Working from home may be the “new normal,” but that doesn’t mean unhealthy eating has to be.
Mercy Fort Smith dietitian Jenna Siebenmorgen said following a similar workday routine every day – complete with setting specific mealtimes, accomplishing goals, and finding opportunities for exercise during the day – can help someone maintain a healthy lifestyle, even while staying at home. This routine also can benefit children attending school at home.
The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics said there is no “one size fits all” routine when it comes to healthy eating. The group’s message during National Nutrition Month is “personalize your plate.” Siebenmorgen said there are many options for accomplishing this through meal planning, eating a variety of healthy foods, and trying new recipes. She believes setting goals and understanding the reasons behind making healthy changes is important.
Siebenmorgen pointed out three important steps to maintaining a healthy routine from home:
-Try to keep regular mealtimes, and keep meals consistent, like you would if you were going to work every day. Don’t skip meals, including breakfast, which can create excess hunger down the road.
-Try new dishes. Extra time at home may allow for this. Also try to make healthier versions of dishes you like.
-Have a goal in mind, whether it’s losing weight, gaining strength, or something else.
“It’s easy for us to talk about these things – eating healthy, staying active – but the ‘why’ behind it is important for people to get motivated to do it and to continue doing it, and to see results and tracking results,” she said.
Some people may have experienced quarantine or work-from-home weight gain, but Siebenmorgen said that is not the case for everyone.
“We’ve seen patients who’ve had that quarantine weight gain and they’re realizing that now and they’re wanting to take action and make some of those changes,” Siebenmorgen says. “We’ve also seen some patients who’ve really taken this past year as an opportunity to change their diet, because they’re at home now and they have more time. Maybe they’re able to do the exercise now that they wouldn’t been able to do before because they had an hour commute to work. Now, they don’t have that hour commute and they can use that time to exercise more.”
If you are eating out or getting takeout, it’s possible to choose wisely, Siebenmorgen says. She suggested portioning restaurant meals into several meals and to limit take-out to perhaps once a week.
“That meal will give you something to look forward to; maybe it’s a little bit more of a decadent meal or a more fun meal,” she says. “That helps you organize your meals at home, but on a specific day, we’re going do something different.”
Feeling better – both physically and mentally – is also an important goal, said Nathaniel Snipes, dietetic intern with Mercy Fort Smith.
“I know with COVID-19 right now, a lot of people are not really digging the stay-at-home thing,” he said. “You see people saying that they’re more depressed now. So, I think keeping your activity levels high while also eating healthy, that’s going to help with your mental health as well.”
Staying Active
Maintaining an exercise routine – or even starting a new one – is still possible, even if you’ve had to change your daily routine, Siebenmorgen said.
“Even though you may be staying home more, there are ways to stay active,” Siebenmorgen said. “You may not be going to the gym as much or seeing friends as much. But you can still try to make at-home activities fun, especially for children. We can get outdoors, weather permitting. There are a lot of indoor exercises you can do.”
Finding a new skill or hobby also is a great distraction from being tempted by food, she said. Hobbies like scrapbooking or starting a home project can keep you busy and keep your mind busy and off snacking. “When you get bored, you start munching.”
Children
Siebenmorgen said children have been affected just as much as adults when it comes to a stay-at-home routine. Parents can help their children by keeping a variety of healthy snacks on hand and talking with their children about their feelings.
“Something that I’ve seen some parents do is keep a snack basket with healthy options in eyesight,” she said. “If the child is saying they’re hungry, offer fruits or vegetables for a snack first. Slice up an apple with some peanut butter, for example. Encourage them to have that first if it’s true hunger.”