Healthy Snack Ideas for Office & Work

Snacking healthily at work is a must for most people wanting to achieve their health and fitness goals. The main reasons being that 1) We often spend more time at work than we spend awake at home, 2) Hunger can strike at any time, morning or afternoon depending on how you’ve slept or when you last ate or drank, and 3) There is nearly always tempting snacks at work.. holiday sweets, birthday cake or biscuits in a meeting!

 

And that’s why I’ve come up with my top 5 tips on how to snack healthily when you’re in the office or at your desk at work, along with healthy recipe ideas.

 

Check out my video below to hear me talk through the tips or keep on scrolling to read them and for links to recipes and products mentioned!

 

P.S I originally filmed this video for Go Compare who have posted some more tips about how to stay active at work too! 

 

 

• Tip 1: Think Protein & Produce

When you choose your snack a good rule of thumb is to choose a source of protein and produce (fibre) to help to keep you feeling fuller for longer. Protein foods include meat, fish, dairy, legumes, eggs and nuts, and high fibre foods include fruit and vegetables.

Here are my favourite protein & produce snack combinations which in my opinion are not only satisfying but taste delicious and are fun to eat too!

 

– Hummus & Carrots – You can make your own hummus at home using [this recipe].

– Cheese & Apple – One of my favourite combinations! I love single-portion cheeses because they help to stop you from over-eating.

– Yoghurt & Berries – I love natural yoghurt with a little honey & fresh berries.

 

 

• Tip 2: Pre-Packed Desk Drawer Snacks

My second tip is to keep a few pre-packed (not so perishable) snacks in your desk drawer for when true stomach hunger strikes (and it’s not yet lunch time!).

Some of my personal favourite office snacks include:

 

– Snack a Jacks – For when you need a bit of sugar and crunch in a calorie controlled packet! These aren’t the healthiest snack (they’re basically puffed rice cakes with a little sugar), but they do beat a bag of sweets or a chocolate bar!

– Mini Packs of Raisins – These aren’t just for kids and I love how they help with portion control which is a must when it comes to dried fruit.

– Nakd Bars – One of my favourite snack bars; they are made from dried fruit and nuts and taste amazing!

– Dried Fruit & Nut Packs – I love these for on the go too! They’re less than 100 calories as well.

– Nakd Nibbles – Salted caramel is my favourite flavour!

– Pure Fruit YoYo Bear – They are so yummy & fun to eat too.. again, they’re not just for kids!

 

 

• 3) Consider how to transport your Healthy Snacks

Investing in some small Tupperware (plastic) containers is a good idea, especially if you want to bring ‘loose snacks’ such as dried fruit and nuts. You don’t need to bother with extra casing for fruits such as banana, apples and oranges but you may wish to protect fruit such as soft pears which may get damaged.

Here are my favourites grab and go snacks for your snack box:

 

– Fresh Fruit – Never forget the classic!

– Walnuts & Dried Apricots – Such a yummy combination.

– Dark Chocolate covered Rice Cakes – 2 or 3 of these are so satisfying!

– Homemade Oat & Apple Bars – Get the recipe [here]

– Homemade Dried Fruit & Nut Bars (Raw Brownies!) – To make these; in a blender/food processor combine 200g of medjool dates with 100g of almonds or cashew nuts, 50g of walnuts and 45g of cocoa powder. Press the mixture into a baking tray lined with baking paper and freeze until firm. Slice into bars and keep in the fridge or freezer until hunger strikes!

P.S You may also like my [healthy protein flapjack recipe] too!

 

 

• 4) Invest in a Mini Cool Bag

If you’re transporting snacks such as cheese, hummus or yoghurt which needs to be kept cool then I would strongly recommend buying a mini cool bag. I couldn’t live without mine (as shown in the video!) as I use it for not only my work snacks but my lunch too. And if I’m going to be out of the office all day then I add an ice-pack too to keep items cool.

 

 

• 5) Stay Hydrated

It’s well known that hunger and thirst signals can get confused so make sure to keep drinking regularly throughout the day. I personally nearly always have two drinks on the go – something hot and something cold! I’m a massive fan of flavoured green teas, as well as regular tea and coffee, and love naturally flavoured water. When I’m at home I tend to drink fizzy water thanks to my Soda Stream (which I will be reviewing soon!).

For more tips on how to drink more water check out [this blog post] that I wrote recently.

 

I really hope that you find these tips useful – do you have any healthy go-to office snacks?!

 

 

*The idea for this video and blog post came from Go Compare. Please read my disclaimer page for more information about brand collaborations.