ADVERTISEMENTWhen Claire Paré was a teacher and worked in an environment where every minute, up to the toilet breaks, was planned, she brought cereal bars, fruit and protein drinks to school in the event of a small cravings.
She then opted for a teleworking job. The cookies and candies of his children attracted him to his pantry, which undermined his commitment to a healthy snack.
“Often, it is the amenities that prevail“Said Ms. Paré.
Eating healthy snacks during working day can be difficult. Many people face a drop in energy in the middle of the afternoon and the desires of sugar, caffeine or carbohydrates after lunch.
According to Beth Czerwony, a dietician at the Cleveland clinic in the United States, the problem of sweet or savory snacks packed to spend the afternoon, is that they can increase blood sugar levels, but do not give a durable second.
“The energy will dissipate very quickly, so you will have this renewed energy, then all of a sudden, you will have a new drop in energy”said Beth Czerwony. “Some people continue like this for a while, drinking coffee or energy drinks and eating candy, which exposes them to these peaks and these energy reductions.”
Here are some ideas to keep healthy snacking habits at work.
Bring protein
Protein-rich foods, such as Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs and blanc cheese, can help people feel satisfied longer than protein-free snacks, explains Caroline Susie, approved dietician and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The consumption of a snack made up of refined carbohydrates, such as a bagel, quickly increases blood sugar and then drops it. It is therefore preferable to associate it with another source of contribution, explains Caroline Susie.
“When you associate these carbohydrates with lean protein or eat a protein snack, you contribute to satiety. So you will remain full of longer”she added.
Ms. Czerwony recommends snacks combining lean proteins with complex carbohydrates, such as crackers, rice pancakes or fruits.
This combination works because the carbohydrates increase the blood sugar level, which gives you a boost, while proteins take more time to be digested, which allows you to stay full longer, she explained.
The snack you want
For a satisfactory snack, the American Heart Association recommends slices of apples accompanied by a tablespoon of peanut butter with a low sodium content, pears mixed with light cottage cheese, vegetables such as carrots, celery, peppers, cucumbers or zucchini accompanied by Houmous or Tzatziki. But also popcorn, rice pancakes or undressed nuts and seeds. You can also roast chickpeas, which provide both proteins and carbohydrates.
For an packaged snack, read the nutrition label to check the amount of sugar added and sodium it contains, suggests the association.
The Cleveland clinic recommends whole fruits, edamames, seeds, a handful of nuts or a portion of tuna tuna that you can eat with a fork.
Prepare your meals in advance
Bringing your own snacks to work can help you control the quality and quantity of what you eat, said Ms. Czerwony. Try to cut vegetables, provide cheese or white meat in slices on weekends to hold the whole week, she said.
“If you have already prepared all these things, it is easy to take them and take them in the morning”she added.
You can try to prepare large amounts of homemade smoothies, such as Petra Durnin, which mixes green vegetables, nuts, berries, avocados, bananas and chia or linen seeds. In the evening, she puts a pot in the refrigerator to thaw it for the next day.
The afternoon smoothie is full up to dinner time and prevents it from turning to chips, chocolate and sugar, explains Durnin, who works in the commercial real estate sector in the United States.
“I feel like I have better lucidity”she said, “I am able to spend the afternoon working more effectively”.
Have fun from time to time
Adopting healthy snacking habits does not mean that you must completely deprive yourself of small pleasures. If a colleague celebrates his birthday, a part of occasional cake will not question good habits.
“Do not demonize food”said Susie.
Before immersing your hand in a packet of chips, take a meal including lean proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, then add something healthy to the snack while keeping an eye on the size of the portions, said Susie.
“There will be no perfect substitute for chips. You can eat carrots as much as you want, but you cannot make your body believe that they are chips”said Ms. Czerwony. “If you want crisps, take these damn chips, which we end.”
However, a constant desire for chips could be the sign of a food deficiency, and it is worth understanding it so that “these types of pleasures are more treats than something that is part of your food routine throughout the day,” said Czerwony.
