6 Healthy Snacks To Consume At Work
Food consumption can become our nemesis as we often find it tricky to strike the right balance between what foods are good and bad for us.
Cycling to work and running several times a week makes me hungry throughout the day, so I think a lot about food. Of course, participating in such everyday active pursuits is said to be good for you, as they not only keep you fit. They also provide an excellent, structured exercise regime that makes you more aware of your overall health, well-being, and body requirements.
Add into the mix that none of us is getting any younger, so it seems even more essential to pay attention to the foods we consume before and after regular exercise to continue to strike the right balance for us.
Mostly, I try to make myself eat very well throughout the day. I usually plan and prepare well for the working day ahead, starting with a well-balanced breakfast of porridge and fruit, together with a series of well-prepared lunches that I consume later in the day, mainly consisting of foods like vegetables, fish, and rice.
During the working day, it becomes very hectic, as I follow a schedule that demands a lot from you, and you remain busy in body and mind. As a result, when this schedule inevitably takes over and becomes such an integral part of your day, so do the bad habits, and sometimes the wrong choices of snacks to eat, soon creep in.
With those issues and choices in mind, I am increasingly motivated to make the right choices throughout the day. By doing so, my energy levels are then fully optimised, my blood sugars regulate, and I will have enough essential fuel for the cycle home and chosen activities after work.
So to help improve the overall quality of your lunchbox choices and to consider making the necessary and appropriate alternatives, I have compiled some healthy snack options for you to include and something that might work for you.
Those options include:
Berries
Berries are a fantastic source of nutrition, and nowadays, so many varieties are available in supermarkets and markets. Berries are full of essential vitamins and antioxidants, providing many of the body's nutrient needs. Many studies have found that people who eat various berries in the morning and at lunch eat less at dinner.
Facts show that berries are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. They're low in calories, and many berries have been associated with being beneficial for heart health. These include lowering blood pressure and cholesterol while reducing oxidative stress.
Nuts
Nuts are a delicious snack to have throughout the day, and once again, supermarkets have a wide variety of nuts available from around the world, conveniently packed into resealable bags. They are naturally good for you, providing the body with good fats, but don't have too many.
Adding unsalted nuts to your mid-morning snack time is good as they are packed with good fats that will help keep you full and fueled for longer. What are the healthiest nuts?
Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans, and peanuts are good and are some of the best snacks to eat.
Peanut butter and Banana
Whether you eat it on bread, Ryvita, a rice cake, or eat it on its own, peanut butter and banana are a powerful combination to choose from.
Living in the Netherlands, peanut butter is a popular option, with many Dutch people liking Peanut Butter on bread or crackers. It is an excellent energy source and gives you the added energy boost you need during that much-needed mid-day boost. I regularly have this as a snack on bread, and I often put both ingredients into my morning porridge or overnight oats.
Overnight oats
If you run to work or cycle, it is always essential to replenish the stocks once you arrive at work. Otherwise, you will hit a severe slump in energy levels, and the onset of tiredness will prevail.
Having a substantial snack available at work is often great to help keep you going until lunch. Preparing oats the night before is also convenient and adding a few almonds and a banana into your overnight oats provides added protein and fibre, which your body will love.
Smoothies
I love smoothies, and a smoothie is the perfect morning snack to kick-start your day. So many different recipes and options are available that can be one of the best ways to refuel after a run.
You can blend the smoothie at home in the morning with a range of fresh fruits and protein supplements, if you so wish, then put it into a sealed container. I've rounded up the best healthy smoothie recipes for runners here.
Hummus
Hummus is a delightful snack and comes in a wide range of varieties, available in the supermarket or local market stall. It is cheap to buy and an easily digestible option that gives you a steady supply of energy throughout the day rather than a blood-sugar spike followed by the inevitable crash.
Hummus is good to eat on its own or with a slice of bread, but also great with carrots and other raw vegetables. I have tried to make it myself by using a simple recipe, but somehow it doesn’t quite taste the same or is as convenient as buying from the shop.
I'm no nutritionist, and as much as I try to eat well, I have my vices. Of course, these highlighted options are simply a few of the many handy choices you could include in your daily lunchbox, and I'm sure there is an endless number of other additions you could add to this. All these choices are readily available; they seem to work for me and provide my body with all the essentials it needs. They tend to help keep me full for longer and turn me away from giving into the temptation of reaching for sugary foods in the form of a bag of sweets, a chocolate bar, or something equally as wrong.
Thanks for reading, and I hope this post makes you think a little bit more about what you will eat next.
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