One of the most common New Year’s resolutions year after year is to improve overall well-being, which includes eating healthier and losing weight. Eating healthier can be a difficult goal to attain when the work-life balance is thrown into disarray. A hectic, unbalanced life often increases stress; and stress is known to affect your mood, energy levels, and eating habits. During the long, busy workday packed with meetings and conference calls, it’s often easier to grab a blueberry muffin from the break room than it is to mix up a cup of yogurt with a handful of fruit and granola. Unfortunately, many people are oblivious to the amount of calories that they are consuming daily by making impulsive food choices.

Here are a few examples:

Yoplait Light Blueberry Patch Yogurt is 100 calories compared to Dunkin Donuts Blueberry Muffin at 500 calories or Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin at 450 calories

A medium banana is 110 calories compared to a slice of Starbucks Banana Nut Loaf at 490 calories

A medium apple is 95 calories compared to McDonald’s Baked Apple Pie at 250 calories

McDonalds medium Strawberry Banana Smoothie is 260 calories compared to McDonalds medium Strawberry McCafe Shake at 710 calories

A packet of Quaker Apples & Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal is 130 calories compared to Starbucks Outrageous Oatmeal Cookie at 370 calories

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the suggested calorie intake for an active adult woman is 2,200 calories and the suggested calorie intake for an active adult man is 2,800 calories (both can vary based on age, activity level, and weight). When consuming high-calorie foods during one meal or snack, it doesn’t leave much room for the rest of the meals that day. If you are craving a particularly high calorie food, do a quick search for a healthier, satisfying alternative. There are countless sites to help determine the calorie content of any food item and most restaurants post nutrition facts on their website. Lastly, always remember to read the nutrition labels when available! Just because a food item sounds healthy, doesn’t mean it really is healthy. For the purpose of this blog, only calories were compared. There are various other factors to consider when choosing healthy foods; i.e. fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, sugar, and protein are some of the most popular.

Help your fellow comrades stay on track to improving their overall well-being and share your favorite healthy foods with us!