Healthy snacks that fit YOUR goal
Lisa Eberly
Note: this post is an extension of my weekly newsletter talking about how to eat healthier snacks at work. Want the full scoop? Get it in your inbox!
No matter your goal, there is a work snack for you - I promise. Tell Tina she can keep her donuts, you're covered on the snack front. Here are my go-to's for different health goals...
Your goal: to stay alert and energized
To keep energy up and prevent the afternoon crash, protein is your bestie. Try some of these:
- An apple and/or a brown rice cake with natural peanut butter or almond butter (SO easy to keep at your desk and assemble!)
- Hard boiled eggs (need a work-fridge to keep these in)
- Whole wheat or quinoa crackers with hummus (if you have a fridge at work to use, you can also so baby carrots or celery and hummus)
- Salmon jerky or turkey jerky
- Turkey roll ups — lay a slice of deli turkey out, spread with hummus or mashed avocado, add a slice of cucumber, tomatoes, and/or lettuce, roll up into a little wrap! (needs a work fridge)
- Tuna salad (made with mashed avocado and olive oil instead of mayo! - needs a work fridge)
- Greek yogurt (my favorite go-to is actually an Icelandic yogurt, Siggi's!) and berries (Needs a work fridge)
- Nuts (stick to one handful or less at a time, I liked the pinked option since it's pre-portioned and doesn't have any high-sugar dried fruit!)
- Energy bites (great for a sweet tooth!)
- Edamame (or roasted edamame!)
- Roasted chickpeas (or these amaze chickpea puffs!!)
- Chia seed pudding (great for a sweet tooth!)
Your goal: to eat on-the-go
Not interested in eating a snack at your desk? Spend a lot of time in the car or walking between meetings and need a snack that can keep up with your pace? Try these:
- An apple
- Whole wheat or quinoa crackers
- Salmon jerky or turkey jerky
- A nonfat Greek yogurt cup (my favorite go-to is actually an Icelandic yogurt, Siggi's!)
- Nuts (stick to one handful or less at a time, I liked the pinked option since it's pre-portioned and doesn't have any high-sugar dried fruit!)
- Energy bites (great for a sweet tooth!)
- Roasted chickpeas (or these amaze chickpea puffs!!)
- Roasted edamame
- Air popped popcorn (this is literally the best popcorn ever)
Your goal: to lose weight
Snacking when trying to lose weight is super controversial. Some say to snack more, others say less. When it comes to weight loss, stay tuned for a deeper dive from me later this year (if you are like YASS MAKE IT SOONER, email me right now to let me know and I’ll speed it up!) Weight loss friendly snacks are low calorie, high fiber, and filling, like these:
- An apple, orange, grapefruit, pear, plum, or berries
- Celery sticks, baby carrots, bell peppers, or cucumber with hummus, guacamole, or a nonfat Greek yogurt dip (needs a work fridge!)
- One handful of edamame
- Air popped popcorn (this is literally the best popcorn ever)
- A hardboiled egg (needs a work fridge!)
- Tuna salad (made with mashed avocado and olive oil instead of mayo! - needs a work fridge)
Your goal: to not meal prep
Not all packaged snacks are terrible for you, but it is important to keep an eye on the nutrition label to make sure they’re packed with real ingredients and healthy oils. Here are some of my favorites:
- Air popped popcorn (this is literally the best popcorn ever)
- Roasted seaweed
- Roasted edamame
- Salmon or turkey jerky
- Roasted chickpeas (or these amaze chickpea puffs!!)
- Whole grain crackers and hummus
- Nuts (stick to one handful or less at a time, I liked the pinked option since it's pre-portioned and doesn't have any high-sugar dried fruit!)
- A nonfat Greek yogurt cup (my favorite go-to is actually an Icelandic yogurt, Siggi's!)
- An apple, orange, plum, or pear
- Lara bars
- Pure bars
- Simple Squares
Am I missing any?! What are your favorite work snacks?
- L