sliced up for your coworker’s party. It’s so much easier to resist a spontaneous junk food opportunity when you already have something in your system.

Method 3: Give Yourself Trade-offs

If you lack the willpower to choose a fruit or vegetable over a slice of cake bring your own supply of soy free chocolate bars or other dessert to have instead of what’s available at work. This way you’re playing by your own rules and you’ll be able to keep better track of your calories, sugar, and fat intake rather than having something that is hard to quantify.

No matter which of the above methods you employ, the main thing is to be in control of the food you eat and always opt for the healthiest choice. Try all three methods and see which one provides the best result for you personally.

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