THERE ARE NO SWEDISH FISH chewy candies in Donna Flagg's office. Back when she started management-consulting firm Krysalis Group in 2001, she remembers stuffing the red ones in her mouth and "feeling gross." So in a strategic move, Flagg made a decision: The shelves in her company's kitchen would be stocked with health-food items, not candy that makes most people "sluggish and lethargic."

"I couldn't run the business if I weren't 'on' all the time," says Flagg, who now turns instead to low-fat granola bars, oatmeals, pistachios, hummus and carrots that are considered part of her office inventory. "If I don't eat the right foods, I don't have the energy. It requires an unbelievable amount of fortitude to push a new company forward."

Meals and kitchen snacks are rarely included in a business plan. Yet, many entrepreneurs say they see a direct correlation between healthy eating and succeeding — so much so that some business owners, like Flagg, incorporate nutritious habits as one of their company's best practices to follow.

Research indicates that the nutrients in food — everything from protein, carbohydrates, and fats to vitamins, minerals and flavanoids — not only provide energy to work but keep the brain functioning at its maximum level. "We used to think of nutrition as just eating," says Susan Mitchell, a nutrition expert in Orlando. "Today, it's a major tool in the tool box of a successful entrepreneur."

Here's a look at how other business owners make sure they're eating right:

• No overindulging at networking events. For Margaret Meloni, who started her own Long Beach, Calif., coaching company, in 2004, the biggest challenges in eating healthy are the numerous gatherings she attends to meet prospective clients. As a business owner "you need to reach out and build relationships with others," she says. But almost every networking event she attends "centers around food — and it's almost like Murphy's law, on the day you have a breakfast meeting, you probably have a lunch meeting." Her rules of thumb: Never arrive ravenously hungry; order the vegetarian meal when possible; skip the salad dressing; and drink water at evening mixers.

• No skipping meals. "You have to remember to eat," says Jennifer Thomas, who runs FSR Ventures, a public-relations firm specializing in travel and tourism, out of her Cape Coral, Fla., home. "You can get so involved in what you're doing, because it is your business and your passion." Since the company launched in 2002, Thomas has found that the greatest aid in eating regular balanced meals is the proximity to her own kitchen. (In fact, many business owners are within steps of their kitchens, as about half of all small businesses are home-based, according to census data.) Also, "it cuts down the temptation to get fast food," she says.

• Be methodical. Thomas also applies the same organizational skills that she uses in her company to her meal plans. At the start of each week, she writes down lunch and dinner menus for herself and her family. "If I don't have the time to plan and think out the week, then we fall into the trap of 'Oh, it's pizza tonight, or Chinese,'" she says. At the grocery store, she foregos packaged foods for fresh products and stocks up on healthy snacks — such as apples, yogurt and multigrain chips — to keep on hand in her kitchen.

• Keep a strict set of rules. Kevin Stirtz, a serial entrepreneur who currently runs Minneapolis consulting firm Stirtz Group, says eating healthy has "always been a challenge as a business owner" because he's usually on-the-go rather than sitting in an office. But in recent years, as his awareness of good nutrition has grown, he's come up with some strict rules: eat smaller portions, especially at business meals; skip fast food that's usually fried, greasy or full of sugar; avoid processed food that's got too many calories and not enough nutrients; and choose water over tea, coffee or soda. While he sometimes "falls off the wagon," Stirtz say his healthy diet has improved energy levels and sleep patterns.

Busy people often let good eating habits fall to the wayside, making other responsibilities a priority over nutritious dining. But that "workaholic" mentality can be detrimental to an entrepreneur's health — and ultimately that of the business. The National Center for Health Statistics says obesity, for instance, has risen in the U.S. due to an increase in calorie consumption, a lack of physical exercise and a host of underlying factors: bigger portion sizes; eating out more frequently; and increased consumption of sugary drinks. Obese adults are at increased risk of type II diabetes, hypertension, stroke, certain cancers and other conditions, according to the center.

For the time-pressed business owner who's falling into the trap of eating badly, quickly or on-the-run, the best way to change bad habits is one at a time, rather than all at once, says Mitchell, the nutrition expert. Pick eight or 10 changes that you want to make — such as eating a piece of fresh fruit every single day, or bringing your lunch to the office that includes vegetables, or going home early one night a week to eat a home-cooked meal — and tackle a new one each month. "If you start simple, it's not overwhelming," she says. "It becomes a habit."

("Work & Life," a weekly column written by Colleen DeBaise for smSmallBiz.com, advises entrepreneurs on how to better balance their lives. Write to her at cdebaise@smartmoney.com.)