It’s 3 p.m.
You’ve been working all day. Lunch feels like it happened sometime last week. You’re tired, hungry, and there happens to be a vending machine nearby.
This is probably not the moment when you’re going to carefully contemplate your nutritional goals.
And that’s okay.
A recent article on workplace snacking points out something that applies to far more than food: when we’re busy, tired, and hungry, convenience tends to win.
The problem is that many of our easiest afternoon choices (candy, chips, sugary drinks, or another round of caffeine) can give us a quick boost without providing much staying power. We feel better briefly, then crash and go looking for the next boost.
Nutrition experts suggest a different approach: combine carbohydrates with protein. The carbohydrates provide relatively quick energy, while protein digests more slowly and can help us stay satisfied longer.
That could mean fruit with peanut butter, vegetables with hummus, Greek yogurt, nuts, cheese and crackers, or any number of combinations that you actually enjoy.
But here’s the part I think matters most:
Plan for the person you’ll be at 3 p.m.
Morning You may be well-rested, caffeinated, and full of excellent intentions.
Afternoon You has been through some things.
So help that person out.
Bring a snack with you. Keep something nutritious in your desk. Prepare a few things over the weekend that you can grab on the way out the door. Make the choice when you have the time and energy to make it, not when you’re hungry and staring into a vending machine.
This is a useful principle for wellness in general.
We often assume healthy behavior requires more discipline. Sometimes it just requires better preparation.
The takeaway:
Don’t make the healthy choice harder than it needs to be.
A little planning when you have energy can save you from relying on willpower when you don’t.
Today’s challenge:
Before you finish today, think about Tomorrow You.
What’s one small thing you can prepare today that will make a healthy choice easier tomorrow?