What to eat to get more work done
Have you ever fallen into a post-lunch food coma at your desk? You’re not alone and it may be due to the foods you eat during the day.
Food has a direct impact on our cognitive performance and a poor decision at lunch time can make us fall into a tired state for the rest of the day. Taking a healthy approach to the foods we consume at lunch or during the day can influence how much we get done during the day. A well-balanced lunch at work is key to staying productive.
How food and productivity are connected
Before we understand how food affects productivity, it’s important to look at what exactly happens inside our body after a meal.
When you consume food, your digestive system kicks into action to transform this food into energy. The food that the system burns over the course of the day is what acts as fuel for your body. Your energy levels influence how active and productive you feel, especially during those crucial training sessions and all-day meetings.
If you eat too little you may have low energy. If you eat the right amount, your body can generate consistent energy to keep you going throughout the day. But it all depends on what type of food you eat, so read on!
Food and Productivity: How the body breaks food into energy based on what you eat
Your body will convert processed foods into glucose very quickly because these types of foods have already been “predigested” by a machine during the manufacturing stage.
Foods that haven’t been artificially processed, such as fresh fruit or brown rice, take time to be broken down in your body and will release this energy slowly over time. These are the types of food you should be eating throughout the day for better productivity.
Always choose healthy, unprocessed options instead of foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt and are processed.
Foods that are great for productivity
Blueberries
Benefits of Blueberries:
- High in antioxidants
- High in fibre
- Low on glycaemic index
How they help with your productivity
Because blueberries are low on glycaemic index (GI), they help your body release energy slowly and this will make you feel less sluggish.
Tips for the workplace
Offer to buy punnets of blueberries to put in the communal kitchen at the start of the week so your work colleagues can munch and snack on these at their desk during the day! If you’re ordering catering for breakfast, request for muesli pots with blueberries or fruit skewers to be thrown in for good measure.
Green tea
Benefits of Green Tea
- Contains an amino acid called L-theanine that helps you focus better
- Is a healthier alternative to coffee
- Is relatively unprocessed due to how it’s made (after the tea leaves are harvested they are usually dried and ready to use)
How it helps with your productivity
Green tea contains little caffeine and large quantities of L-theanine, which combine to help you improve your productivity during the work day.
Tips for the workplace
Purchase a box of green tea for the office from the local supermarket or office kitchen and pantry supplier to encourage a healthier option instead of coffee. Drinking up to 2-3 cups a day is suggested.
Avocados
Benefits of Avocados
- Contain vitamin K and folate which help improve concentration
- Are high on protein and low in sugar content
- Contain monounsaturated fats (good fats to help stabilise sugar levels)
How avocados help with your productivity
If you want to feel focused and concentrate on the tasks at hand, reach for avocados as they are a storehouse of healthy fat. The vitamin K and folate help with your focus and boost productivity.
Tips for the workplace
Supply a few avocados for the office. Your team members can simply have half an avocado smashed on a piece of toast, sprinkled with salt and pepper. It’s the easiest and healthiest snack to make!
Foods that don’t encourage productivity
Any foods that are high in sugar are best avoided. They are processed super quickly in the body which means you will experience a short spike in energy but eventually crash with hardly any energy left in the body!
This is also true of coffee, which has a lot of caffeine. The caffeine gets broken down quickly in the body, making you reach a short-lived high before you start feeling your productivity seep out again.
Skip any sugary snacks after lunch and wait until the evening, when you can afford to slow down.
Boost productivity within the workplace
We can help you keep staff at their productive and prolific best with a range of healthy yet delicious catering options. From platters and working lunches to finger foods, we offer a wide variety of wholesome, healthy options that the whole office will enjoy.
Simply get in touch with one our friendly foodies who can help organise a yummy lunch today!
