14 Delicious and Healthy Snacks for Work
These homemade and store-bought snack options will keep you energized and satisfied throughout the workday.
Stephen Johnson, 2014, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved
Do you find yourself in a mid-afternoon snack craze running to the vending machine? When you don’t plan your snacks in advance may you end up reaching for whatever is closest, which may not have much nutritional value to get you through the rest of the workday. Although it’s okay to snack on candy and chips occasionally, regularly snacking on foods that are high in calories, saturated fat or added sugar can take a toll on your health. Below you’ll find 14 snacks that will give you a nutrient boost and keep you going when you’re spending hours in front of a screen.
What to Know About Snacking During Work
For the average adult, a snack is a mini-meal around 250 calories or less. Snacks should be balanced with at least two food groups (carbs, fat and protein) and provide nutrients your body needs to thrive. Most adults will need up to three snacks per day. If you find yourself going more than four hours between meals or find you’re hungry between meals, you’ll want to add some snacks to your meal plan. Snacks are a great opportunity to take in under consumed nutrients like calcium, potassium, vitamin D and fiber.
Homemade Trail Mix
Mix your favorite nuts and seeds with dried fruit, dark chocolate chips, whole grain cereal, or pretzels. The possibilities are endless! Keep portions to about a 1/4 cup. Although nuts are healthy, they can be high in calories.
Recipe: Goji Berry Trail Mix (pictured above)
Chia Seed Pudding
Chia pudding for one can easily made by combining 1/2 cup of milk (or your favorite plant-based beverage) with 2 tablespoons of chia seeds. Double or quadruple the recipe to make it for two or four servings, respectively. Top with your favorite fruits, nuts, or granola.
Recipe: Chia Seed Pudding
Snack Balls or Bites
These bite-size snacks can be made with dried fruit, nut butter, oats, seeds, and other healthy ingredients. Make one batch and divide them up, so you can tote them to work throughout the week.
Recipe: Protein Ball Recipes
Yogurt Parfait
Make your own parfaits with Greek yogurt and your favorite toppings like fruit, granola, nuts, or seeds. Yogurt provides calcium and protein, and you can choose fiber-filled toppers to make it even more satisfying. Don’t forget to refrigerate your parfaits when get to the office if you don’t plan on eating them within a couple of hours of arrival.
Recipe: Strawberry Parfaits
Homemade Bars
Made from nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, you can pack a lot of healthy ingredients into homemade bars. They’re also great to meal prep for a busy week.
Recipe: Energy Bars
Spiced Nuts
Nuts are a satisfying snack that provides healthy fat, protein and fiber to help keep you satisfied. They have about 300 calories or more per serving, so portion control is important here. Make a batch at home and divide them into single-serve portions, so you can grab-and-go on your way to work or stash them at your desk at work.
Recipe: Spiced Pecans
Popcorn
Air popped popcorn has about 30 calories per cup and counts towards your servings of whole grains, which means it also provides fiber. Add your favorite flavors like cheese and herbs to boost the flavor of this easy-to-make snack.
Snack Bars
For between 100 to 250 calories, choose better-for-you snack bars with some fiber and protein that can help stave off hunger in between meals. Several snacks bars you can try include:
Greek Yogurt
With twice the amount of protein compared to traditional yogurt, Greek yogurt is a good-for-you snack that can help you feel full. Tote a single-serve Greek yogurt to work and top with granola, nuts, seeds, or fruit for even more filling fiber and healthy fat — just don’t forget your spoon!
Hummus
Single-serve hummus is a delicious snack packed with fiber and healthy fat. Several brands make snack pack size hummus containers that are sold as four- or six-packs including Sabra and Veggicopia.
String Cheese
For about 80 calories, get a boost of protein and calcium. Pair with pretzels, a piece of fruit or some cut up veggies for a well-balanced snack.
Meat Sticks
We’ve come a long way from those fatty jerky days! With both meat- and plant-based varieties, there are many healthier jerky and meat sticks you can pick up at your local market. Some of our favorites include:
Cottage Cheese
This underappreciated dairy product is packed with hunger-fighting protein and is an excellent source of calcium, a nutrient most folks under-consume in their diet. It can be easily toted to work in a single-serve cup and topped with sunflower seeds, grapes, sliced of banana, or almonds. Good Culture, Breakstone’s, and Daisy all have several single-serve cottage cheese options to choose from.
Single-Serve Fruits
Most Americans don’t take in enough fruit daily, so stock up on fruit that you can easily grab-and-go. Some options include:
- POM Pomegranate Arils
- Wonderful Halos
- Pro2Snax
- Bananas
- Box of raisins
- Apples
- Pears
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, is a registered dietitian and consultant who specializes in food safety and culinary nutrition. She is the author of The Greek Yogurt Kitchen: More Than 130 Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Day.
*This article was written and/or reviewed by an independent registered dietitian nutritionist.
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