Healthy Snacking at Work

If you can take a little time to prepare for the coming day and have healthy snack options close by, you can avoid the tempting traps and instead eat foods that give you energy rather than sapping it and sending you into a sugar crash.

When people are running around, or are stressed and hungry, they often grab the closest thing to eat – and that often comes from the nearest vending machine. Or they go too long without eating, and then overeat at lunch. Or they don’t make the greatest nutritional choices.

Here are some snack ideas that can be put together quickly, even the night before from Stephanie Schiff, RD, nutritionist at Huntington Hospital. Most don’t require refrigeration. Calories are approximate.

1. Almonds – about a handful. You can portion them out at home, or get one -ounce serving size packets (100 calories)
2. Trail mix with nuts and raisins -- one ounce (125 calories)
3. Plain, non-fat single serving yogurt or cottage cheese with your own fruit or nuts to mix in (150 calories)
4. High fiber crackers with low -fat cheese. (3 crackers, 1 oz . cheese, 120 calories)
5. Low fat string cheese (50 calories)
6. Peanut butter or almond butter– served on a high fiber cracker, or on apple slices (1 Tbs peanut butter on apple or cracker, 120 calories)
7. Small piece of fruit (less than 100 calories)
8. Low sodium vegetable juice - 8 oz. (50 calories)
9. Single serving box of whole grain, low sugar cereal (100 calories and up)
10. Low fat, low salt popcorn, one cup (64 calories)
11. Carrot sticks (or pretzels) and 2 Tbs hummus (75 calories)
12. Fruit and nut bars that are low in sugar/sodium (calories vary)

These snacks are portable and easy to stash in a workplace refrigerator or desk drawer.

“With a little planning, you can avoid the not-yet-lunchtime hungries, or that mid -afternoon energy slump in a healthy, way that can even help keep the pounds at bay,” Ms. Schiff said.