NEW YORK (news agencies) — When Claire Paré was a classroom teacher, working in a setting where every minute, down to the bathroom breaks, was scheduled, she brought granola bars, fruit and protein shakes to school so she’d be prepared when hunger hits.
Then she transitioned to a job at education publisher McGraw Hill. Working remotely at home in New Hampshire, her children’s cheddar bunny crackers and Fruit Roll-Ups lured her to the pantry, confounding her commitment to healthy snacking.
“I have the opportunity to be judicious, but I choose not to most of the time,” Paré said. “I really do enjoy being able to put the time into making something, but oftentimes convenience just has to win out.”
Eating healthy snacks during the workday can be challenging. Many people find themselves facing down a mid-afternoon slump and accompanying sugar, caffeine or carbohydrate cravings after lunch. Busy adults racing from back-to-back meetings to family commitments often reach for what’s easy, whether it’s a candy bar from the office vending machine or potato chips from a kitchen cupboard.
The problem with eating packaged sugary or salty snacks to get through the afternoon is they may spike blood sugar levels but don’t give a sustained second wind, according to Beth Czerwony, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic.
“It’s going to burn off really fast, so you’re going to get that boost of energy and then all of a sudden you’re going to get another crash,” Czerwony said. “Some people just chase that for a while, and they’re drinking coffee or their energy drinks and they’re eating their candy, and it just sets you up for these spikes and these drops.”
Here are some ideas for maintaining healthy snacking habits at work.
Foods that are high in protein, such as Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese and beef or turkey jerky, can help people feel full for longer periods of time than snacks without protein, said Caroline Susie, a Dallas-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Eating a snack consisting of refined carbohydrates such as a bagel causes blood sugar to rise rapidly and then drop, so teaming it up with another source of nutrition is preferable, Susie said.
“When you pair that carbohydrate with lean protein or have a protein-forward choice, it contributes to satiety. So you’re just going to stay fuller longer,” she added.
Czerwony recommends snacks that combine lean proteins with complex carbohydrates such as crackers, rice cakes or fruit. The combination works because carbohydrates raise blood sugar, giving you a boost, while the protein takes longer to digest, helping to sustain you for longer, she said.
“The carbohydrates are like the kindling on the fire, and then the proteins are the logs,” Czerwony said. “You’re going to get the slow burn from the protein, but you need that sudden start, so you have the carbohydrates to get you going.”
Many people find it hard to resist crunchy foods. For a satisfying munch, the American Heart Association recommends sliced apples with a tablespoon of low-sodium peanut butter, pears dipped in reduced-fat cottage cheese, vegetables such as carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumber or zucchini paired with hummus or tzatziki sauce, popcorn, rice cakes or unsalted nuts and seeds. You can also roast chickpeas, which provide both protein and carbohydrates.
For a packaged snack, read the nutrition label to check how much added sugar and sodium it contains, the association suggests.
The Cleveland Clinic recommends whole fruit, edamame, seeds, a handful of nuts or a single-serving package of tuna that you can eat with a fork.
