Healthy Choices on Your Journey to Work

Because March is National Nutrition Month, we encourage you to think about what you eat and make good choices for your health. As you begin looking for work, scheduling interviews and starting a new job, you want to be your healthiest self. Choosing healthy foods can help you focus and give you more energy to work toward your goals.

Healthy Choices

Learn what foods are best for you. It’s best to eat a balanced diet, filled with nutrients that keep you healthy and give you energy. Check out Eat Right at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics for more information on nutrition. You may also want to talk with your doctor about which foods to add to your particular diet and which ones to avoid, that way you can create an eating plan that works for you. Below are a few tips:

• Increase energy: Fresh fruits have natural sugar that gives your body an extra boost throughout the day. And asparagus contains plenty of B vitamins to turn carbohydrates into fuel. Try adding asparagus to a lunch salad to give you energy through the afternoon.
• Increase bone health: Calcium helps keep your bones healthy and strong. Dairy, broccoli and almonds all pack a lot of calcium. Grab yogurt and a serving of almonds for a mid-morning or afternoon snack.
• Reduce inflammation: Inflammation happens when your immune system attacks anything foreign to your body. Avoiding some foods, like soda and fried foods, can help prevent inflammation. Adding other foods, like nuts and salmon, can also help. And drink plenty of water! Drinking water throughout the day helps a lot of body functions and can calm inflammation.

Making Nutrition Work for You

If you’re starting work or looking for work, it’s a good idea to think about what you eat and how it affects your daily schedule. For example, some types of disabilities, such as diabetes, renal or kidney disease, or an eating disorder, may require you to keep a specific food and/or medication schedule. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), employees with disabilities can talk with their employers about reasonable accommodations. Consider talking with your employer to see if these options can help you transition to work:

• Flexible lunch break
• Additional and/or frequent breaks throughout the day
• Access to a refrigerator or other food storage to bring food from home

Additional Resources

• National Nutrition Month Resources from Choose My Plate
• Grocery shopping tips
• Small changes
• Commonly asked questions about nutrition