You’re making an effort to eat a balanced breakfast, and trying to consciously choose something healthful for lunch – so what happens at work when you just want a little something to snack on? Maybe your worksite has a vending machine – filled with either sugary snacks that will leave you feeling the ‘crash’ an hour later, or salty snacks that have you reaching for that can of soda and feeling bloated all afternoon.
You see commercials about it – discouraging you from eating that candy bar, then pushing energy drinks that they promise will take you through until the end of your workday – or what about the candy bar commercials insisting that their chocolate-covered, peanut and caramel filled concoction is the right choice to tide you over until dinner. So what do you do to ensure that you don’t sabotage all of your work toward healthy eating habits?
First of all, give yourself permission to snack – it’s OK, and even good for you. Your body needs fuel and those little bites you take in between meals are actually giving you the energy to get you to your next meal. So the best thing to do is to create snacking strategy – give yourself variety, lots of options will keep you from getting bored. Then mix things up – try a combination snack which includes both protein and carbohydrates to ensure that you have energy, and feel satisfied. Lastly keep the healthy snacks available – maybe in a nice bowl in your office, so that you can avoid going into the danger zones – the kitchen, the vending machine and the office candy jar.
We’ve created a list of 10 Easy Snacks that will have you feeling so satisfied that you won’t mind walking right by the vending machine!
1. Homemade Bran Muffins (recipe below)
2. Mini bagel or ½ wheat toast with peanut butter
3. Fruit – Banana, blueberries, cantaloupe, strawberries
4. Handful of Roasted Almonds (18-20)
5. String cheese
6. Low-fat yogurt
7. Small tuna cup mixed with cherry tomatoes, cucumbers
8. Whole grain cereal mix – buy 2-3 brands, mix them and put them in ½ cup portion snack bag
9. Small low-sodium vegetable juice with 4-5 whole grain crackers
10. Dried fruit mix including apricots, cranberries and raisins
So go get snacking!! We look forward to reading your favorite snacks in the comments section!
Bran Muffins
Makes: 12 muffins.
Serving Size: 1 muffin
Ingredients
2 cups raisin bran cereal
1 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
¼ cup brown sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare muffin tins with non-stick spray. Mix cereal, milk, oil, and egg in large mixing bowl. Allow to stand for at least five minutes. Combine remaining dry ingredients and add to cereal mixture. Stir until all ingredients are moistened. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information per Serving:
•135 calories
•22 grams carbohydrate
•3 grams protein
•4 grams fat