Maintaining a balanced diet is one of the pillars for a healthy life, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, some behaviors and factors related to emotions in the workplace can distance workers from eating well on a daily basis. This is what a new survey, released this Thursday (10), points out.
The survey, carried out by the Onlinecurrículo platform, interviewed, through an online questionnaire, 500 Brazilians from all regions of the country to understand the relationship between workers and healthy eating. According to the survey, 63% of respondents feel that they eat a balanced diet every day at work. However, some everyday behaviors can serve as obstacles to more nutritious meals.
For 54% of respondents, the temptation for snacks and fast food is the main habit that makes it difficult to lead a healthier lifestyle in the professional environment. Furthermore, 29.40% say they make food choices driven by work-related stress or anxiety.
Factors such as personal disorganization (25.80%), laziness or lack of motivation to make healthy choices (24.20%), influence from colleagues or work environment (17.20%), excessive consumption of coffee or energy drinks (12 .80%), reward mechanism (12%) and lack of interest in eating healthily (1.60%) are among the behaviors considered obstacles to a more balanced diet.
“These data show the difficulty that many Brazilian workers face when trying to prioritize healthier meals amid the demands of work. Although there is an intention to eat better, the reality of dealing with long hours, a stressful work environment and unpredictable schedules often hinder these efforts”, analyzes Amanda Augustine, career specialist at Onlinecurrículo, in a press release.
“It’s not just about external challenges, like lack of time or pressure in the workplace; personal habits and motivation are also essential factors in maintaining a healthier lifestyle”, he adds.
Healthy eating impacts productivity at work for 41% of people
A good relationship with healthy food can have impacts that go beyond nutrition. For 41% of survey respondents, a balanced diet influences productivity throughout work. According to participants, maintaining a healthy diet helps them feel more energized and focused.
To try to balance their busy routine with better food choices, 33% of them try to take a packed lunch to work. However, for the majority (57%), the priority is practical and quick-to-prepare foods, which can leave aspects such as health and nutritional value on another plane — only 31.80% of participants say they prioritize these two factors at the time of making food choices.
In Augustine’s view, time and savings can make it difficult to maintain a healthy and balanced diet at work.
“Reconciling time and money seems to be one of the biggest challenges that workers face when trying to maintain a healthy diet. Whether it’s finding time to cook a balanced meal or going out to eat, the demands of the workday often leave little room for healthy options,” he says.
“Furthermore, buying ready-to-eat meals or eating at restaurants that offer balanced options can quickly take a toll on your wallet. Bringing lunch from home is usually the solution to these problems. Fortunately, the internet offers many quick and economical recipes for healthy, balanced meals. These homemade options bring practicality to work and help you save money. And they also avoid everyday temptations”, he advises.
Lack of time for meal preparation is the main challenge
Also according to the research, the lack of time to prepare healthier meals is the main challenge for 43% of participants. As a result, many opt for quick snacks to replace meals, such as fruit (40.20%), biscuits or cookies (40%), sandwiches (32%) and savory snacks (27.20%).
The ranking of the most consumed snacks throughout the service showed a certain balance in the research. On one side are foods such as sandwiches (30%), baked snacks (27%), yogurts (19%), oilseeds (13%) and protein bars (10%). On the other hand, which may indicate a less balanced choice, are: fried snacks (18%), sweets (18%) and ready-made snacks (10%).
See dietary changes that reduce deaths and environmental impact
This content was originally published in Craving for snacks and anxiety: habits prevent healthy eating at work on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
I am an experienced journalist and writer with a career in the news industry. My focus is on covering Top News stories for World Stock Market, where I provide comprehensive analysis and commentary on markets around the world. I have expertise in writing both long-form articles and shorter pieces that deliver timely, relevant updates to readers.
