Healthy Office Snacks

Working eight or more hours a day can make it difficult to eat healthfully unless you plan ahead. Research shows that eating every four hours helps to keep your metabolism charged and your energy level high. Before you dig in your drawer for spare change and head to the vending machine, plan ahead and stash low-calorie, nutritious snacks in a cabinet, drawer, or your briefcase. Each of these snacks has less than 200 calories and are sure to satisfy when the 3 p.m. cravings hit.

You don’t have to limit your chocolate and strawberry cravings to dessert time or fondue. Satisfy your sweet tooth in small portions with a chocolate-hazelnut graham topped with fresh strawberries.

You can pop a waffle in the toaster and have it ready by the time you’ve checked your daily email. Top it off with a dollop of part-skim ricotta cheese and raspberry preserves, and you’ve got fruit, protein, and whole-grains all in one perfect desk snack. 

Cucumbers are a wonderful alternative to crackers during snack time. Top them off with a little cream cheese, nonfat Greek yogurt, feta cheese, and walnuts for a protein-packed crunch. Cute, portable, and easy, these are great party starters that guests will love snacking on. Tangy feta cheese steals the show and brightens up the vegetable base.

Combine salsa and a fresh avocado together to make a quick and easy guacamole, or add 1 tablespoon of salsa to 1½ prepared guacamole to give it an extra punch of flavor. If you're short on time and need a quick, healthy alternative, this is your go to party dip. Perfect for the indecisive snacker, this dish marries the two greatest snacking dips, salsa and guacamole, for a game day dish that you simply can't refuse.

Make a batch of hardboiled eggs on Sunday to have on hand throughout the week.  Slice the egg in half and drizzle ½ teaspoon of Sriracha for a spicy 80-calorie snack.