It’s 2:00 PM on a Friday afternoon and you’re starving. You stand up from your desk, run over to the vending machine and grab a couple snacks before your next meeting. They curb your hunger for a bit, but 20 minutes later you find yourself feeling foggy-headed and still need to get through another few hours of work. These ideas will help you build a fantastic selection of healthy snacks to keep you full, focused, and productive at work!
WATER
This might be one you’re surprised to see on this list since it’s not technically a “snack.” However, water is listed first for a reason! The biggest key to staying alert and productive at work is proper hydration. It’s so easy to get caught up in our to-do-lists every day that we forget to take time to stop by the water machine, have a conversation with a co-worker, and drink some water. There’s a lot of debate about how much water people should drink, but a good rule of thumb is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses every single day.
ALMONDS
Almonds are a power house for mental focus and energy. They are high in vitamins that promote a healthy brain and are perfect for helping you maintain a clear mind at work. These brain foods will also help control your blood sugar levels, so even if you do have that cup of coffee in the morning, the almonds will help you avoid those post-caffeine jitters.
Image via Authority Nutrition
BANANAS
Bananas contain very high levels of tryptophan which boosts your mood. Everyone wants to be happy at work, even if you might be clocking hours in a position that doesn’t exactly fit your dream job description. Eating a banana will make you feel full while keeping your calorie count relatively low, and feed your brain some fantastic mood-boosting proteins.
KALE
Kale is one of the best superfoods you can consume. It is extremely high in amino acids. These amino acids give you a light feeling after eating foods that contain them, and they send signals to your brain that will work hard to clear your mind of any fogginess that you may be experiencing.
Kale chips are a delicious way to snack on kale
BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries are often referred to as the memory food! They are high in gallic acid which boosts brain power, and many studies show that it slows cognitive decline. Sounds pretty good, right? We can all use whatever we can get to keep our brain cells sharp and witty for as long as possible.
Image via Blueberry Council
OATMEAL
Oatmeal is an amazing source of carbohydrates and protein all in one! Your body will digest it slowly so it’ll keep you full longer, and it gives you the fuel you need to power through your day. You don’t need to eat it in hot cereal form if you don’t want to. These oatmeal bars
GREEN TEA
Green tea has so many benefits that it’s difficult to know where to start! Like kale, green tea is high in amino acids to fuel your brain. It also gives a boost to your metabolism to keep you burning calories all day long. While it is naturally caffeinated, green tea doesn’t contain as much as a cup of coffee, so you’ll avoid that “jittery” feeling as you’re coming down from the caffeine high.
Image via Life Hack
AVOCADOS
Avocados are a healthy source of fats. We need healthy fats in order to make sure that we can absorb all of the nutrients from the other foods we eat. Avocados, containing high levels of many different nutrients already, also give us the ability to absorb nutrients from other foods. If you don’t love the taste or texture of avocados, you can add avocado oil to your salads or when you are cooking veggies to still reap the benefits!
DARK CHOCOLATE
Everybody loves an excuse to eat chocolate, right? When eaten in moderation, dark chocolate can be very beneficial to giving you the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when you’ve hit that 2:00 slump. Dark chocolate is very high in antioxidants. It is important to remember to find a dark chocolate that is low in sugar and as unprocessed as possible. Unprocessed cocoa beans are higher in anti-oxidants than blueberries and many other nutrient-high fruits, though they taste much better in processed form which we know as chocolate! Pascha Dark Chocolate
CRACKERS & HUMMUS
If you’re craving chips and dip, this is the perfect solution! Whole grain crackers are an excellent source of carbohydrates to fuel your body, and the hummus will provide a protein boost to get you through the rest of your work day. Hummus is easy to make at home and you can experiment with lots of different types.
Try building 2-3 of these snacks into your afternoons at work this week. To help with this you can also subscribe to the Graze Box which will provide up to 6 snacks a month delivered right to your door. They’ll provide both short and long-term benefits and help you continue to build a healthy lifestyle!
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