Snacking at Work

I sit at a desk all day and I admit that sometimes I get the munchies.  Maybe I’m not eating enough in the morning.  But I found that one of the best ways to get through those munchies days is to bring good snacks, and have a drawer full of snacks in case I forget….which I do, a lot.

So here is a list of work friendly snacks and a list of what I like to keep in my munchie drawer.

Snack Ideas to bring to work:

• Fruit (slice it ahead of time, or grab an apple on the way out the door)
• Cut up veggies
• Yogurt
• Light String Cheese (my favorite)
• “Popable” veggies-things you can just pop in your mouth like cherry tomatoes and carrots (and dip)
• Small Salads
• Hard boiled eggs
• Cottage Cheese and fruit
• Cheese (cube or slice at home)
• Small wrap (think snack size, not lunch size)
• Fresh juice
• Baby Bel cheeses or Laughing Cow wedges with crackers
• Cottage cheese
• Celery smeared with Peanut butter, or cream cheese
• Sugar free jello or pudding (add fruit for a twist)
• Hummus

Ideas of things to keep in your desk (or bring with if it isn’t an option):

• Nuts (separate individual servings into snack bags)
• 90 calorie bars (I realize some people don’t care for them because of artificial ingredients, sugar content, etc but I think they’re great)   I usually have Sweet and Salty nut bars, Special K bars, etc in my drawer.  I try to buy bulk of what is on sale and stock my drawer.
• Blue Diamond Nut Thins with a Hint of Sea Salt.  I LOVE these things.  I’m sure I could keep something lighter in my drawer, but these are slightly salted and crispy. 
• Crackers.  I usually keep Nut Thins, but in the past I’ve kept crackers in my drawer.  A little tip?  These clips work really well for keeps bags closed and ingredients fresh.  Luckily my office has enough that they don’t care if I use them because they’re considering throwing them out.
• JELL-O.  I love me some jello and pudding cups.  Buy the sugar free ones off the shelf and keep them for a special snack on those days.   The flavor I checked was 60 calories a cup.
• Popcorn.  They make mini bags now, or you could share a bag with a coworker.  Buy “light”.
• Boom Chicka Pop is popcorn, but I felt it was worth mentioning because it is already popped and incredibly wonderful. It comes in regular (something like 35 calories per cup) and lightly sweet (37 calories per cup).  I love the Lightly Sweet…it is Certified Gluten Free, and made with fair trade organic evaporated cane juice, sunflower oil, and sea salt.   
• Tea.  No, that isn’t technically a snack but I find drinking warm liquids all day helps curb munchies.  I buy the fruity, sweet flavors and use a few drops of liquid Stevia if I need it sweet.
• Snackwell’s Chocolate Drizzled popcorn.  I love the White Chocolate drizzled caramel corn.  But this is an indulgent snack.
• Chia Seeds.  I keep them in my drawer and add to yogurt or soup to give it a little more substance. 
• Dried produce.  You can find it in individual packs now, or buy a large container and make your own.  If you don’t want to buy it you could start making your own at home.  I really love cherry flavored prunes.  But raisins, bananas, kiwis and pineapple are good too.  I’ve also heard veggie chips are excellent to munch on and easy to make.