Posted by
Sara on
Friday, June 13th, 2014 with
6 Comments
Airport concourses full of fast food, and executive lounges with free-flowing cocktails. Meeting tables stocked with snacks, and post-conference happy hours on the company card. Lavish business lunches. Little sleep. Red-eye flights. Stressful schedules.
It’s an understatement to say that business travel and healthy living do not go hand in hand. With long lines, long meetings, and long days, it’s easy for even the most health-conscious traveler to justify indulging in an extra cocktail or drool-worthy dessert — after all, you deserve a little comfort when you’re working nonstop and far away from home.
It can be hard to find time for healthy living when traveling for work.
Image source: Flickr user Francisco L. Franco
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Thursday, June 12th, 2014 with
8 Comments
When you order takeout or food delivery for a working lunch, picking a salad off the menu often feels like the easiest way to eat healthy at the office. But many, many restaurants make their salads more mass-appealing by adding less-than-low-cal ingredients… and after a little bacon and a lot of cheese, that “healthy” salad ends up being just as packed with fat, salt, and calories as a triple-decker club or even a burger.
Sadly, several of the most popular restaurant salads often fall right into that category. To help keep your food delivery orders on track, here’s our take on which salads should be skipped, which can be salvaged, and how to make it happen:
A Greek salad can be a fantastic food delivery option.
Image source: Flickr user leigh wolf
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Wednesday, June 11th, 2014 with
4 Comments
The office is a veritable breeding ground for quirky food trends: your in-the-know coworker wants to go wait in line for ramen-noodle burgers at lunch, while your organic-foods-crazed boss insists on ordering the latest artisan pizza toppings. It can be eye-opening or maybe even a little annoying… but, these kinds of food trends aren’t exactly changing the way we eat or how we live.
The ramen burger may be neat, but it’s not changing the world.
Image source: Flickr user Arnold Gatilao
On a more serious end of the food trend spectrum, though, some potentially revolutionary ideas may do just that. From futuristic technological innovations to a potential shift in how we define the concept of “edible,” these latest innovations just may change the world. Get ahead of the office foodies by learning about these truly important culinary trends (no offense, cronuts): Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Tuesday, June 10th, 2014 with
2 Comments
When we think about eating healthy at the office, we tend to think about curbing our guilty pleasures: no more potato chips, avoid the birthday cupcakes, stop drinking so much soda. But a new study out of Spain suggests that a much more innocent-sounding culprit in your office lunches may be responsible for drastically increasing your likelihood of obesity… good, old-fashioned white bread.
White bread may lead to higher levels of obesity.
Image source: Flickr user mitchenall
For five years, researchers monitored the eating habits of more than 9,000 college graduates through regular surveys. They found that people who ate three slices of white bread per day (not too outrageous – that would be a sandwich and a piece of toast!) were 40 percent more likely to become obese when compared to those who ate white bread once per week. However, not all bread showed the same effect: people who ate whole grain breads were not more likely to be obese.
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Monday, June 9th, 2014 with
Comments Off on In Favor of Real Lunch Breaks: New Study Suggests “Fast-Food” Thinking Leads to Impatience Comments
A new study out of the University of Toronto is adding more fuel to the fire when it comes to the unhealthy nature of rushing through lunch breaks. Researchers found that fast food — the kind eaten in a rush and while on the go — makes people more impatient and less able to savor life experiences like looking at a beautiful painting or listening to an opera. The implication? Eating fast food can disrupt our attention and ability to focus… which could have huge implications for workplace productivity.
Fast food (and few breaks) can impede attention and focus at work.
Image source: Flickr user Benjamin Linh VU.
In the study, researchers established that even the unconscious suggestion of fast food (like the golden arches of McDonald’s) flashed for a few undetectable milliseconds on a computer screen) led participants to increase their speed on a reading task. In another task, participants who were instructed to spend time thinking about fast food showed tendencies to forgo long-term benefit over a short-term payout — another signal of impatience.
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Friday, June 6th, 2014 with
6 Comments
Having a box of donuts as an office breakfast is not a groundbreaking idea. But today is National Donut Day, which always falls on the first Friday and June. That means today is the perfect day to serve up the sugary treats to your employees… but not for the gimmicky reason you might think!
This beautiful donut is one way to say “thank you”.
Image source: Flickr user Bryan Ochalla
Unlike many of our other pointless “National Fill-in-the-Blank Days,” National Donut Day actually has a fantastic story behind it, and a rich history of patriotism and charity. The annual celebration of donuts dates back nearly a century to the days of World War I, when Salvation Army officers began serving donuts and coffee to soldiers in the trenches across the battlefields of France.
Relatively simple to make with limited supplies (like sugar, lard, and flour), the donuts weren’t just about keeping soldiers fed: they were a warm reminder of the comforts of home. And the Salvation Army began celebrating National Donut Day as a way to commemorate the service of the “donut lassies” — the female volunteers who fried the donuts (sometimes in soldiers’ helmets!) and distributed them among the soldiers, along with providing more practical assistance like writing letters, mending clothes, and cooking meals.
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Thursday, June 5th, 2014 with
Comments Off on 7 Small Steps to Healthier Office Lunches: From Mindful Eating to Slurping Soup Comments
June is National Employee Wellness Month, and organizations across the country are taking part in fitness challenges, weight management programs, and smoking cessation efforts. And while making big life changes like quitting smoking or starting an exercise plan is undeniably awesome, sometimes taking small steps in a healthier direction can be just as powerful — simply because they’re more likely to stick.
Small changes can make a big difference during your lunch break.
Image source: Flickr user Martin Cathrae
When it comes to being healthy at work, there’s no easier (or more productive) place to start than office lunches. Even if your company isn’t participating in any formal wellness activities this month, consider trying out one of these ideas for two weeks. You’ll feel more energetic, better about your health, and even better about your job! And if you can bring a coworker or two on board, you’ll find it becomes much easier to stick to your goals.
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Wednesday, June 4th, 2014 with
4 Comments
Your mother’s favorite post-breakup metaphor is literally quite true: there plenty of fish in the sea. And they’re healthy. And they taste good… and they’re one of the most underutilized kinds of food for healthy office meals. Seafood is a staple of some of the healthiest and most well-respected diets across the globe, from the Mediterranean diet to Japanese traditions, like the so-called Okinawa diet. Fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, have been shown to be excellent at boosting energy levels and cognitive performance — an obviously relevant benefit for the workplace.
Arctic char is a delicious cross between trout and salmon.
Image source: Flickr user Aitor Garcia
Nutritionists recommend we eat fish at least twice a week… and office meals are a great way to get started. If you’re unfamiliar with the types of fish available, or even just stuck in a spicy-tuna-roll rut when it comes to your seafood intake, we’ve got some inspiration in store! Yesterday, we covered some of the most popular species of fish you’re likely to find on restaurant menus — salmon, ahi tuna, anchovies, tilapia, and mahi mahi. Today, let’s dive a little deeper, so to speak, into the wide world of seafood! Here are some additional varieties that will help you shake up the office lunch routine, whether you’re ordering takeout for one or planning the catering menu for a big meeting:
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014 with
2 Comments
We all know the scene: after a long morning at work and with a packed schedule for the afternoon ahead, you know you need a quick yet satisfying lunch to get you through the day. As you flip through the food delivery menus in the break room, you find the perfect solution: seafood.
OK, maybe that last part doesn’t actually happen very often. More often than not, when we’re stressed at work, we crave familiar favorites: pizza, burritos, even chicken fried rice. And even when we want to eat healthy, we default to a (hopefully) hearty salad or a deli sandwich on whole wheat bread. But if you don’t consider fish and other seafood when you want a more wholesome yet satisfying food delivery order, you’re really missing out!
If you’re new to seafood, it’s hard to know where to start!
Image source: Flickr user Meal Makeover Moms
Fish is generally incredibly healthy. It’s a key component of the Mediterranean diet, and most nutrition experts recommend we eat servings of seafood at least twice per week. Yet many of us didn’t grow up eating seafood (fish sticks don’t count), and may feel a little uncomfortable about ordering an item we aren’t familiar with. Meat is easy: pork, beef, chicken, maybe lamb if we’re feeling wild and ordering gyros. But fish? Tilapia, cod, halibut, salmon, mahi mahi, swordfish — there are dozens of varieties, and each one has a unique flavor and texture.
Read the full article…
Posted by
Sara on
Monday, June 2nd, 2014 with
1 Comments
Today marks the kickoff of National Employee Wellness Month, with over 200 companies and organizations, from Delta Air Lines to Walgreens to Yale University, pledging their participation and support. Sponsored by Virgin Pulse, STOP Obesity Alliance, WorldatWork, and the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, National Employee Wellness Month aims to provide structure and support for business leaders and owners to create wellness-minded company cultures and healthier, happier employees.
Healthy office meals & wholesome snacks are an integral part of workplace wellness.
Image source: Flickr user Jo Guldi
Even if your workplace hasn’t officially signed up to be part of NEWM, there are plenty of resources and inspiration to be gleaned. And if you think that the only reason to promote employee wellness is to save on your healthcare costs, you may be in for a very pleasant surprise. Here are just a few of the benefits of participating in workplace wellness programs:
Read the full article…
