What healthy snacking look like when you are Working From Home

Dr Jeffey George, Consultant Gasteroenterologist, Aster Medcity , Kochi , Kerala

Are you someone who is working from home? Are you concerned about your next meal, and whether the next meal is healthy or not?

Do you feel that work from home offers unhealthy food choices by default? Or are you someone who is looking for fresh and healthy meal tips while you are stuck at home?

Work from home offers the luxury of working from the comfort of one’s house, it also allows a more flexible schedule. Taking a break often means snacking or a trip to the fridge. This also affects eating patterns - from fixed eating schedules when at work to lazy snacking while working from home. Do you agree?

We had formed a lot of healthy habits while we were traveling for work. Those healthy habits must stick to our routine even when we are grounded at home.

While working from home, we have to keep ourselves hydrated and nourished. It will ensure that we are not losing our concentration and productivity during our work. A couple of significant advantages of snacking while working from home.

• It keeps you boosted and motivated.
• It prevents you from skipping meals.

Do you know what we are forgetting while considering snacking during work from home?

Healthy Snacking !!!

Forgetting ‘healthy’ snacking has become one of the most fundamental mistakes we make while working from home. People often don’t realize that unhealthy snacking can lead to unwanted weight gain. Hence to make snacking as beneficial as above, one needs to gorge on healthy foods such as proteins and fiber-filled carbohydrates.

We know that it becomes difficult for you to find the best ingredients/food items, to name it as healthy snacking. We have listed a few examples to help you make those choices easily.

For example,

• Grilled / roasted chicken                                 
• Fruits
• Hard boiled eggs                                             
• Wholewheat toast
• Tuna / Salmon salad                                       
• Granola bars or multigrain oats
• Roasted nuts                                               
• Yogurt / Dry fruits (almonds, walnut, cashews and raisins)

Over time, we have realized that just listing the examples will not help you find healthy snacking beneficial. To make it worthwhile, we have tried to create a few DOs that can prove beneficial for you while working from home.

 

DOs of healthy eating at home:

 

1. Set up a fixed schedule for the day.
2. Never skip your first meal of the day – especially; the breakfast.
3. Take mini-breaks at regular intervals – walk around the house, do some stretching.
4. Have a proper lunch break while you are working from home.
5. Choose your snacks that are healthy and rejuvenating
6. Drink water at regular intervals to stay hydrated.
7. Do not snack when you are bored but have it when you are hungry.
8. Eat away from your place of work.
9. Make sure you exercise regularly and at regular intervals.

The routine we are trying to set for you will not only keep you healthy, but it will keep you safe from gaining weight. We have seen individuals gain unwanted weight during the lockdown.

It may initially be challenging for you to adapt all the DOs in one go. We would suggest you adopt the above tips one by one and gradually make changes.

If you feel the need to consult a health professional or a dietician, you may avail Aster’s tele-consultation services by booking an appointment at https://asterhospital.com/ or https://asterclinic.ae/

Happy snacking!