The best tips for maintaining a healthy food routine while working from home.
There are many benefits of working from home--no commute, staying home with family or pets, cooking your own meals. But working from home also means more distractions, including one of the worst: the refrigerator. Somehow, every solution seems to be staring into the fridge for answers.
Working remotely it can be very hard to schedule breaks and structure your eating habits. Luckily, we’ve laid out some of our best practices to incorporate working from home nutrition.
Work From Home Healthy Habits
Find Structure
Find a schedule and structure that works for you. This means routines like showering, putting on anything but sweatpants, and setting time restrictions for mobile devices.
Tip: On many smartphones, there is an option where you can limit how much screen time you prefer.
This also means finding structure in your mealtimes. Snacking continually is a considerable concern for many new remote workers. Try setting up your day as you would in the office- when you have lunch and snack breaks. Make sure you put extra focus on breakfast, making it a complete meal to set up your day the right way.
In addition to this, eat your meals away from technology. It’s easy to think you may save a few minutes here and there to save if you bring your meals to your desk, but it just isn’t productive with the tasks that can go on and on and have broken away from the screen is beneficial for your eyes and your mental health! Try no mobile devices while eating as well.
Overall, the structure is one of the most important habits to incorporate into your work from home lifestyle.
Our Favorite Breakfast Recipe
Add some delicious natural plant-based protein to this easy-to-prepare avocado toast, as well as some fermented goodness.
Chickpea and Sauerkraut Avocado Toast
Serving for one 3
Ingredients
- Sourdough Bread
- Olive Oil
- Smashed Avocado
- Chickpeas
- Whiskey Dill Kraut
- Sesame Seeds
- Bagel
Instructions
- Toast bread
- Drizzle bread with olive oil
- Scoop avocado out and spread on bread
- Sprinkle on Whiskey Dill Kraut
- Add chickpeas (optional: toast chickpeas in oven or toaster oven with paprika)
- Finish with basil and sesame seeds
Meal Preparation
This tip is great because it takes all the decision making out of unhealthy food choices. Sometimes over-processed, high sodium foods are the easiest to grab, but if you prepared a healthy and delicious meal beforehand, it could help take that stress away.
It’s a huge time saver. Between cooking and doing the dishes, it can take a decent amount of time. Meal prepping eliminates all of this and keeps you on track for healthy meal decisions.
Some easy meal ideas could be anywhere from nourish bowls, salad, sandwiches, or meats! Just make sure you are eating a complete, whole meal to be full to avoid snacking.
Our Favorite Lunch Recipe
This colorful, delicious salad is packed with healthy fats, protein, and probiotics and comes together in less than 15 minutes for a quick and easy weeknight meal or meal-prepped lunch.
Curry Salmon Salad
Serving for one
Ingredients
- 1-2 tsp olive oil
- 1 salmon fillet 3-4oz
- 2 cups salad greens
- 1/4 cup red rice*
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup Curry Kraut
Instructions
- Season the salmon fillets with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Heat the two teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the salmon and cook for 4-6 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from heat and flake with a fork.
- While the salmon is cooling, place the lettuce and rice in a bowl and toss to combine. Arrange the avocado slices over the top, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and pile on the kraut.
- Place the salmon on top and drizzle with olive oil or a dressing of your choice (optional).
- Enjoy!
*substitute chopped nuts for a no-carb keto-friendly version with an extra protein boost!
Schedule the Coffee
You may be surprised by how many cups of coffee you go through while working from home. The FDA says 400 milligrams (the equivalent of four to five cups of coffee) is typically safe, depending on the person. If you drink caffeine, have your coffee between 9 and 11 a.m. Consuming your caffeine during this period is shown not to interrupt your natural sleep and wake cycle.
Stay Hydrated
There are so many benefits to staying hydrated throughout the day. Try having a reusable water bottle at arm’s length while working to ensure you are getting your intake of water per day. It’s recommended to drink about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women.
Staying hydrated throughout the day may also improve your motivation and reduce stress (something we all need!). When you’re dehydrated, many people experience fatigue, dizziness, and irritability. One study found that dehydration increases the stress hormone, cortisol, in the body.
Keep a Food Journal
Keeping a journal throughout the workweek may be beneficial to keep track of your meals. Although journaling is unique to each person, writing down what you ate, what snacks you consumed, or how you felt during the day can provide useful insights into your life. Many people adjust their lifestyles to work from home, and writing it down is a simple tip to check in with how your food habits are making you feel.
Work From Home Nutrition
Working from home means setting new goals for your nutrition. No matter your diet preference, it’s important to incorporate whole foods and higher protein foods to keep you full throughout the day.
Try adding some sauerkraut or marinade to any meal for a nutrition-packed punch! Cleveland Kitchen focuses on bringing creativity to the kitchen. Keep up with all our probiotic-filled recipes here!
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