Sitting at your desk for long hours can be very unhealthy for your body. You are easily tempted to binge on junk food and processed snacks which make you feel lethargic and ruins your appetite. Instead of a donut, next time go for a salad instead. Or when there’s free pizza in the cafeteria make the strong choice of choosing your homemade trail mix over it. It might feel like a sacrifice, but in the long run, it’ll keep you in good physical shape. Here are some of our favourite snacking options that will keep you full and healthy at the same time.
# A small SandwichMeal prep your lunch and snack on the weekends itself. A small sandwich is a good way to eat different foods and keeping full. Choose whole grain bread or rolls with your favourite veggies, sauce, and toppings. This will ensure you actually enjoy eating your snack so you aren’t tempted by other junk foods. A small sandwich (preferably two slices of bread or one hot dog roll) will give you at least 300 calories depending on what veggies, meat and, sauces you add to it.
# Fresh Fruits and NutsNuts and seeds are the best choices when it comes to snacking. Pack fresh fruit pieces and a handful of nuts for your snack time. You’ll get vitamins, minerals, fibers, and healthy fats depending on what nuts and seeds you eat. Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds are some of the options you can try with fresh fruit.
# Baby Carrots with a DipCarrots are great, but baby carrots are even better. They are small, crunchy and don’t take much space in your bag. Just 8 baby carrots give you 30 calories, Along with a homemade salsa or hummus dip (chickpeas and sesame oil) will give you fiber and fats as well. Carrots are rich in potassium and Vitamin A so they are healthy and make a tasty snack mid-work. You can try baked pita chips or celery sticks with hummus for different options.
# Apples and Peanut ButterWhen apples are in season, pack an apple or cut up slices and apply peanut butter on them. Apples are high in fiber and peanut butter gives you the needed energy. Go for the non-sugar peanut butter since it doesn’t need it anyway. You can also try almond butter on other fresh fruits for a change.
# Yogurt and FruitA yogurt is a good option for those who like dairy. Mix fresh fruits or even nuts to this for added benefits. Yogurt and fruits are a good choice when those hunger pangs hit you between lunches. Plain yogurt with honey and pecan is also a good twist. They give you calcium, proteins and needed probiotics for your body.
# Trail MixA combination of different seeds, nuts, in the form of a granola bar is also a good option. Trail mix is usually a handful of healthy nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, sesame seeds, sunflowers seeds, peanuts, and some added candy. Dried and candied fruits and raisins can also be added to this.
# PopcornPopcorn is high in fiber and low in calories hence they make the optimum snack option. Keep a few bags of microwave popcorn in your desk for those days you need a snack. If you don’t have a microwave at work, pop the corn and place them in an airtight container to keep them fresh and crunchy. Flavored popcorn like cheese, peri peri, caramel and salted are also good choices.