Keeping your health – Why You Should Snack While You Are at Work

There is more than one line of work out there that is very demanding of employees. Most of these workers are practically running on fumes when it comes to nutrients. That is a recipe for disaster and poor performance. Workers need to replenish their energy by eating. Bringing lunch to the workplace does half the trick. Let’s take a moment to remember that science has already proven time and time again that the human body needs nourishment at least every three hours. A little snack is the best solution to these problems. It can help workers keep their blood sugar levels stable, and it will keep appetite at bay until the job is done.

What type of Snacks Should we Have at Work?

There is not a real set of rules written about proper snacks at the workplace. Many companies are aware of the need for snacks, and as such, they place vending machines in their hallways for their workers. Most regulation fails to call snacks good or bad options since not everyone likes the same things. Common sense should dictate the choice of snacks, and in the following lines, we will offer a few recommendations based on the need you may have to care for your health in the long run. For the time being, let’s think about snacks as something that should be nutritious, convenient, and satisfying.

According to most health agencies, a good snack should be a combination of proteins, carbohydrates, and a little fat. These are the principal macronutrients your body needs to work properly, and the nutrients that are broken down by your digestive system more quickly after each meal. The protein will make you feel satiated, and it will help your muscle tissue. The carbohydrates will replenish your energy and keep your systems active for the duration of work time, and the fat will help you absorb all the vitamins and minerals in your digestive system, and it will even out your cholesterol levels.

A good snack doesn’t have to be necessarily something bought at the vending machine. Most of these products are processed chips, and they are harmless if they are consumed on occasion. But if they are consumed regularly, the saturated fats can bring a lot of problems for your health. You can fix this by bringing your snacks from home. Imagination is the limit as they say, and you can have plenty of healthy snacks by combining a few ingredients. Try green apples with peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, roasted unsalted nuts, and whole-grain crackers with hummus, yogurt or even a few slices of cheese.

So which type of Snacks are bad?

Let’s clear something up for the record: there is no such thing as a bad snack. The purpose of this guide is to have options for the usual unhealthy finds we can have in our workplace. Snacks by their nature are not nutritious foods at all. They are meant to keep your body going and to avoid fatigue-related hunger. While having a bag of chips won’t kill you, you should be aware of the long term harm you will do to your body if you keep consuming these products.

If you couldn’t fix your snacks for any given reason on a day, you don’t have to feel guilty over it. You can still do something to keep yourself from eating something terrible. Just follow the pattern of eating something familiar and has minimal processing as possible. If you can choose something that has less than five ingredients, you will be on the right track. As a general rule, most doctors will tell you to avoid stuff like frozen pizza or pizza rolls, microwave popcorn, potato chips, chicken nuggets, or any other friend frozen snack.

Most of these foods are packed to the brim with calories. They are also full of preservatives, as well as sodium and Trans fats as well. These snacks also have very little nutritional value with little to no presence of vitamins and minerals needed by your body. Excessive consumption of these will lead to other problems such as high blood pressure, increased cancer risk, and autoimmune issues. Most of the vending machines offer baked chips or veggie-based option as well. If your budget is low, a simple fruit with a few drops of honey will do the trick. You can also buy natural popcorn or snacks based on pita bread.

How to Prepare the Best Snacks for Every Occasion

A lot of people won’t even consider snacks for budgetary reasons. While it’s true that money is a concern when it comes to buying food for a specific time, you can always play a little with your usual grocery list to make snacks for every workday. You only need to follow specific patterns to make it work. Time and practice will do the rest. Try to apply the following to your daily routine to include healthy snacks to your daily meals:

• Chop down vegetables on three-day rations to keep them on the go. Don’t go over this mark;  otherwise, you risk losing food.

• Buy a little more fruits than usual and keep them at hand when you make your lunch box

• Buy as many reusable plastic containers as you can and take a little time of your weekend to get your snacks ready for the first three days of the week

• Keep a line of boiled eggs in the fridge ready to have them on the go

• Keep track of the calories you consume. Nuts and seeds are some of the best snacks you can have, but they both have a lot of calories.

• Plan the days you will buy snacks on the vending machine of your office. Keep the money exact for the product you plan to buy.

• Try your best to keep your snacks as something to have on the go. You will lose time and complicate your work schedule if you need to keep them in the fridge or if you need to heat them.

• Don’t work when you snack. Take the time to enjoy your food and make the moment as relaxed as possible.