Hungry? Snack Happy! 7 Healthy Desktop Snacks

          Switching from running around, always busy, playing Division 1 soccer, studying, and somehow fitting food in to none of that has been a BIG adjustment.  In college, meals were scheduled around my activities: a banana and peanut butter on the go for breakfast, lunch in between classes at Commons (Davidson's equivalent of a cafeteria), and dinner wherever I could eat quickest after soccer practice before I sold my soul to the library.  I'd try and fit healthy snacks in between lunch and practice to keep my energy up, but my meals were so scheduled that I usually was okay until the next one.

The Libs at Davidson... home away
from home.

          Fast forward to my attempt at being an adult and live in the real world... a MAJOR shock to the system.  I went from timed, schedule meals and having something to do almost every minute of the day (and when I didn't, I'd fit in a nap to make up for the sleep I'd probably lost the night before) to having NOTHING scheduled.  Sure, I work from 8-4 on average, but whenever I get home from work, I'm free to do whatever I want... which usually leads to snacking because I haven't eaten since lunch.  I eat at 11am at my office because we start having appointments at noon, so food must be fit in before.  This has lead to my tummy adjusting to a new eating schedule that leaves me nearly starving between 2pm and 3pm.  Bad news bears: the only places to get food around my office are Chipotle (delicious, but not good for snacking), Dunkin' Donuts (I avoid it like the plague so I'm not tempted by glistening glazed donuts), Noodles (exactly what it sounds like + salads... only ginormous Rice Krispie treats for snacking), Saladelia (salad bar and bakery; bad idea) and gas station junk food (candy, chips, and soda).  

Don't reach for this and regret it later.

          So which am I going to regret less next time I step on the scale: gigantic Rice Krispie treat, King Size Snickers, a yummy donut (or 2 or 3, depending on my self-restraint that day), or Skittles?!  None of them are good options.  Early on at this job I had dabbled in the delicious, but terribly unhealthy snacks available.  I felt gross, tired, and bloated.  Then I had my magical Dr. House moment of pure epiphany: bring my snack with me!  Now what in the world do I bring so that I won't overeat, but I'll be satisfied enough to make it until dinner without squeezing in some ice cream or Goldfish in between.  Here's what I've found to be my favorites plus a few sprinkled in that I discovered via the wonderful world wide web.  They are all right at 200 calories or below and save me from having to buy new pants!

WHOLE WHEAT CRACKERS AND PEANUT BUTTER

Peanut butter is a notorious hunger-curbing treat, but a spoonful or 2 can have almost 200 calories by itself!  So now I've moved on to 10 multigrain crackers (like Kashi's TLC Whole Grain Crackers) and only 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.  This yummy and satisfying desktop snack comes in at just below 200 calories (about 190ish); the whole grain provides some complex carbs with a kick of protein keep your blood sugar stable and away from the skittles.  Just make sure you have water close by because you'll need it after the peanut butter!

FRUIT

An easy and common desktop snack is fruit, be it an apple or a kiwi.  Typically I like to grab a Fuji apple, a green banana, grapes, or a pre-made mix of raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries.  It's best to grab different fruits, not eating an apple-a-day every day.  If you rotate your fruit choices with the seasons and try to get what is season-appropriate, you'll get a great variety of nutrients, a little healthy sugar, and fiber... plus you won't get bored by having the same snack daily.  Typically, a serving of fruit is between 70-100 calories; pair it with a glass of skim-milk (about 90 calories) and you've got a filling, calcium and nutrient-rich snack to keep you full and happy.  No afternoon crankiness for you!

NUTS

This is one of my favorite suggestions for a desk top snack.  Unsalted, raw almonds are DE-lish!  Nuts are widely known to be full of heart-healthy fats, but unfortunately they pack a lot of calories into that tiny little thing.  It took some practice and discipline to be able to measure out 1-oz (a typical serving size of almonds) and only eat that many!  If you stick to the 1-oz rule, you're going to get a healthy dose of about 170 calories, plus vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, fiber and protein.  I like to pre-measure bags and stash them at my desk to keep me from overeating.  If nuts by themselves are too boring, measure out 1-serving size of Craisins and mix those in with the almonds.  It adds calories to the snack (more like 370 calories), but mixes it up a bit, introduces a different texture, and sweetens up your snack.

INSTANT OATMEAL

I LOVE oatmeal and what can be better for a snack than instant?  If you stick to the plain oatmeal, you can grab a pack and make it at work for a hearty breakfast or snack of only 110 calories!  Oatmeal is rich in fiber, helps lower cholesterol, and reduces the risk of heart disease.  You can sprinkle some of your own brown sugar on top, add 1 tsp of peanut butter, or, my favorite, lite canned peaches and you have a delicious warm snack, perfect for the approaching cold.

MINI PITAS WITH HUMMUS

Hummus is made from chickpeas, a phenomenal source of soluble fiber = you get full faster off less food!  The soluble fiber also helps to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease.  Use mini pita pockets to scoop us some delicious creamy hummus.  And if you stick to 1 serving of hummus (about 2 tbsp) and 3 mini pitas, you're enjoying a yummy treat for only 150 calories!

SNACK BARS

If you need an easier out than grabbing a packet of oatmeal as a snack, you can grab a healthy snack bar.  I often turn to LaraBars, Luna Bars, or Odwalla bars for a quick fix to my sweet tooth.  Make sure to look for a healthy bar that isn't loaded with sugar; you want an all-natural bar.  Often the good ones have some combination of dates, almonds, cashews, cranberries, and even just a tad of dark chocolate.  The bars should also be rich in fiber, low in sodium, tons of vitamins and minerals, and are typically just under 200 calories; if you stick to the all-natural concept, you'll get all of this and more!

VEGGIES WITH RANCH

This is a snack that I certainly have to pay attention to portion sizes because you can quickly get carried away with dipping veggies in ranch dressing.  Instead of hitting up the break room's vending machines, pack a mix of veggies like carrots, celery, grape tomatoes, and broccoli.  Raw veggies are awesome because they are filled with water and fiber, another fill-me-up trick.  I will sometimes eat the veggies by themselves, but they can get a little boring.  Limit your portion of ranch dressing to low-fat and ONLY POUR 2 tbsp, you will only consume 80 calories and the veggies are nearly insignificant.  You can also try hummus (especially if you're already packing mini pitas with hummus) for about 70 calories/serving, or even salsa for all those spicy people at only 10 calories/serving.

Okey dokey... Happy Snacking!