© GettyWith daytime snacks, it’s easy to depend on your work bestie’s sweets stash or the chocolate stores at the Pret round the corner, but that obviously leads to not-so-great choices.
So what’s a girl to do when the office refrigerator feels like miles away or your food keeps mysteriously disappearing out of the communal one? (Kevin, we know you’re the office food thief, dammit!)
Stock up on these non-perishable options to keep at your desk when you need a healthy, filling bite between meals.
1. PEANUT BUTTER BALLS
They’re a great option to stash in your desk drawer since they don’t require a lot of prep, says Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D., wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.
Take no sugar-added peanut butter or almond butter, mix in some dark chocolate chips and flax seeds for crunch, combine in a bowl, shape them into little balls, and stick them in the freezer until they’re solid.
One of these clocks in at about 150 calories, says Kirkpatrick, who adds “they taste really good and will keep you full” because of the protein in them.
2. DARK CHOCOLATE
Yep, the sweet stuff can be a healthy snack, says Kirkpatrick—as long as it’s 72 percent dark.
Studies have shown it has numerous health benefits, including boosting your mood and lowering blood pressure.
To avoid the temptation of overindulging, put one square in a Ziploc bag before you take it to work, says Kirkpatrick.
3. POPCORN
Whether it’s the pre-popped variety or a fancy recipe you plan on whipping up yourself, “popcorn is such a great snack,” says Kirkpatrick.
A 3 ½ cup serving checks in at less than 100 calories, which gives you a lot to nibble on when you’re on deadline and need something to mindlessly munch on.
They’re a great option to stash in your desk drawer since they don’t require a lot of prep, says Kristin Kirkpatrick, R.D., wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.
Take no sugar-added peanut butter or almond butter, mix in some dark chocolate chips and flax seeds for crunch, combine in a bowl, shape them into little balls, and stick them in the freezer until they’re solid.
One of these clocks in at about 150 calories, says Kirkpatrick, who adds “they taste really good and will keep you full” because of the protein in them.
2. DARK CHOCOLATE
Yep, the sweet stuff can be a healthy snack, says Kirkpatrick—as long as it’s 72 percent dark.
Studies have shown it has numerous health benefits, including boosting your mood and lowering blood pressure.
To avoid the temptation of overindulging, put one square in a Ziploc bag before you take it to work, says Kirkpatrick.
3. POPCORN
Whether it’s the pre-popped variety or a fancy recipe you plan on whipping up yourself, “popcorn is such a great snack,” says Kirkpatrick.
A 3 ½ cup serving checks in at less than 100 calories, which gives you a lot to nibble on when you’re on deadline and need something to mindlessly munch on.
4. ALMOND BUTTER
Alex Caspero, R.D., founder of St. Louis healthy recipe resource Delish Knowledge, recommends snacks that are high in protein because they are the most satiating.
One suggestion she makes is stashing individual portions of almond butter in your desk and toting along fruit to eat with it.
“Apples stay good at your desk for a long time,” she says.
5. SEAWEED
Seaweed snacks are a “really good low-calorie option,” says Caspero. “They’re something that is going to be a good alternative to a chip.”
Brooke Alpert, R.D., founder of nutrition consulting company B Nutritious, echoes that sentiment: “Seaweed snacks are crazy low in calories but tasty and satisfying."
6. ALMONDS AND PISTACHIOS
“You have to have protein to help satisfy,” says nutrition expert Mitzi Dulan, R.D., highlighting almonds as a great choice due to “the amount of protein, as well as the fibre and crunch.”
She says pistachios are also a good, tasty bet because they take more energy to eat, which can reduce portion size.
7. JERKY
You may be scarred from filling up on the petrol station staple during childhood road trips, but turkey jerky, which Kirkpatrick recommends, is a far cry from the pit stop snack.
It’s loaded with protein and super filling.
8. ROASTED CHICKPEAS
Wallington, New Jersey-based nutritional expert Samantha Pappas, R.D., suggests seasoned roasted chickpeas—whether they are homemade or bought prepackaged—as a snack.
“They give you that crunch, along with high protein and fiber that curb your appetite,” she says.
9. DRIED FRUIT
Pre-portioned servings of freeze-dried fruit is an excellent snack when you’re on the move, says Pappas.
“The only ingredient is the fruit itself,” she says. “It’s almost like a fruit chip, and they’re really light and portable.”
