All hail the snack drawer!
Having healthy snacks for work on-hand at the office is key for staying fueled and focused when you need it most. Whether you’re in the middle of a big project or you’re chained to your desk with a looming deadline, they’ll help keep your energy up and your blood sugar stable during an afternoon slump, says Brittany Kohn, M.S., R.D.
Game, set, match, stale donuts in the break room. A solid snack should have some protein and fiber to keep you satisfied until your next meal.
Here are 30 snack options you can keep right at your desk—no jockeying for fridge space or dealing with thieving coworkers. These picks will make your snack drawer the office MVP.
1. Seeds
“Seeds are a source of protein, and they’re easy to store, quiet, and not messy,” says Kohn. They’re great by themselves, and even better when you put them on top of things like toast, yogurt, or oatmeal. Her favorites are pumpkin seeds and [sunflower seeds], but chia seeds and hemp seeds are great options, too.
2. Plain Oatmeal Packets
Oatmeal isn’t just for breakfast—stash it in your drawer for a hearty snack, too. “Packets of instant, plain oatmeal microwaved with water in a mug and sprinkled with cinnamon is a great cold-weather snack when you want something warm and filling,” says Katherine Younger, R.D. Just make sure you choose an unflavored option, as many others are loaded with extra sugars. You can also store a full canister of quick oats at your desk.
3. Raw Nuts
Raw nuts are another great desk snack option because they’re shelf stable and, “they deliver a great protein and fat combo,” says Younger. She loves almonds and cashews, but everything from pistachios with the shell on to walnuts or pecans are great for snacking on. And if you keep a packet of oatmeal at your desk, they’re great for adding to that, too.
4. Dried Fruit
Dried fruit can satisfy that mid-afternoon sweet tooth while tiding you over with filling fiber. Younger goes for a few pieces of dried apricots or dates paired with raw nuts for a dose of healthy fat, too. Pair them with a handful of dried nuts or seeds for a balanced snack.
5. Nut Butter
Nut butters like peanut butter and almond butter are tasty, versatile desk snacks—Kohn likes pairing it with an apple or banana. (Or, if you’re anything like me, eating it straight from the jar). When it comes to which nut butter you should choose, she says the general rule of thumb is the fewer ingredients, the better.
6. Healthy Crackers
Crackers have gotten a bad rap, but there are some nutritious options out there to use as a vessel for your nut butter (or hummus or cheese, if you’ve got it in the fridge). In the SELF Editors’ Choice Food Awards, the two that made the cut (and were super tasty, too) were Nabisco Triscuit Baked Whole Grain Wheat Dill Sea Salt & Olive Oil and Vans Fire-Roasted Veggie Crackers.
7. Low-Sodium Jerky
Gone are the days when jerky was reserved for camping. This uber-portable snack is earning serious cred for its major protein boost (just make sure you pick one that’s not loaded with sodium). Several SELF staffers stash Vermont Smoke & Cure meat sticks in their desk drawers. It’s that tasty.
8. Air-Popped Popcorn
Make easy air-popped popcorn at the office by adding 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels to a microwave-safe bowl, then covering with a microwave-safe plate and popping it in for 2 minutes and 45 seconds, according to LifeHacker. Stash seasonings like cinnamon, red pepper flakes, cumin, turmeric, or dried rosemary in your drawer to add flavor. (You can also make it ahead at home if you don’t have a microwave available.)
9. Roasted Seaweed
This savory and crunchy snack is a great alternative to go-to chips or crackers, and it’s loaded with minerals and A, C, E, K and B vitamins. “Seaweed acts as a vegetable in our diets because it is a low-calorie, fibrous, nutrient-dense food,” Tanya Zuckerbrot, M.S., R.D., founder of F-Factor Nutrition, told SELF in February. You can find dried seaweed at health food stores.
10. Granola
A low-sugar granola or cereal is a great dry snack to keep at your desk, because you can eat it plain or add it to different parts of whatever else you eat during the day. For example, to get ~extra fancy~, snag some communal milk from the office fridge and pour over your bowl for extra protein. Or try adding a bit to your salad for some crunch—sounds weird, but is delicious!
11. Tuna Pouches
If you’re stuck at your desk for lunch, personal-sized tuna packets and cans are a great stand-in snack to help hold you over. They’re filled with protein and healthy omega 3s, says Kohn. She recommends sticking to one with 300mg of sodium or less, and opt for water-packed tuna (or one that doesn’t need draining at all).
12. Dark Chocolate
Hey, nothing wrong with treating yourself at snack time with high-quality squares of dark chocolate. “Cacao is great source of magnesium, which is a natural stress-reliever,” says Kohn. “Pair with peanut butter, nuts, or Greek yogurt for a protein-filled, satisfying snack.” She also suggests eat chocolate with 70 percent cacao or higher.
13. Roasted Chickpeas
You can DIY these crunchy snacks or buy ‘em pre-made, but either way, they’re a great room temp stand-in for your beloved hummus, and they still pack a protein punch. And there are a bunch of great roasted chickpea recipes out there, like this one that makes them taste like a pumpkin spice latte!
14. Whole Food Granola Bars
Granola bars are one of the easiest snacks around, because they’re full of protein, fiber, and healthy carbs. Just remember that some granola bars are more nutritious than others, so give the label a read before you buy to make sure you’re getting adequate protein, fats, and not too much sodium. Kohn favors Kind bars and Rx bars, and Younger opts for Larabars.
15. DIY Trail Mix
Can’t decide between these desk snack options? Toss several of them (like dried fruits, seeds, nuts, and even dark chocolate chips) into a DIY trail mix and portion it out into single serving sizes. If you’re not the DIY type, a good store-bought option is 365 Everyday Value Backcountry Bundle Trail Mix (it made the healthy snack cut in the SELF Editors’ Choice food awards with fewer than 10 grams of sugar), or create your own mix with over 150 options at Nuts.com and have it delivered to your office.
16. Dried Cereal
Dried cereals like Special K and Kashi (for more of our favorites, click here will stay good at your desk for awhile and are great when eaten by the handful. And if you happen to have some milk in the office fridge, a bowl of cereal is a perfectly delightful midday treat IMHO.
17. Healthy Chips
There are actually a lot of healthy chips on the market, including all of these winners from SELF’s 2018 Healthy Food Awards. When you’re hunting for chips that will keep you satisfied, there are some basic criteria you’ll want to meet. Look for options full of protein like Ips Egg White Chips. Or, if you’re in the mood for more traditional fare, reach for options that are low in sodium and added sugar.
18. Energy Balls
The nice thing about energy balls is that you can make them yourself with ingredients you might already have in your pantry. And there are tons of recipes around the web that are delicious and exciting, like these protein bliss balls which are made from dates, walnuts, cocoa powder, and a bit of espresso.
19. Pita Chips
If you love pita bread like no other, you should probably be keeping pita chips at your desk. You can buy them flavored or unflavored, and they’re the perfect vessel for eating all sorts of dips. Plan to bring some guacamole or hummus as part of your lunch and you can eat it with these.
20. Veggie-Packed Muffins
Something that a lot of people don’t automatically realize is that baked goods like muffins will stay good-to-eat for about a week as long as you keep them in an airtight container—no need for a refrigerator! Veggie-packed muffins are a great way to sneak some veggies into your diet and also eat a muffin. Meal prep a big batch at the beginning of the week so you have some to snack on all week long.
21. Wasabi Peas
If you love a little heat here and there, keep wasabi peas at your desk at all times. They’re crispy, crunchy, and fiery, and they’re a great way to add a bit of texture and spice to a salad or a soup. Not to mention, peas are full of fiber!
22. Applesauce
Applesauce is often sold in shelf-stable packets or cups like the one pictured above, which means it’s a great snack to keep at your desk. Full of fiber and healthy carbs, it’ll definitely keep you satiated, but if you want it to be even more filling consider combining it with some dried nuts you might also have at your desk.
23. Apples and Pears
Speaking of apples, the fruit doesn’t go bad easily, which means you can easily keep it at your desk and be able to enjoy for a week (and often way longer!). Ditto pears—as long as you keep them in a cool place, they should be fine, and that definitely shouldn’t be a problem if your office blasts the AC!
24. Bananas
Remember all the stuff I just said about apples and pears? Well the same is virtually true for bananas. They don’t last as long, but a bunch will last you about a week. Pick up five 10 cent bananas the next time you’re at Trader Joe’s for a weeks’ worth of cheap snacks.
25. Fruit Leather
Fruit leather is another great, shelf-stable, dried snack to keep at your desk at all times. It’s sweet and chewy, but packed with natural fiber from the fruits its made with. Eat one with a handful of nuts or seeds for a snack that’ll keep you from getting hungry before lunch.
26. Veggie Chips
Fruit leather is another great, shelf-stable, dried snack to keep at your desk at all times. It’s sweet and chewy, but packed with natural fiber from the fruits its made with. Eat one with a handful of nuts or seeds for a snack that’ll keep you from getting hungry before lunch.
27. Freeze-Dried Fruit
Freeze-dried fruit is basically regular fruit that never goes bad. Nothing is added to it, and you can rehydrate it easily by adding liquid. That means it’s great for adding to things like oatmeal or cereal. Top it all of with a bit of milk and watch your freeze-dried strawberries become real strawberries.
28. Fruit Chips
OK so what I said about how you can make chips out of almost any vegetable, that’s true for pretty much any kind of fruit, too. Again you don’t need to make them yourself to enjoy them—there are plenty of pre-made options that you can easily find at the supermarket.
29. Rice Cakes
Rice cakes may be famously flavorless on their own, but they’re the perfect vessel to top with almost any kind of spread. Want something sweet? Smear a bit of nut butter and honey onto one of them. Or, try them topped with guacamole or hummus for a quick, savory treat.
30. Canned Sardines
If you’re a fish lover (and you don’t mind offending the noses of some of your officemates) canned sardines are a great, high-protein snack to keep at your desk. Eat them on top of those healthy crackers that you also have stored at your desk, or throw them on top of the salad you brought from home.
Article: https://www.self.com/gallery/14-healthy-snacks-that-you-can-and-should-keep-at-your-desk
Author: Alexa Tucker
Date Published: 01-01-2019