Simple & Easy Tips for Staying Healthy

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10 Tips for Eating Healthy at Work & School

© Elson M. Haas M.D.

 

Take a few minutes to identify the habits you wish to change.

Do you pack a wholesome lunch, only to be distracted by fast or junk

food places around your work? Do you provide healthy lunches for your

kids, but at the end of the day find them smashed in the bottom of

their backpack? It is important to be realistic about yourself and

your family's likes and dislikes. It is unlikely that anyone can

switch from hamburgers and French fries to tofu and whole grains in

one day. Prepare foods that support your health, vitality, and

optimum weight. How fresh are your choices? Do good foods fit into

your budget? Do you have a frig at work if you need it to keep foods

fresh?

 

Try one new fruit or vegetable a week.

 

Add something new to a salad. Trying new things will keep you

interested, and even though you will probably not like everything you

taste, you may find some new favorites. Consider organic alternatives

whenever possible. The fresh taste of organic fruits and vegetables

will make it easier to eat more. If you are eating soy or corn

products, make sure they are organic, since soy and corn are often

genetically altered (GMO). Or what about growing some fresh and vital

ingredients in your garden, or buying them at your local farmer's

market?

 

Prepare a standard shopping list with the things you use regularly.

If you have a firm idea of what you want before you get to the store,

you are less likely to buy things on impulse. Take your children (or

your spouse or housemates) shopping and pick out the right foods for

you and them. Periodically, make notes on their choices so you can

remember the healthy foods they like. Know the difference between

real foods and treats (chips, cookies, sodas, etc.). Make your diet a

high percentage of wholesome foods as noted in the next few tips. To

clarify more, make a list of your top twenty, go shopping for them,

and have them available to prepare for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and

snacks. Take them with you to work or to school. Try some carrot or

celery sticks, an apple, and various nuts or seeds. Any dips or

dressings should be packed separately to keep your foods from

wilting.

 

Choose the healthiest version of snack foods if you do consume them,

such as cookies, chips, or popcorn.

 

For example, you can find whole grain, fruit-juice sweetened cookies,

organic chips with some healthy oils and without hydrogenated oils,

and air-popped organic popcorn with light sea salt. Most grocery

stores and all natural food stores have these healthier products with

less sugars, chemical additives, and junky fats. Still, these treat

foods should only be a small portion of your total diet. In Chapters

5 and 6 of The Staying Healthy Shopper's Guide you can find more tips

on " Reading Food Labels " and " Walking the Aisles " of the modern

grocery store.

 

Discuss dietary changes with your family.

 

Kids face enormous peer pressure at school to fit in, as well as

conflicting or confusing messages about health and what's good for

them, let alone all the cool, colorful advertising. Let them know

that you will listen to their concerns, but that you are ultimately

going to make the decisions. Don't reward your kids (or yourself)

with food, especially sweets. Try planning special time to spend on

activities instead.

 

When you prepare healthy foods at home for you and your family, make

extra so you have tomorrow's lunch or a couple days of meals that

consist of your good foods.

 

Take them to school or work. Use primarily whole (wholesome) foods --

fresh fruits, veggie sticks, nutritious dips, nuts and seeds, healthy

crackers, salads, sandwiches, sprouts of all kinds, and more. See

some examples of good choices in the article, Healthy Eating at

School and Work. Start by substituting more healthy ingredients in

foods you already prepare. Vegan spreads like almond butter, avocado,

or humus can be used instead of mayonnaise, for instance, or on

bread, crackers or rice cakes. Try to avoid substituting cheese for

meat. Although cheese has protein, it is very high in saturated fat,

and may be hard to digest for many people.

 

Shop at some of the natural food delis, if available to you, for

fresh-made foods.

 

Many of the major natural food stores such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats,

and Fresh Fields have great components to your healthy diet -- fresh

juices, wholesome sandwiches, salads, baked proteins, tofu dishes,

good roasted veggies, and exotic grains (quinoa, couscous, and

buckwheat). This is a good second choice if you cannot make the time

to cook yourself. Yet, if you can, then prepare one fresh bowl of

vegetables or salad, squeeze some lemon on it, and place in

refrigerator. Stir some of these veggies in with rice or tofu and you

are set. Try a wheat-free cookie or some low-fat organic chips, not

made with terminator corn. Also, try rice milk, soymilk, or almond

milk -- all now available in stores. Or you can make your own

lemonade to take with you. Also, have some unsweetened trail mix for

snacks, or some quality protein bars.

 

For variety to help rotate your diet and minimize food reactions--

find foods that are free from wheat, yeast, dairy, and sugar (but

not 'diet' foods with the controversial artificial sweetener,

aspartame) at your local store or make your own.

 

You can find recipes and guidance for these products in my books, A

Cookbook for All Seasons and The False Fat Diet.

Remember portion size.

 

Check the recommended serving size for anything you are considering

at the store. Many foods, especially snack foods, seem innocuous when

you check the label, but you may be eating two or three times the

amount that is recommended. This is also true for take-out. Consider

buying a half-sandwich (an option in most delis) or splitting with a

friend. And remember the Glycemic Index and about eating whole foods

lower on the Index (slower sugar absorption). Also, eat slowly and

chew well, and watch your food combining to assure best digestion. Be

sure to include some healthy fats and whole grains, as these foods

fill you up and satisfy your hunger without putting on weight.

 

Don't forget water.

 

Having water available at all times (at work, school, in the car,

wherever) helps everybody stay healthier. Start substituting water

for juice, soda, coffee, or whatever you usually drink. Keep some

healthy snacks and protein bars at work, or carry them with you.

These can save you from a binge when energy is low. They also help

you avoid the temptation of going out for a little something.

 

Copyright Elson M. Haas, MD, 2003

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