Office Bites: 10 Healthy snacks to munch on when you’re too busy for lunch

Angela Goh 06 Mar 2017 updated the Monday, March 6, 2017

1/10
Dried fruit & nuts
Why snack on them: Good for staving off hunger; convenient; lots of fibre.
Nuts such as almonds contain cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fatty acids that have been proven to be good for your heart and have beneficial effects on inflammation and your cardiovascular health. While snacking on nuts in the office could end up becoming a little boring, mix things up a little by adding a handful of dried fruit to keep you reaching for more.
2/10
Vegetable sticks (celery, carrot, etc)
Why snack on them: Good for staving off hunger; convenient; lots of fibre.
Nuts such as almonds contain cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fatty acids that have been proven to be good for your heart and have beneficial effects on inflammation and your cardiovascular health. While snacking on nuts in the office could end up becoming a little boring, mix things up a little by adding a handful of dried fruit to keep you reaching for more.
3/10
Grapes
Why snack on them: Antioxidant powerhouse.
Grapes make for an extremely satisfying snack food - they provide sweet bursts of flavour, are easy to consume, and provide plenty of nutrition for anyone pressed for time. Containing polyphenols like resveratrol, famous for improving heart health, fighting Alzheimer’s, and protecting your skin from damaging UV light, grapes are thus unsurprisingly touted for their “reverse-it-all” anti-aging benefits.
4/10
Protein shakes
Why drink them: Fills you up; contains essential nutrients.
It’s not too hard to get up 5 minutes earlier in the morning to prepare a quick little protein shake that you can bring to work each day. They can come in great flavours - vanilla, chocolate, strawberry… If you find the right protein powder, you might fall in love with the texture and consistency eventually. Nothing beats a perfectly creamy shake that you can conveniently store in your office pantry’s refrigerator!
5/10
Homemade baked goods
Why snack on them: You know exactly how healthy they are.
The benefits of preparing your own snacks from scratch is that you know what goes into them. If you’re baking a batch of low-carb organic peanut butter cookies for work, then you’ll have the knowledge that what you’ll be snacking on isn’t filled to the brim with unknown preservatives and flavourings.
6/10
Beef Jerky
Why snack on it: High in protein; doesn’t raise insulin levels.
No, not the bak kwa type of jerky, which is overly sweet. While beef jerky may contain a high level of sodium, it also makes an ideal snack for those who need a hit of high-quality protein and for those looking for a low-carb alternative. Low-fat beef jerky is a good way to load up on some essential amino acids, too.
7/10
Plain popcorn
Why snack on it: Unsalted/unsweetened air-popped popcorn is low-calorie; contains fibre.
Even without the butter and salt, popcorn can make very tasty and satisfying snack. The crunch and texture of popcorn is addictive, so you won’t get bored of it. Popcorn contains a high amount of polyphenols to help neutralise free radicals and prevent cell damage. Also, popcorn is a perfect source of fibre.
8/10
Dark chocolate
Why snack on it: Mega source of antioxidants; may lower blood pressure.
Skip the sweeter stuff and stick to squares of bittersweet dark chocolate. You may have heard that chocolate is the secret to happiness, as it can boost your endorphin levels, but that’s not all it can do! Dark chocolate, with its high amounts of cocoa, is a source of powerful antioxidants to help prevent aging. The flavanols in this tasty snack can also help improve blood flow and may thus potentially lower blood pressure.
9/10
Roasted seaweed
Why snack on it: Seaweed is a rich source of iodine; contains trace vitamins and minerals.
Roasted seaweed can come in convenient little packets and taste oh-so good! Seaweed is well known for being a powerhouse of vitamins (including K and B12), calcium, iron, and fibre. While it might not fill you up during lunchtime, it’s is just a matter of bringing along something a little extra, like some dried fruit and nuts, to keep you going throughout the day.
10/10
Cherry tomatoes
Why snack on them: They are just as nutritional as regular tomatoes; they improve your skin.
For something a little less sweet, you can’t go wrong with cherry tomatoes. Being mini versions of its larger counterpart, they are still equally as nutritious, housing 1.8 grams of fibre and 20 milligrams of vitamin C for every 1 cup. Tomatoes are also ridiculously good for your skin as they are rich in the phytochemical lycopene, which protects your skin against skin-aging free radicals cause by UV rays.

The tidbits to nibble on when lunch is out of the question.

Sometimes, when you’re just way too busy to take a breather and head out for lunch with your workmates, it can be easy to fall into a routine of snacking on junk food or worse, starving yourself. This is why it’s always a good idea to stock your office pantry or desk drawer with nutritious options. The checklist to keep in mind goes a little something like this: Pick items that are (1) easy to prepare in the morning – 10 minutes, tops, (2) convenient to bring along in your handbag, (3) not messy when eaten at your desk, and yes, (4) nutritious.

We’ve come up with a list of 10 great things that fit the bill, so head up to the gallery to check out the healthy snacks you ought to be munching on when you’re too busy for lunch.

Angela Goh

Photos: Getty Images

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