5 Strategies To Smart Snacking At Work

Written by Canadian Lentils Dietitian Gloria Tsang, RD

Eating well at work can be challenging, say 45% of Canadians according to a recent survey conducted by Ipsos Reid. Often times, we do prepare a lunch box to bring to the workplace and ensure it’s healthy and wholesome. However, the afternoon snack time is when we don’t give much attention to. With bagels and packaged snacks readily available in most office pantries, it’s too easy for us to turn to these carb-heavy, sugar-loaded snacks that don’t boost concentration or productivity.

Snacking At Work Can Be Healthy Too

• Eat a nutritious-balanced lunch and include protein foods and lots of veggies. The number one reason why some experience that afternoon slump is due to the fact that lunch is too heavy on carbs and not sufficient in protein and fiber to keep the feeling of being full long enough. To avoid the sudden afternoon slump, order a side dish of salad with dark green leafy veggies with some nuts, for instance, along with that carb-heavy pasta dish.
• Always pair a carb snack with a protein snack. Protein helps to stabilize blood sugar and help make us to feel full longer. Ideal protein choices include nuts such as peanuts and walnuts, seeds such as flax seeds and sunflower seeds, cheese, Greek yogurt, and lentils. For instance, you may dip your fruit in yogurt, spread natural peanut butter on toast, or try our Quinoa Lentil Salad Wraps, easy to prepare and eat at your desk when you’re in a rush.
• Always have healthy staples on hand, at home or in office. Stock your office drawers with shelf-stable snacks. Granola bars made with natural grains and nuts are a good shelf-stable snack option. Alternately, you can make your own Soft & Chewy Lentil Granola Bars.
• Once you’ve put together your shelf-stable snacks, think beyond that. Include refrigerated snacks (like natural cheese) and frozen snacks (like edamame) in your repertoire. These options are great high-protein snacks and can keep satiety long.
• Desserts can be nutritious too. Some of us simply love eating sweets as snacks once in a while. However, most sweet snacks are loaded with sugar and not much fibre and other nutrients. You can totally make over your desserts by incorporating lentils. Try this to-die-for Midnight Coconut Lentil Fudge or this mid-afternoon pick-me up: Sprouted Lentil Granola Parfait.
• Prepare ingredients that need to be cooked ahead of time. For instance, pre-cook lentils on weekends and store them in the fridge to be used on weekdays. Alternately, choose canned lentils. The beauty of lentils is that they can be prepared in advance and can be eaten cold or hot, a versatile kind of pulses that go beyond being a soup ingredient.

With proper planning and the right ingredients on hand, snacking can be healthy at work. This March, Canadian Lentils is proud to be a sponsor.