Community

What to Pack for an Office Snack

June 21, 2014

There are so many great conversations on the Hotline -- it's hard to choose a favorite. But we'll be doing it, once a week, to spread the wealth of our community's knowledge -- and to keep the conversation going.

Today: We've conquered the desk lunch, now it's time to upgrade the office snack. 

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A cabinet, a desk drawer, a vending machine -- every office has a munchies mecca. Whether worn down or simply bored, we unwaveringly gravitate toward these snack stockpiles as mid-afternoon draws near. In this desperate time, there's no differentiating between carrots and cheese puffs -- we lunge for whatever's in reach. Even when we have the best of intentions, it's easy to mindlessly revert back to the comfort of chocolate sandwich cookies.

Stuck in a rut of hummus and baby carrots, self-proclaimed "serious office snacker" Summer of Eggplant turned to the Hotline for tips on what to pack for a wholesome, office-appropriate treat. The snack savants of our community heard her call and, thankfully, were eager to share.

  • Anella munches on sliced apples when midday hunger strikes. To bulk up the snack, ATG117 points out that apples pair well with nut butters, cheese, or dark chocolate
  • Mklug follows a similar mantra, balancing light snacks like cucumbers, watermelons, and pineapple with more substantial treats, like coconut bars

  • For protein, Susan turns to beef jerky. Rather than chewing on the store-bought kind that often contains additives, make your own at home. Prep it on the weekend and it will be ready to pack for snacks all week long. 

  

Tell us: What do you munch on at the office? 

Photos by James Ransom

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Threemoons
    Threemoons
  • AntoniaJames
    AntoniaJames
  • Carol
    Carol
  • Catherine
    Catherine
  • Julie O
    Julie O
Student, aimless wanderer of grocery store aisles, almond butter's number one fan.

8 Comments

Threemoons June 23, 2014
My snack attack plan: Always have at lease one piece of fruit around (I like grapefruit; also good to share with cube-mates) and one other crunchy thing like almonds or veggie chips.
 
AntoniaJames June 23, 2014
1 tablespoon each of chia seeds, ground flaxseeds and unsweetened toasted wheat germ + a handful of blueberries or sliced strawberries (or some of each) + vanilla almond milk to moisten/cover (about 1/2 cup), topped with a tablespoon of chopped toasted pecans if I know it's going to be a good while until my next meal. ;o)
 
Carol June 22, 2014
Spiced (by me) almonds; a hardboiled egg; frozen grapes
 
Catherine June 22, 2014
Yogurt (Greek or goat) with walnuts and fruit sweetened with a bit of maple syrup. If you use frozen fruit you don't even have to stick it in the fridge.
 
Julie O. June 21, 2014
Sun dried tomatoes and wasabi seaweed pages. It tastes like a full meal.
 
Helen B. June 21, 2014
80 cal packs of Peanut Butter and Almond Butter, Greek Yogurt and Cinnamon, Health Warrior Chia Bars
 
Taylor June 21, 2014
I have what I call a "stach stash" a big tub of pistachios that will help to fill me up if my lunch isn't pulling me through to the end of the day. Cheese with pretzels is also a favorite, along with homemade granola bars.
 
Nathan June 21, 2014
whole. Wheat crackers and pnut butter for a burst of energy.