Thread: Office Snacks

I recently visited a friend in her very swanky NYC office. I was interested in finding out what exactly she does all day (plays with numbers), but I was much more intrigued by the endless snack bar complete with espresso machines, fresh-baked treats, ice cream bars and, much to my delight, a lot of fresh fruit. Your office snacks might be more vending machine style than freshly baked, but it’s all the same really. If there is one healthy habit dilemma that isn’t going anywhere, it’s that little thing called your job.

In an office with snacks galore, morning meetings with bagels and cream cheese, not to mention the birthday and retirement cakes, it takes real effort to stay healthy. Here are five tips to keep your office eating in check.

1. Request healthy options. The HR department is there for a reason: employee satisfaction. Ask for fresh fruit bowls. If it’s not going to happen daily then at least it can be ordered along with bagels for meetings. Find out who’s in charge of filling the vending machine with the trans-fatty chocolate bars and greasy chips. Suggest looking into healthy vending machines, or at least a few healthier options like whole grain crackers or sweet potato chips.

2. Bring your own meals. You’re less likely to let your coworkers talk you into the pepperoni pizza in the front office if you have a homemade sandwich you don’t want to go to waste. No time? Make friends with the freezer. I’m a big fan of Amy’s, Organic Bistro’s and Seeds of Change’s frozen meals. Stock up your work freezer (with your name and “do not eat, or else” threats on them, of course).

3. Have safety snacks. There are two common situations where this comes in handy. First, when boredom, frustration and/or laziness sneak into your workday – from my experience this is generally around 4 p.m. – and it’s suddenly time for a snack break. The second situation is the birthday cake. Celebrations are inevitable, but as long as you’re munching on something you will cut the cake craving and skip the totally unnecessary calories. The solution for either one is to keep safety snacks on hand. My stash would include a few of the following: trail mix, fresh fruit, a good nutrition bar, yogurt, carrots and hummus, roasted chickpeas, or Triscuits and a string cheese.

4. The water fountain is the new coffee machine. Hydration is so important, and something that falls to the wayside when we get busy. So get a cool looking reusable water bottle and make it a point to drink up.

5. The candy desk: The people with the bowl of sweets tend to be popular (if only for the candy). Don’t be that person! Who needs temptation staring them in the face like that? Instead, try an electric tea kettle. Plug it in and invite friends to your cubicle for tea, and the candy desk has nothing on your classy cubicle. If the candy bowl culprit is nearby, make a “No Candy, No Matter How Mini” rule for yourself.

So how health-conscious is your office? And what do you do to keep your eating in check? Do you have any food-related workplace weaknesses?

Snacks should be like more hygienic...........So have a healthy snacks list on your menu.