We all know that is no such thing as free lunch. Probably wondering about the free treats that you get at your work desk? They too come with a price and a heavy one. If you are fond of noshing on food that’s available to you at work, it’s probably the worse offence that you can do to yourself. The excessive calories that you are too eager to gulp down add up easily in the form of pounds. But what’s worse is that it takes a psychological battle to say no to free, sugary, trans foods waiting anxiously for you on the break table, leading you down the path of health problems.
What Does Research Say About Work Food?
A study of food choices of 6000 workers in US shows that their meals comprise of high concentration of sodium and refined grains with insufficient whole grains and fruits. These foods do not fulfill daily dietary recommendations, and are a leading one cause for obesity. The same research also showed that a quarter of these study participants got their food from work at least 2 times in a week. Nearly 1000 calories are loaded into our body as a result of free food that comes from office.
There is a strong correlation between unhealthy food consumed at work and our general lifestyle. Each year 7 out of 10 leading deaths are caused as a result of life-threating diseases such as obesity, heart diseases, some types of cancers and type 2 diabetes. This rate can be considerably decreased if you make healthy food choices.
Reasons To Avoid Work Food
Usually people consider that free lunch at workplace is an added benefit from their jobs. They get to eat as much as they want without having to spend anything and saves them the effort of arranging food for themselves. However, if the food choices aren’t healthy, there isn’t really any benefit associated with this perk. In fact, it is a liability for you that can make you pay a heavy price in the long run. Since the food comes without any cost, workers are more likely to indulge into it. An addition of 1300 empty calories per week amasses pounds on your body quite promptly.
But, all workplaces do not give away free meals and every free lunch is not unhealthy.
There are companies who make it a policy to serve healthy food options to their workers. However, most of the times companies give options to choose from processed foods, which are easier to prepare. These meals do serve the hungry workforce; however, they pack on unhealthy calories deprived of essential nutrients leading to obesity.
Obesity can lower work productivity, decreasing longevity and quality of life. A study conducted in 2014 shows that obesity leads to high percentage of absentees, causing $8.65 billion loss annually to these American corporations.
How To Avoid Unhealthy Foods At Workplace?
Ready to make a healthy transition in your life? Choose healthier food options. If you see a piece of cake on your eating table, ask for a fruit.
Another option is to create a health committee at your workplace who would hold weekly meetings with employees, helping them make better options when it comes to food choices. This would greatly reduce costs for the employers while increasing employee productivity.
It is okay to consume cheat foods occasionally. However, the best route is to burn off what you pack on. Take a stroll in the last 15 minutes of your lunch break and you are all set to go.
You can also prepare your own meals in order to keep a strict check on what you are consuming.
If you are unsure whether the food at your workplace is unhealthy, then you should document what you are eating in food diary and then analyze your food choices over the weekend. Replace unhealthy options with nutrient-rich foods and continue on to relish on energizing foods.
