If you’re on the track to weight loss, you’ll need to think about having healthy snacks around. The ability of having healthy snacks at your disposal during the work day is based on being prepared and bringing your snacks with you. It’s so difficult to find healthy, satisfying snacks from office vending machines or your local coffee shop. Most of the options provided are going to involve processed, sugar loaded, fat laden foods. Unfortunately, these foods will leave you wanting more and won’t do anything for your weight loss. If you truly want access to healthy snacks, you’ll need to bring them with you. Yes, this requires a little bit of preparation but I think you’ll be surprised at how easy it can be to make your own healthy bites to bring to the office.
1. Rice Cake Sandwiches
Rice cakes come in so many different flavors that you can get pretty creative with these. Mini rice cakes and regular size also give you the option for a little more calorie control as well. Create your rice cake sandwich with any combination of nut butter, peanut butter, Laughing Cow cheese or low cal cream cheese with sliced fruits, fruit with honey, or even veggies. Your rice cake sandwich gives you crunch and flavor for a late afternoon or mid morning pick me up. Wrap up your sandwich with foil and slide into a carry cooler bag and you’re good to go!
2. Whole Fruits/Dried Fruit – Easy, easy, easy! Grab a whole piece of fruit such as an apple, pear, banana or orange. Whole pieces of fruit offer a no refrigeration option snack that is able to be carried by itself. Slip an apple into your bag and you’re set. If you’d rather have a little bit sweeter fruit snack, you can opt for dried fruit. Make sure to check calorie counts so you portion out the correct amount that fits into your daily caloric requirement. Great options for these sweet snacks are blueberries, cherries, strawberries, apricots, pineapple, cranberries, raisins or any combination of dried fruits.
3. Nuts – Nuts provide the ultimate easy snack to carry. They don’t need to be refrigerated and don’t go bad for a while so you can take some to work and leave them in your desk to keep on hand for the week. Try almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios or a mix of 2 or 3 to make it interesting. Portion out in plastic bags so you know exactly what you’re eating and you’ve got yourself an easy, healthy snack.
4. Vegetable Sticks – This is a great way to get your veggies in. Vegetable sticks provide that great crunch so many of us are looking for and usually get from pretzels and chips. Go for celery, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, raw broccoli or raw cauliflower for a healthy, crunchy snack. Take some peanut butter or a spice mixture to use with veggies to add some flavor.
5. Whole Wheat or Whole Grain Crackers – Go ahead and grab some true whole wheat or rye crackers to munch on. Grab some lower cal plain cream cheese, low cal flavored cream cheese, Laughing Cow Cheese or a nut butter to make your crackers a little more interesting.
The key to eating healthy is to be prepared. Healthy snacks seem to be hard to find so you’ll need to make sure you have them on hand. With little prep time and easy to carry options, these 5 snacks are a great way to stay on track with your healthy eating without too much work involved.
