Healthy snacks to take to work: tasty and easy to prepare options

Nowadays, there is increasing talk about adopting a healthier lifestyle, and a balanced diet plays an important role, both in physical and mental well-being.

When combined with exercise, a healthy diet can help you lose weight or maintain your desired weight. However, there are meals that are harder to control, especially those eaten outside the home – we are talking, of course, about the snacks we have at work.

Anyone following a meal plan or diet to lose weight faces the obstacle of choosing healthy snacks, as a trip to the bakery or the vending machine at the company where they work can ruin the healthiest meal plan.

Because we don't want that to happen, we share it with you. healthy snacks to take to work.

Why it's important to bring healthy snacks to work

For those who are careful with their diet, not snacking is not an option, as each meal plays an important role in a healthy diet.

In fact, it is recommended that we eat at least every 3 hours. Therefore, taking healthy snacks to work is important to provide energy throughout the day, making us more productive. To do this, snacks should be quick, filling and healthy.

During a working day, you should have at least two snacks: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning snack should never be a substitute for breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should always be included in any diet or eating plan.

Snacks are considered secondary meals, which means that their main function is to regulate blood sugar levels, which is what gives us energy throughout the day, and also to control hunger.

The main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) serve to provide a greater amount of energy and nutrients that are important for the performance of our vital functions and daily activities.

In short, the importance of snacks is based on four directives:

• Speeds up your metabolism – By eating more often throughout the day, and in the right quantities, you will make your body use energy in order to lose or maintain weight, without affecting the energy you need to carry out your daily activities.
• Prevents muscle loss – restoring energy to the body regularly will prevent it from using muscle cells to replenish energy levels, using only accumulated fat.
• Keep your energy levels high – When your energy levels are low, you feel tired, sleepy and inattentive, which can make your workday less productive and, in the long run, harm your physical and mental health, as well as your ability to maintain your job. By having snacks during work hours, you will feel motivated, full of energy and in a good mood.
• Control your hunger – If you are overweight and want to lose a few extra pounds, one way to control your hunger is to have healthy snacks as secondary meals throughout the day, never going more than 3 hours a day without eating.

What should a healthy snack contain?

There are several types of foods that we can include in a healthy snack that can be easily taken to work. Here are some examples:

Fruit – Whether it’s a morning or afternoon snack, it’s important to include fruit, as it’s part of a balanced and healthy diet. Because it’s rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytochemicals and water, you can eat fruit at least twice a day.

Dairy products – To help with daily calcium intake, some people choose to include dairy products in their snacks, such as yogurt, cheese and milk. Yogurts should preferably be natural and without added sugars, and can be sweetened with honey or agave. Protein yogurts are also an excellent option on the market, and can be consumed in solid or liquid form.

Carbohydrates – These can also include carbohydrates such as bread (prefer rye, wholemeal, seed bread), corn and rice crackers and even homemade cookies and cakes with little fat and sugar.

Nuts – Nuts provide a lot of energy, and it’s always good to have some on hand. But be careful: nuts can be very high in calories. As with everything in life, they should be consumed in moderation.

Healthy and quick snacks to take to work

It is possible to make healthy and quick snacks without having to prepare them at home. There are affordable, healthy and quick solutions on the market that you can take to work. Here are some examples:

• Natural yogurt with fruit or nuts or 1 protein yogurt – One way to sweeten or flavor natural yogurt is to add a piece of fruit. Fruit contains natural sugar, and the riper the fruit, the sweeter it will be. Always choose seasonal fruit, as it is cheaper and will vary throughout the year. Nuts are very energizing and are also a great option to accompany natural yogurt.

• Protein yogurts, denser than conventional yogurts, are a great option, as they are usually low in sugar and high in protein and have a high degree of satiety due to their density.

• Corn or rice and gelatin biscuits – These biscuits are very popular and can be easily found in any supermarket. They are not very practical when sold in packages of several units, but there are some brands that offer individual portions. To accompany them, choose a gelatin, preferably low in calories and sugar, so that you can eat something sweet without feeling guilty.

• Eggs – Eggs are an excellent choice for a quick snack. They are rich in protein and should be eaten boiled. By boiling several eggs at once, you have enough snacks to last several days and they are easy to transport.

• Vegetable sticks – just cut the vegetables into sticks and put them in an airtight container to take to work. These could be carrot, cucumber or celery sticks, to name a few.

• Fruit – fruit is always a good option, very practical and healthy. And you don’t have to always carry fruit with you, dried fruit is also a great option for a healthy snack to take to work. It’s practical to carry, has a long shelf life and all the flavor of fresh fruit.

Healthy snacks with no added sugar

Yes, it is possible to have healthy snacks without added sugar at work. We have already mentioned some, such as natural yogurt and dried fruit.

But we have more tips. This time, homemade snacks with no added sugar that are practical to take to work.

• Oatmeal – This is always a good idea for a snack. Just make it at home, put it in an airtight jar and take it to work. Dried fruit works great as a topping.
• Chia Pudding – A suggestion that you can also make at home and take to work. If you don’t know how to make it, it’s very simple. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of almond milk, or skimmed milk if you prefer.
• 1 handful of mixed red fruits (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.)
• 5 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon dried fruit
• cinnamon powder (as needed)

Preparation method:

1. Crush the red fruits with the vegetable drink;
2. Place the mixture in a bowl and add the chia seeds, mix well;
3. Leave to rest for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through;

The chia seeds will absorb a large part of the liquid and the mixture will become more consistent;

4. Pour the mixture into the jars until half full;
5. Cover the jar and place in the refrigerator;
6. When serving, add the dried fruit and cinnamon to taste.

• Pancakes – You can also make pancakes at home and take them to work. A very quick and simple recipe. Simply blend a banana, an egg and 3 tablespoons of oats with a hand blender. You can add cinnamon and seeds if you like. Then just make the pancakes in a non-stick frying pan.

Healthy, gluten-free snacks to take to work

People with gluten intolerance or celiac disease should also choose healthier, gluten-free alternatives.

Some of the foods we mentioned above do not contain gluten – such as natural yogurt with fruit, chia pudding and boiled egg – so they can be consumed by people with this intolerance.

But why not change it up and take some gluten-free Fruut apple muffins to work?

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons oat flour
• 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 1 whole egg
• 1 egg white
• 3 tablespoons natural yogurt
• 1 teaspoon of yeast
• 1 package (20g) Red Apple Fruit
• cinnamon powder (as needed)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Blend 1 packet of Fruut red apple in a blender.
3. Mix all the ingredients and mix well.
4. Place in cupcake molds and bake for 15 minutes. Unmold and enjoy.

And since we're on the subject of healthy meals to take to work, check out our tips on what to pack in your lunchbox.