Think of your body like a high-performance machine.
Just as a car needs the right fuel to run efficiently, your brain and body need the right nutrients to function at their best.
Poor nutrition leads to energy crashes, brain fog, and subpar workplace performance. On the other hand, eating and hydrating well supports focus, energy, and sound decision-making.
Don't settle for sluggish performance. Fuel yourself for success instead.
If you’ve ever felt your brain shut down in a 3 p.m. meeting, you already know how much fueling matters.
That crash isn’t just a ‘busy day’ problem. It’s often the direct result of what, when, and how you’ve eaten and hydrated.
At Exos, we define fueling for workplace performance as using food and hydration to support sustained focus, stable energy, and better decision-making at work.
When you’re underfueled or relying on quick sugar hits, a few things tend to happen: Your energy spikes and crashes. Your attention span shrinks, and mistakes increase. You feel more stressed, impatient, and reactive.
Fueling well flips that script. Steady energy supports better focus and stronger composure under pressure.
Your brain naturally demands a lot of energy. And it needs steady nutrition and hydration to stay sharp.
When fueling is inconsistent or low-quality, you feel it in your workday.
Here’s how food and hydration show up in your performance:
Balanced meals and snacks that combine fiber-rich carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats give your brain a slow, steady stream of energy.
Result: steadier focus and less distraction during complex work.
Highly processed foods and sugary drinks can create quick bursts of energy followed by sharp crashes.
More nutrient-dense options keep your energy curve smoother, so you can get through back-to-back meetings and project work without feeling wiped out.
Under-fueling or skipping meals can make your stress response more reactive.
Stabilizing blood sugar with nutritious foods while staying hydrated supports your mood and stress response. When your day gets stressful, that can make the difference for you to stay emotionally regulated.
When your brain is under-fueled or dehydrated, it’s harder to process information and think clearly.
Better fueling gives you more cognitive bandwidth to make thoughtful choices instead of defaulting to autopilot.
Takeaway: Fueling for performance is about creating stable conditions for your brain, not chasing quick fixes.
At Exos, our nutrition specialists focus on three simple principles:
Takeaway: Fueling for performance isn’t a diet plan. It’s a practical way to eat and hydrate to show up at your best while still enjoying your food.
Trying to follow a rigid plan usually leads to burnout and “all or nothing” thinking.
That’s why we use the 80/20 Approach:
About 80% of the time, you make intentional choices that support your performance. This includes nutrient-dense meals, smart snacks, and steady hydration. And about 20% of the time, you eat purely for enjoyment. This means your favorite dessert, a spontaneous lunch out, or a celebration meal.
This keeps fueling sustainable without guilt or all-or-nothing thinking. Over time, those consistent 80% choices add up to more energy, stronger focus, and better resilience at work.
Smart snacks are one of the easiest levers you can pull to improve your performance at work.
The right choice at the right time can sharpen your focus, smooth out your energy curve, or help you bounce back after a demanding stretch.
These options support blood flow to the brain and provide steady fuel for concentration.
Beetroot or beet juice: Supports blood flow, which helps deliver nutrients to your brain and muscles.
Use these when you’re headed into deep work or a high-stakes meeting to stay mentally sharp.
These help you avoid the spike-and-crash cycle from ultra-processed snacks.
Use these when you’re hitting an afternoon dip, but still have a few hours before dinner.
These options provide protein and healthy fats so you can stay satisfied and recover from physical or mental strain.
Use these when you’re coming off a workout, long commute, or work sprint to refuel.
Most people underestimate how much hydration affects their brain. Think of it as a constant background support for your performance.
Even mild dehydration can lead to fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.
Here are a few guidelines:
Takeaway: Steady hydration supports alertness and helps you think more clearly throughout the workday.
You don’t need perfectly planned meals to support performance.
You need a few reliable patterns that make it easy to build a plate that fuels your brain and body.
A performance-focused meal typically includes:
From there, you can adjust based on your work demands:
Big presentation or deep work block? Lean towards more fiber-rich carbs and moderate fats to keep energy steady without feeling sluggish.
Long, physically active day? Increase total calories and include more protein and complex carbs to support both physical and cognitive load.
Takeaway: The goal is to make “performance plates” your default most of the time, with room for flexibility and enjoyment built in.
When you fuel properly, you perform better.
Fueling for workplace performance means treating food and hydration as tools that help you think clearly, manage stress, and bring your best to the work that matters most.
You don’t need a perfect diet. You need consistent, smart choices that fit your life.
Want your workforce to have simple fueling plans built around their unique work demands? Exos Human Performance Coaching helps you make small changes that stick so you can think clearly, stay steady, and perform when it counts.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical or professional nutritional advice.
It is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent health problems. Consult your healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes.
Leron Sarig, MS, RD, CSSD has over 10 years of experience as a sports dietitian. Through her career, she has worked with military special operations, professional athletes, and consulted for pro sports teams. Leron also spent four seasons as the Director of Performance Nutrition for the San Francisco Giants. She believes that optimal nutrition achieved achieved through balance, simplicity, and sustainability is pivotal to performance — whether you’re a professional athlete, Navy SEAL, or high-performing executive.