Stave off hunger during your workday! Bring healthy snacks to work.
One of the most difficult aspects of sticking to a balanced diet is keeping that balance when snacking at work. Long days at work often need to be broken up, and people snack to keep their energy levels up or often just to break up the day. While it can be quite easy to carefully plan the main meals of your day, planning your in between meal snacks can often prove challenging.
Let’s just commit, shall we?
With a little preparation and the right mind-set, you can ensure that those mid-morning or late afternoon snacks don’t ruin your healthy diet! Let’s take a look at a number of simple snacks that are easy to prepare and tasty to eat! I like to have a little protein in my snacks to keep the blood sugar level even, so if you have a carb, pair it up with a little protein.
1. Mixed Fruit
Fruit is an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients, and yet it’s something that most of us don’t eat enough. Bringing an apple or banana in to work involves no preparation, little cost, and is a tasty way of boosting your energy levels. For those looking for a little more variety, why not prepare a fruit salad. Chop up your favorite fruit or berries and you can have a delicious treat that won’t mess up your daily diet! Bring some almonds, walnuts or pecans and keep them in your desk. Pair up your fruit with a couple of nuts to stave off hunger. Or, keep some almond butter at your desk and apply some to your apple slices – yum!
2. Yogurt
Yogurt can be an excellent source of probiotics, vital for maintaining a healthy gut. Much like fruit, yogurts involve little to no preparation, and also offers a range of flavors for a varied experience from day to day. Similarly, by choosing healthy yogurts, you can ensure that your afternoon snack doesn’t ruin your appetite, nor your waist line! Add some flax seed, hemp hearts or chia for a little protein and added health benefits. You can add your own ingredients to plain yogurt. For example, add a little local honey and some lemon, lime or orange essential oil. This makes a sweet, low-fat and flavorful dip!
3. Smoothies
Smoothies can be a superb way of treating yourself during the working day. By preparing a smoothie to bring to work, you can ensure that you are getting enough fruit and veggies in your diet, and give yourself an excellent energy boost when the afternoon lag sets in! Smoothies also allow you to vary your snack from day to day, ensuring that every day feels like a new treat! They can also be stored in the fridge for a couple of days so bring enough to last you 2 days. Add some toasted sunflower seeds for protein and a little nutty taste.
Here’s one of my favorite smoothies:
Chocolate Cherry Smoothie Favorite
handful of spinach or kale or other greens
handful of frozen dark, pitted cherries
1 Tablespoon raw cacao powder
3-4 pitted madjool dates
1 drop liquid Stevia (optional)
1 Tablespoon hemp seed
1 cup water
handful ice
Blend until smooth.
4. Salad Ingredients
Salads don’t have to be grand, extravagant affairs. Rather than making a “salad”, consider bringing a few items that you might put in a salad and have them on hand for snacking during the day. A simple salad can consist of a hard-boiled egg and just a few of your favorite vegetables. The preparation time for a salad snack is minimal, but the benefits are huge. Tasty and healthy, salads are one of the most under-utilized workplace snacks. Keep in a container some of the following: Grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, snap peas, thin, sliced carrots and celery. Pair with some small slices of cheddar or low-fat swiss cheese.
If you are a sweet eater, bring some dark chocolate (70% or higher cacao) and have a small piece when you feel like eating cookies and cake! Dark chocolate is actually good for you and can help reduce your cravings for high processed sugar snacks.
When planning your week of meals for you and your family, consider your day and how snacking can be of assistance with your energy. Then plan to include that in your shopping so you’ll be ready to easily pull out those items for your work day.
Keep an eye out for the 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge coming soon!