Healthy snacks at work

Since my first job out of college, I've found myself faced with a variety of office vices - my first cup of coffee ever, homemade cookies, client lunch leftovers, chips + guacamole, holiday treats, cocktails (yes, I spent many years at ad agencies), and the most recent: peanut M&M's. I am known to plan out errands that are near the candy bowl, convincing myself that I'm surely burning off enough calories going up and down the stairs to be rewarded.

But let's come back to reality.

The reality is that a whole bunch of us find our workplace to sometimes be the demise of our best intentions. In fact, there's a new report out by online grocer, Peapod indicating that 47% of us believe that the abundance of less-than-wholesome snack options at the workplace attribute to our dieting challenges. I won’t go into all the research out there on the upward snacking trend due to the economy (stress!) and the direct relation to weight gain.

I recently started running again to shed my not-so-new-job 10lb gain and have found that the candy bowl is putting on more than my legs are taking off. So, for the rest of this week, I planned my snacks with the goal of fulfilling my eating-as-an-oral-addiction need (yes, this hand-to-mouth distraction helps me concentrate on projects). Instead of relying on sugary treats at the office I've got these healthier snacks ready to go:

• Lite Popcorn (100 calorie bag)

• Baby Carrots (the crunchy goodness is really filling and energizing)

• Bing Cherries (from Oregon, of course)

• Celery with Chunky Almond Butter (365 chunky style is better than peanut butter!)

• Almonds + Dried Cranberries

• Cliff Bars (for days that I run and need more calories)

• Water...lots and lots and lots of water

Other than the cherries, all of these should last more than a week in the fridge so I can't use the excuse that I've run out. For me, I'll need to make sure that I always have at least one of these in my arsenal to fight the snack urge. Having some sweet, some salty, some crunchy alternatives will help satisfy different cravings.

So, how do you snack smart at work? What are your favorite healthy snacks? Let’s buck that trend and snack smart.

Comments

[Nedra R.]

snacking at work is a challenge for me as well, I find I crave scones and sweets so I've been trying to bring in my own baked goods (weight watcher's recipe for muffins), fruit, oatmeal packages, a box of fiber cereal...I'm curious what other people bring as well.