Improving your eating habits can be challenging when you’re in an office environment that’s overwhelmingly unhealthy. From co-workers bringing in donuts to the convenient pizza place across the street, it can be difficult to come by office snacks that are nutritious. Fortunately, by taking the time to prepare snacks ahead of time, you can beat these daily temptations. This can make it easier to make better choices and turn down the most tempting treats.
String Cheese and Almonds
Almonds are packed with protein and low in carbohydrates, so they’re an excellent snack to help keep you feeling full. Combine these with string cheese to up your protein while getting some calcium into your diet.
Meal Replacement Bar
A meal replacement bar can be a great option when you don’t have time for a meal and want to avoid fast food. However, keep in mind that it’s important to read the nutrition facts on the back of the label. By doing so, you’ll know how many calories, carbohydrates, and grams of sugar just one bar has.
Raw Veggies and Dip
Raw veggies can help keep you feeling full thanks to their fiber. What’s even better is that you can eat a large volume of these without worrying about calories. When it comes to dip, you can mix sour cream and dry ranch for a low cal dip or try something simple like hummus. Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and snap peas are the perfect veggies to keep in the fridge.
Apples and Oranges
When you’re craving something sweet, fruit is one of the best things to chow down on. While these do have natural sugars, you won’t be consuming nearly as much as you would be in a candy bar. More importantly, fruit has fiber and nutrients that are good for you and will help keep you feeling full.
Jerky
If you need a protein kick or are just craving something salty, jerky is a great choice. Most bags have fewer than 100 calories total and are easy to take with you in your work bag. Fortunately, there are a wide variety of jerky flavors available, although some can have added sugar so it’s important to read nutrition information.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds with their shells are excellent snacks because they take so long to eat. While they are a little bit higher in sodium than other options, they’re still a great choice when paired with a large glass of water. If you find yourself snacking mindlessly, keep some of these at your desk for guilt-free eating.
Seaweed
A large package of dried seaweed will only cost you about 100 calories, so it’s a great snacking option for the office. What’s even better is that these crunchy strips contain a long list of vitamins and minerals, so they genuinely are great for you to eat.
Peanut Butter Wrap
If you’re looking to cure a craving for sweet and salty, then a peanut butter wrap is a good choice. Since peanut butter is packed with protein and quite tasty, it’s something you don’t have to feel guilty eating. To make this a low carbohydrates treat, use low carbohydrates wraps and peanut butter with the fewest ingredients you can find.
Veggie Chips
Although eating healthy means adopting more fruits and vegetables into your diet, that doesn’t mean you lose your craving for those unhealthier options. If you want something reminiscent of a chip, go for a veggie chip. The key to finding the best product is to read through the ingredients and nutrition information before you buy.
Yogurt and Granola
Low sugar Greek yogurt comes in many flavors and is great because it’s rich in protein and calcium. Combine this with one serving of granola for a treat that will energize you.
Sipping Soup
If you’re truly in a rush as you work, then sipping soup is an excellent food to keep at your desk. Fortunately, there are many choices so you’ll be able to find a flavor for every day of the week.
Tuna Pouch with Multi-Grain Crackers
A tuna pouch is a great source of protein that’s also low in calories. While you can eat this on a salad, it’s also delicious when paired with a few multi-grain crackers. If you have fridge space, you can also bring low carbohydrate wraps to spread the tuna on with some mayonnaise and avocado.
Water Flavoring
When you want to snack while you’re at work, nothing is worse than heading to the bins of candy in the break room. Instead, opt for flavoring pouches that you can pour into a bottle or cup of water. These will satisfy a sugar craving while filling you up for only a small amount of calories.
Natural Popcorn
Natural popcorn is low in calories and can be quite filling as well. What’s even better is that it’s actually quite healthy when it’s made by hand instead of in a bag. Cook this the night before and then bring it to work in a bag for a snack without any guilt.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are only 70 calories each and are packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals. Keep these in a container to store in your work fridge and you’ll be set for a filling snack any time you need it.
Rice Cakes
Rice cakes are low in calories and come in a variety of different flavors. While they’re great for helping to fill you up, they can be made more nutritious with peanut butter, cheese, or meat used as a topping.
Cottage Cheese
Individual containers of cottage cheese make this an ideal snack if you need help with portion control. What’s even better is that this cheese is low in calories and packed full of protein. If you’re looking for a way to make it tastier, add some fruit.
Sparkling Water
If you don’t like much flavor in your drinks, sparkling water is a great solution. You can find this in a wide variety of flavors that are very low in calories. While not necessary nutritionally dense, this is a good snack because it can prevent you from overeating.
Dry Cereal
Munch on dry cereal that’s low in sugar and you’ll satisfy your craving for a snack without going over your calories for the day. Cereals with freeze dried fruit, in particular, are great because they offer more nutrition than those with marshmallows or chocolate.
Gelatin or Pudding Singles
Sugar-free gelatin or pudding singles are easy to store and very low in calories. They’ll also resolve any sugar cravings so you’re less likely to take a trip to the vending machine.
Celery and Peanut Butter
A serving of peanut butter combined with a few stalks of celery is a filling and tasty snack. Fortunately, celery saves for quite a while in the fridge, so it’s something you can have on hand at all times.
While you’ll still run into temptations while at the office, your prepared snacks can potentially help you avoid overindulging.
