We just finished Halloween and I’m already thinking about the leftover candy corn bowls next to the office Christmas decorations.
We are starting to shift from a predominant work-from-home culture to playing in the office again, and that comes along with being confronted by your friendly office Halloween freebies, conveniently displayed in your most efficient route to the restroom. (Not cool!)
While a sound relationship with food can allow us to navigate these types of situations, sometimes it is hard to listen to our bodies in the face of these welcoming delights. Especially under duress, or if other food is not available when hunger strikes.
In this post, I will tell you exactly why your immediate food environment can significantly impact food choices – and how you can successfully navigate it at work and at home.
The Research On How Food Environment Impacts Dietary Choices
Why is it so hard to avoid the candy bowl in the office? We can relate this to how the food environment impacts dietary choices, and that includes physical environments (like worksites).
The role that environment plays in the promotion (or impediment) of consuming nutritious foods is evident in what we see occurring in food deserts. While this post won’t go into the large bodies of research about how the food environment dictates our access to fresh, healthful and affordable food, it is important to note that the food environment is, “… the interface that mediates one’s food acquisition and consumption within the wider food system. [The food environment] encompasses multiple dimensions such as the availability, accessibility, affordability, desirability, convenience, marketing, and properties of food sources and products,” according to the Agriculture, Nutrition and Health Academy (also known as the ANH) and the Food Environment Working Group (FEWG).
So what does this mean in the context of our immediate food environment? Home and workplaces can set the context within which a certain decision is made. If a candy bowl is closeby and visible in the office, it increases the likelihood of indulgence, and that goes for our home countertop bowls, too, especially when it is free and inviting.
Keeping it Real at Work and Home
You can guarantee that a surprising amount of leftover halloween treats will make their way into the employee kitchens (and into our own kitchens, too). If you are struggling with mindful eating and trying to control your intake of sweets, creating a safe home food environment without unhelpful triggers is the first step.
Some ideas at home:
At home, we have agency and can enact a sense of control. That is healthy living.
- Donate your candy – many dentists have started programs where they give your children cash for halloween candy. Our pediatric dentist will give kids $1.00 (up to $10) for every pound brought in, and the kids get to enter their names into a drawing for a prize. What’s more, this promotes great dental hygiene, on the heels of October being Dental Hygiene Awareness Month. You can also donate candy to the Treats for Troops program, which is a great cause to support our soldiers.
- Indulge! Then remove – no one is saying not to indulge, in fact, I think that is an important part of childhood and for adults on halloween, too. But if you are noticing that you have boatloads of candy weeks after halloween, and can’t seem to enjoy it in a mindful, intuitive manner, consider cashing it in at the dentist or offering your treats elsewhere.
- Keep it, but off the counter – out of sight, out of mind. Keep your candy, no problem, but put it on a tall shelf so that when you really want it, you allow your body the chance to enjoy a “sacred pause,” which is what I call the moment between thinking about eating and the act of eating.
- Try the Switch-Witch – apparently the Switch-Witch, who may know the tooth fairy, is picking up your candy in exchange for your child’s favorite toy ☺
Some ideas at work:
In the office, we do not have agency and cannot control others’ choices, but we can think about our own.
- The home leftover game – it is not lost on me that the very people I serve at home by helping them remove their candy are the ones who put an added burden on their officemates! Knowing this can help ask yourself, “if someone else’s trash is another’s treasure,” then, “is this candy valuable to me?” If so, enjoy!
- Try athletic visualization – I love athletic visualization (or visualization in sport) for these exact scenarios, like our upcoming holiday festivities. Athletic visualization is a way to train by envisioning how we want to be in a specific moment. It is how gymnasts can visualize their bodies flipping in mid-air or how offensive players imagine their bodies pivoting quickly around defenders. It is also important to note that sounds and touch are part of this visualization practice. With pre-reflection and athletic visualization, we can think through how we want to make a decision when faced with that choice, versus a “see it grab it” approach.
- Breathe – there are a lot of techniques to employ while in the moment, but my number one fave is a good old deep breath. As an example, you might be able to pause, stretch your body and bring your attention to your breath before snagging a snack.
- Get fresh air – the outdoors never fails to bring clarity. Feel the wind on your skin, and let the fresh air consume you before heading back indoors.
Personal Snack Stash Solution
It is so helpful to have an alternative once you are certain a piece of candy isn’t what you want. I love having a fruit bowl in the center of my kitchen island. Firstly, I like how it looks! But more importantly, it serves as a visual reminder that when in doubt, a piece of fruit is always there and available. If you want additional ideas, head over to my Work Snack Stash post. You can use these ideas for a home snack solution, as well.
Be Kind to Yourself
Above all, be kind to yourself and the choices you make. No guilt allowed this Halloween season. I help my clients think about how they may handle unpredictable food atmospheres without guilt or shame. There is no “wrong,” by snagging a snickers from your neighbor’s cubicle – it just comes down to employing mindfulness and owning the decisions we make.
Do you have a favorite Halloween candy? What do you like to eat as an alternative to candy when you are looking for a treat? Share in the comments below!
Very well presented. Every quote was awesome and thanks for sharing the content. Keep sharing and keep motivating others.