THF Top Ten Healthy Workday Snacks

Anyone who works at a desk knows how easy it is to resort to food when you need a quick energy boost. And when the office kitchen is always stocked with leftover meeting lunches and cookies from someone’s Grandma it is nearly impossible to practice self control.

In an effort to keep my at-work unhealthy snacking at bay I started grocery shopping and preparing snacks for the week on Sunday. Then I store them at my desk or in the office fridge so I have handy for my next sweet or salty craving.

Below I have listed out the top ten at-work healthy snacks I recommend working into your rotation. Keep in mind that in addition to two mid-day snacks you should be eating breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water and not depriving yourself of sweets completely (I eat a couple Dove chocolate promises every day!).

·    0% Fage yogurt – I mix it with a little Splenda, a banana and walnuts, but it’s good with just about any fruit.

·    Sliced vegetables (such as carrots or peppers) and homemade hummus . I will post a recipe soon – homemade is MUCH better for you than what you’ll find in the store.

·    Handful of unsalted nuts – just make sure you don’t have too many because they tend to be fatty.

·    Kashi granola bars are high in protein, and come in salty or sweet flavors. I love the chewy peanut butter  or honey almond flax ones

·    Baked chips (1/2 of a serving according to the side of the bag) and homemade salsa- I will post a salsa recipe soon. Just like the hummus, it’s so much better for you when you make at home.

·    No lettuce salads. For instance if you like Greek salad, throw together some tomato, cucumber, chickpeas, artichokes, olives and a little Feta, dress in a little extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and enjoy!

·    Breakstone’s Cottage cheese (2%, small curd)  with some kind of whole wheat cracker. I usually have 1/2 the number of crackers that makes up a serving according to the side of the box (about 10).

·    Turkey roll-ups – My mom made these for me for lunch when I was a kid. Buy some turkey from the deli, roll up 3 or 4 slices and eat dipped in a little mustard.

·    A lot of times I will have a second breakfast as my morning snack. For instance if I have eggs for breakfast, I’ll go for a whole wheat English Muffin mid-morning, especially if I am in a carb mood. (Go light on the topping! I use Brummel & Brown whipped yogurt butter).

·    Edamame is one of my favorites – it can be stored frozen, it tastes delicious on its own and it’s high in protein!

Another benefit to grocery shopping besides eating healthier is the amount of money you save. For instance, if you purchase lunch for $8 to $10 every day, that could add up to more than $40 a week. When I go grocery shopping I spend about that much and have almost all my meals for the week, including dinners (~$75 for both me and @jerpdavis). Yes, this routine can lead to eating the same thing multiple times in one week, but as long as you change it up each week it’s not as bad as it sounds.