Tips On Healthy Snacking for Busy Professionals



When you are consumed with work, it is natural for your health to take a backseat. The constant hustle forces busy working professionals to slip into unhealthy eating habits, such as relying on pre-prepared meals, food from vending machines, takeaways and caffeine.

Adopting these habits into your lifestyle will ultimately provide you with little to no nutritional value. Aside from that, it will affect your productivity and focus at work, mood and energy levels.

Taking care of your health is certainly vital. Therefore, being healthy becomes a choice that you must make every single day. And one of the many ways you can do that is by making healthy food choices.

Healthy snacking is an excellent way to keep yourself energised, provide your body with more nutrition and prevent overeating or feeling tired. Therefore, consuming a combination of small and nutritious snacks every 2 to 3 hours is always a good idea.

Through the course of this blog, we will provide tips on how to indulge in healthy snacking at the workplace. In addition to this, we will share a few healthy recipes for snacks that you can carry to work. So, if you are a working professional, read along to learn about healthy snacking!

7 Tips for Healthy Snacking at the Workplace

Snacking is good, but healthy snacking is better. Making healthy snack choices contributes towards maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Given below are various tips when it comes to healthy snacking for busy professionals.

1. Plan & Prep

Never underestimate the power of planning and prepping. It can be quite beneficial. For instance, it will prevent you from making impulsive and unhealthy snack choices as well as help you gain control over what you eat at work. All you have to do is take a few minutes out of your weekend to plan and segregate your snacks in small containers. This way, you don’t have to worry about planning and prepping on your busiest days and at the same time compromise your nutrition.

2. Opt for Healthy Snack Options

Instead of choosing unhealthy snacks, choose healthy snacks to keep at the work desk. This could include options like:

• Nuts and seeds like almonds and walnuts

• Makhana

• Air-popped popcorn

• Dark chocolate

• Veggies with hummus

Choosing healthy snacks, like the ones mentioned above, will help you avoid giving in to any and all kinds of temptations towards consuming processed foods.

3. Consume Fresh Fruits

You can easily carry fruits like apples, bananas, grapes and oranges in an airtight container, without the worry of having to prep. They are naturally sweet, making them a great alternative to sugary snacks. Moreover, they are loaded with numerous vitamins. You can give fresh fruits an interesting twist by pairing them with nut butter or yogurt. This will not only make it tastier but also help add protein to your diet.

4. Choose Protein-Packed Options

High protein snacks such as besan chilla and Greek yogurt with flaxseeds or chia seeds help provide continued energy and focus. Moreover, protein-rich snacks help stabilise blood sugar levels.

5. Make Smart On-the-Go Choices

If your job requires you to move or travel constantly, it becomes essential to carry on-the-go snacks. For instance, energy bars that are made with natural ingredients are a perfect option.

6. Take Control of Your Portions

Too much of anything can be harmful, even healthy snacks. When you don’t have control over your portions, it pushes you to overeat. You should portion out your snacks beforehand. This will help you avoid overeating and will also ensure mindful eating. At the end of the day, your goal should be to satisfy your hunger.

7. Stay Hydrated

Water is the most underappreciated beverage. It is extremely important because it keeps us energised and focused. Staying well-hydrated supports digestion, improves mental clarity and reduces unhealthy cravings. Dehydration, on the other hand, could lead to fatigue, headaches and could be mistaken for hunger. If you are someone who does not consume enough water, here’s what you should do: 

• Keep a refillable water bottle at your desk

• Infuse water with lemon, mint or berries for flavour

• Drink several sips of water every hour

Also, when you are at work, replace sugary drinks with water. It is the best healthy habit that you can incorporate into your lifestyle and one that will only benefit you.

5 Recipes for Healthy Snacking

The healthy snack ideas mentioned below are easy to put together and carry to work.

1. Banana & Nuts Chia Pudding

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons chia seeds 

• 1 and ½ cups coconut milk

• 4 tablespoons Jaggery Powder 

• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

• 1 banana (peeled and sliced)

• 2 teaspoons nuts (as per your choice)

Steps to Follow:

• Add the chia seeds, coconut milk, jaggery powder, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract to a bowl.

• Mix everything well and break the lumps, if any.

• Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 2 hours or overnight.

• After refrigeration, stir again and break the lumps, if any. By this point, the pudding will have thickened.

• Top with the sliced bananas and chopped nuts.

2. Moong Dal Chaat

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sprouted green moong dal 

• 1 chopped onion

• 2 to 3 chopped green chillies 

• 2 small cucumbers

• 1 small red and green bell pepper 

• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder 

• ¾ teaspoon chaat masala 

• Lemon juice (as per your liking) 

• Pink Salt Powder (to taste) 

Steps to Follow:

• First, soak the daal for almost an entire day and then put it in a muslin cloth for a couple of days. Sprinkle water at least 2 to 3 times a day to keep it moist. Slowly, you will notice that the daal has begun to sprout.

• Wash the sprouted dal before mixing it with any other ingredients.

• Then, add the chopped onion, green chillies, cucumbers and bell peppers.

• Add the salt, red chilli powder, chaat masala and lemon juice.

• Mix everything well and refrigerate the mixture for a couple of hours before eating. 

3. Roasted Masala Makhana

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups makhana 

• 2 teaspoons Ghee 

• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder 

• ½ teaspoon red chilli powder 

• ¼ teaspoon chaat masala powder 

• ¼ teaspoon roasted jeera powder 

• Pink Salt Powder (to taste) 

Steps to Follow:

• Dry-roast makhana in a pan for at least 5 to 10 minutes over a low flame. Once the makhana turns crisp and crunchy, remove it from the heat, transfer it to a plate and set aside.

• Add ghee, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and roasted jeera powder to the same pan.

• Once it slightly bubbles, add the roasted makhana and toss it well until it is well-coated. 

• Store in an airtight container or eat right away. 

4. Oats Upma

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup oats

• 1 onion

• ¾ cup mixed vegetables (carrots, beans and frozen peas)

• 3 green chillies 

• ½ cup water 

• Himalayan Natives Pink Salt Powder (to taste) 

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil for cooking + 2 teaspoons for tempering 

• ½ teaspoon mustard 

• 1 teaspoon urad dal 

• 2 teaspoons chana dal 

• 1 sprig of curry leaves

Steps to Follow:

• Finely chop the onion and vegetables, and slit the green chillies.

• Heat oil in a pan and temper the mustard, urad dal, chana dal and curry leaves.

• Add the onion to the tempered ingredients and fry until transparent.

• Add the vegetables, green chillies and fry on medium flame for about 2 minutes.

• Add the oats and salt, and mix well for about a minute. Add ¼ cup of water, mix well, and cook covered for 2 minutes.

• Later, sprinkle the remaining water, mix well and cook covered for another 2 minutes. 

5. Peanut Butter Toast

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of whole wheat bread 

• 3 tablespoons peanut butter

• ½ a large banana, sliced 

• 2 teaspoons Jaggery Powder 

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps to Follow:

• Toast the bread slices and spread the peanut butter on each slice.

• Top with banana slices and sprinkle the Jaggery Powder and ground cinnamon over it. 

Final Thoughts

Having a hectic work life makes it all the more challenging to stay healthy. Therefore, more often than not, we end up giving in to our cravings and choosing unhealthy options, especially when it comes to the snacks that we eat.

Begin your healthy snacking journey with one of the tips that we have mentioned in the blog, gradually incorporating each one of them. You may find it difficult to remain consistent with it at the start. But once you settle into the habit, there is no going back.

For more such health-related blogs, follow Himalayan Natives!

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. Why Is Healthy Snacking At Work Important?

Answer: With healthy snacking, you can maintain your energy levels, enhance your focus and prevent yourself from overeating while you are at work.

2. Are Packaged Snacks like Protein Bars and Baked Chips Healthy Snack Options?

Answer: Protein bars and baked chips can be healthy snack options. However, it would be wise to check the labels of these packaged snacks for hidden sugar and sodium content and the list of preservatives that may or may not be used.

3. What Are Some Good Low-Calorie Snack Options?

Answer: Some good low calorie snacks include fruit bowls, cucumber and carrot sticks, makhana and air-popped popcorn.

4. How Can I Avoid Overeating Snacks While I’m At Work?

Answer: You can pre-portion your snacks into small containers. This way, you have control over how much you’re going to eat and don’t end up overeating.

5. How Often Should I Snack While At Work?