Office Snacking Hacks

When travelling to work and grabbing lunch on the go, it can be a challenge to stay on top of meals, find motivation to get to the gym, and keep on top of projects. It is easy to fall into habits, especially bad habits, as the acclaimed author Charles Duhigg explored human behaviours in his book The Power of Habit. He provides an anecdote in the introduction of the book about weight gain, and how when he really thought about why he was gaining a few extra pounds. Duhigg realized he was gaining weight because each day he would walk through the office, have a chat with colleagues and pick up a cookie from the vending machine. It's easy to pick up bad habits, especially during the working day.

So to stop yourself wandering to a vending machine and picking up a chocolate bar or soda, here are a few things you can give a try:

Over the weekend, taking time to prepare for the week ahead by making breakfast muffins is an invaluable use of time. These Breakfast Oat Muffins and these Chocolate Blueberry and Orange Muffins can be made in advance and travel well in an airtight container.

Identify when you’re getting restless - perhaps you have been sitting too long working on a document and need a distraction. Identifying these triggers and holding yourself accountable is key. Take yourself out of the situation. Instead of emailing, perhaps call or go over to your colleagues desk, or try these 5 ways to move more at work.

If you are still restless or hungry, try taking five minutes to brew some tea such as green tea for a boost of caffeine or fresh coffee.

To sustain your energy throughout a busy day, there are great snacking and meal solutions. Some require little advanced preparation, making it easy and realistic for the working day. One such snack example includes the superfood chia seeds. Chia seeds mixed with a little almond milk and raw cacao powder refrigerated overnight is a great snack. It is a sweet and a filling yogurt substitute.

An easy lunch solution is rice noodles and cut veggies, prepared the night before with some chopped garlic and chillies. When it's time for the meal, simply pop the kettle on boil, pour over, stir, drain and eat. It's so easy, it's quick to prepare, and it’s a filling meal.

At the end of your working day, spending a few moments reflecting on your meals using a meal and calorie tracker like Azumio’s Argus App. By reflecting on how you felt through the day and the meals you chose, you can identify emotional triggers ( such as stress) which may lead you to seek food.

Patricia founded AWS in 2008 as a means of sharing and documenting her health journey. Diagnosed with familial hypercholestrolemia as a teenager she has worked with nutritionists and sports professionals to holistically alter the expression of her epigenetic markers. Out of AWS grew the Urban Farmer which showcases her passion for gardening and self sufficient living. When Patricia is not gardening you will find her cooking, rock climbing and hiking.