By Kayla Bayens
We spend so much of our time at work, but we don’t really ever stop to think about how that effects our health. When a work day is really busy or you’re stuck at your desk I bet you snack. I know I sure do. But the problem comes in what we snack on when we do this sort of mindless “robo snacking” while working. Because its not our focus as we snack our brain doesn’t really register it and so we can end up snacking too much on what otherwise would be good in moderation. To help out with that I’ve gone head and pulled together some health and fun options for workplace snacks for when you’re feeling munchy.
We will start with snacks first. Seeing as one of my favorite snack is trail mix I figure that is as good a place as any to start. I use to eat it all the time when my family did our kayaking and camping trips so it has warm fuzzies attached to it for me. But it also has alot of nutritional goodies packed into it. There are many different recipes for trail mix out there, and you can even buy your trail mix pre-made at the store. However I would suggest the recipe for it I’ve included below as its one of my favorite versions.
Honey Roasted Peanuts (You can also substitute or add Almonds or Walnuts)
Sunflower Seeds (shelled)
Dried Goji Berries, Dried Apple Chunks & Yogurt Covered Raisins
Pretzels (I prefer the little square box ones), Cheerios & Granola
M&Ms & Cacao Nibs
Mix in Sea Salt (you can also add or substitute ground ginger or cayenne pepper)
For those of us that just want snacking done simple I have a few speedy suggestions as well! Crackers & cheese gives the
option of mixing and matching while helping you stay healthy. Fresh fruit is always a good choice and provides you with alot of options to change it up with as well. Last but not least lets not forget about our fresh fruits dried cousins, anything you can munch on fresh you can munch on dried as well to give it a different flavor profile. Dried fruit’s taste is more concentrated and tends to be a little sweeter.
To those who arrive at work early enough to take their breakfast there, I salute you for your bravery of facing the sun. And have also provided some health workplace foods to get your raring to go for the day. Lets start with that classic staple of workplace breakfast meals the instant oatmeal packet. Personally I prefer the brown sugar ones. By themselves they are kind of filling but not really yummy or really nutritious. But~ cut up some apple chunks and stir in some peanut butter to create a delicious start to your day. I also suggest trying other cut up fruits as well as their dried cousins to pep up your tired oatmeal days. Speaking of fruit and breakfast why not add in some fruit to a cup of plain yogurt. BAM! Simple deliciousness. To wet your whistle while you are munching on this yumminess why not grab a glass of 100% fruit juice or nectar. Now that is what I call breakfast of champions. However if you happen to be one of those busy bees in the morning with no time for these options I suggest a simple breakfast bar. Specifically something like “Just A” or “Kind” bars I found to be the best as far as taste and nutrition.
While we chug along through our busy days please remember to drink and hydrate! To help you on with this seemingly never ending task I suggest slicing up some fresh fruit to add to your water. Maybe occasionally change your fruit infused normal water for some fruit infused sparkling water. And don’t be afraid to drink some tea as each type of tea holds different health benefits to help you make it through your work week. So with those final words of healthy snacking goodness I release you back into the wild workplace to fend for yourself with some better options in mind for next time.
The TempTimes 