What Successful Call Center Managers Eat for Breakfast

It can be tough to maintain a healthy diet while working in a call center, but a balanced lifestyle is extremely important for those doing deskwork. According to researchers at the University of Leicester sitting at a desk and typing at a computer can raise your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Plus, 61% of Americans snack at their desks, which adds up to plenty of extra calories.

At Fonolo, we are in no respect healthcare practitioners, but we do recognize the importance of happy, healthy, and engaged employees. That’s why we found some great tips for helping call center professionals eat right, stay fit and perform well at work.

Keep a Food Diary

Before we dive into the meat and potatoes of it (pun intended), let’s start by logging your intake. This is a great way to actively begin making changes to your work diet. You’ll then be able to tell if your diet is too fatty, fried, or if you’re missing any essential vitamins, minerals or nutrients. This food chart can help you understand what the standard daily nutritional intake looks like and you can restructure it in a way that fits your lifestyle.

Variety is the Spice of Life

When you’re juggling a full-time job, family, and extracurricular activities, it can be difficult to get creative with your diet. But getting too comfortable with a certain diet routine might be affecting your health. The Harvard Chan School of Public Health recommends adding a colorful mix to your meals (and we don’t mean sprinkles), and remember that potatoes don’t count as vegetables. This can be best achieved by preplanning your weekly meals. Here are 21 #MealPrep ideas that are anything but boring to give you some inspiration.

Save Your Money; Pack a Lunch

This brings us to another very important tip: resist the urge to eat out. We know your coworkers will invite you to go grab a bite, but meal-preparation is key to maintaining a balanced healthy diet. This will not only help you keep tabs on what you’re consuming but now you can use your lunch breaks to do other healthy activities. Take a look at this Forbes article for ‘The 10 Best Exercises To Do At Your Desk’ or simply take a walk, hit the gym or do some light yoga.

Water is Your Friend

It’s easy to misjudge your choice of thirst-quenchers especially when vending machines full of sugary liquids are a hop, skip, and a jump away from your desk. We get it; you need energy to stay sharp and pop, juice, energy drinks, and coffee/tea can all supplement the need for a quick boost. But it’s best to skip the sugary drinks altogether and limit coffee/tea to one to two servings per day. Your best bet is sticking to water or herbal beverages the rest of the time.

We should also mention that alcohol, in moderation, can actually be beneficial, however, we recommend saving that for an after-work nightcap.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

It’s a fact that it takes our brains around 20 minutes after we begin eating to recognize that we’re full. By slowing down your eating you not only allow for your brain to catch up to your stomach, but you also allow your stomach to digest food quicker and more easily. Concentrate on chewing your food before swallowing, this will help you become more aware of how quickly you’re consuming the food and how much you’re actually taking in.

Be Happy, Not “Hangry”

The point of this blog is to promote healthy ways to eat, and skipping meals isn’t part of that mantra. More importantly, you run the risk of nutrient deficiencies linked to fatigue, poor mental function, and other health concerns. That’s no way to stay productive and engaged at work. Call center professionals should be happy not “hangry”. Eat well, eat regularly, and exercise to keep you performing optimally.

We hope these tips will help you regain control of your sometimes hectic lifestyle. If you have any other healthy eating pointers please share them in the comments below.