5 Healthy Snacks for Work

Most of us tend to think that if we eat three balanced meals everyday, our diet is taken care of. However, most people invariable snack throughout the day, and it’s easy for unhealthy foods to creep in while you’re snacking, especially if you're not prepared ahead of time.

Let’s say you eat breakfast before you leave home at about eight o’clock. You’re not going to have lunch until at least one, maybe even two if you get caught up in work. That’s nearly five or six hours during which your body will need some sustenance. 

Most people just end up taking a trip to the vending machine, but how long are you going to feed yourself chips and candy before your body starts to rebel, in terms of digestive problems as well as gaining weight? 

Instead, it’s a good idea to pack two healthy snacks per day, one for that mid-morning meal and another for the mid-afternoon. 

Here are five healthy (and easy!!) snacks for work:

• An Apple and a Tablespoon of Almond Butter. You can store a jar of almond butter at work and carry an apple with you. Make sure you also keep a knife at work too so that you can slice the apple and spread the almond butter when you feel hungry.
• Whole Wheat Pita Bread or Raw Veggies and Hummus. Depending on whether you’re in the mood for more carbs or vegetables, you can go with either whole wheat pita bread or the veggies and hummus, either combination is great and tasty. Whole Living suggested this as one of the best snacks to take to work. If you like cooking, you can even make up a batch of hummus and then eat it for 3-4 days. Store both items in your work refrigerator and enjoy whenever you need a boost.
• Homemade trail mix. This is another thing it would be easy to store at work. Just pick up a variety of your favorite nuts, some dried fruit, and mix them together to keep in your desk. The trick with this one is to NOT eat the whole thing in one so, maybe pre-portion this into smaller containers, or just make sure you measure out a serving before you start snacking or you run the risk of over-eating. This would count as one blue container, which is my favorite way to measure servings.
• Energy Bars. This is one you have to really be careful with… You can use store bought energy bars, but as always you would be better off creating your own. Here is a quick and easy Healthy Homemade Energy Bar Recipe. If you don’t have time to make homemade bars, then here is what to look for when purchasing store bought bars. It is suggested that you look for bars that have more than 8 grams of protein per serving. You also want to look for bars that have 3-4 grams of fiber per serving, 10 grams or less sugar, and stay away from artificial sweeteners like Sucralose, or maltodextrin. The advantage of nutrition bars is that they are easy to transport. However if you are using nutritional bars you do not want to rely solely on them as your snacks. You want to make sure that at least one of your daily snacks contains fruits or veggies.
• Meal Replacement Shake. For an easy snack which requires no preparation, you can try a meal replacement shake such as Shakeology. Store these at work and grab one mid-morning for a filling, nutritious, tasty snack. You’ll end up feeling energized all day long. Or if you opt to drink one in the afternoon instead, it’ll help you shake off that afternoon lethargy. There are many delicious shake recipes as well, that are easy-to-make. Surveys show that shakes such as Shakeology make people feel healthier, improve their regularity and increase their energy levels.