Your office is where you end up spending the maximum hours of your day. Obviously, those hours would include mealtimes too. Now, it isn’t easy to keep a check on your diet the way you can possibly at home. Moreover, it’s even difficult to control those in-between meal cravings when one often tends to snack on high-calorie edibles such as cookies, canned juice, sodas, or fries.
It’s equally important to check what you eat even when you’re at work. There are several benefits of doing so – a good diet helps you stay alert, focused, increases attention, prevents you from feeling lazy etc. So what should or can be eaten to achieve the same? Dry fruits! Yes, they’re a perfect alternative to high-calorie junk and are an excellent reservoir of some vital nutrients.
Why Dry Fruits and Nuts?
Research has often proven the excellent nutritional value that consumption of dry fruits brings along. They’re high on protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and much more. This is why lots of health experts strongly recommend substituting usual high-calorie office snacks with dry fruits and nuts.
Top 7 Dry Fruits and Nuts to Snack at Work
The next time you feel like munching something in between work pressure, keep a box of dry fruits ready in your bag. Just dig into them and enjoy snacking, without a worry! Here are 7 of the most healthy dry fruits and nuts that you consider popping in to curb those small hungers:
- Almonds – A commonly found and perhaps the healthiest snack of all times, it can be relished any time of the day, anywhere. What’s more, you can try them out in different ways to introduce daily variety. Keep them soaked overnight, remove the peel next morning, and carry along. Or, simply pack a few roasted almonds, mildly salted, and enjoy them in their natural form.
Health benefits of snacking on them: Almonds are a highly rich source of antioxidants and have zero cholesterol. Daily consumption can help relieve constipation, respiratory disorders, and heart problems. They also help enhance quality of hair, skin, and teeth.
- Cashew nuts – Cashews are tasty and healthy both; therefore, they’re generally preferred as a snack option. Best enjoyed mildly roasted but tastes good even raw.
Health benefits of snacking on them: Rich source of vitamins E and B6.
- Raisins – Sweet in taste, they’re great to substitute all those sugary cookies and pastry items you’ve been relishing during coffee breaks. Besides, they’re prepared from dehydrated grapes, which lend them a unique health value. Can be relished raw or added in numerous food preparations.
Health benefits of snacking on them: Great for controlling acidity-related problems, improve digestion.
- Walnuts – Often, people tend to count them out from the snack box because it involves some effort to break the hard nutty shells before you can enjoy the tasty seed within. However, once you’ve learnt the knack of doing so, you’d be thankful for all the health benefits earned. They are also available in snack form like frosted walnut, walnuts halves, toasted walnuts, candied walnut, raw walnut, etc. You can stock walnuts in bulk and enjoy them as daily snacks.
Health benefits of snacking on them: Omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals – walnuts are fully loaded with nutrition.
- Pistachios – They are naturally salted and so a great snack option without the need to add any seasoning to them. You really wouldn’t be able to stop at just one!
Health benefits of snacking on them: Pistachios are extremely good for the heart; they help reduce bad cholesterol levels in the body. They also help prevent diabetes and are great immunity boosters.
- Dates – Like raisins, dates are naturally sugary, meaning you can easily bid goodbye to all your sugary syrups, pastries, and cookies. Instead, try out dates raw as they are, or add them to a variety of dishes, any way you like it.
Health benefits of snacking on them: Rich source of vitamins, proteins, minerals, and natural sugar, which makes them an excellent choice for energy booster. Also help provide relief from constipation and have proven benefits in the treatment of anemia.
- Apricots – They are best both ways – dried and in their natural form – so eat them whichever way you like them.
Health benefits of snacking on them: Did you know that apricots account for nearly 47% of your daily vitamin A needs in just a single serving? Besides, they’re an equally great source of potassium, vitamin E, and copper. Apricots are highly preferred during summer when the sun is at its strongest because of their vitamin E quality. Consumption of dried apricots can help improve skin, eyes, and immunity.
Other Healthy Snacks to Munch at Work
Besides dry fruits and nuts, there are a couple of other ideas you can always keep handy for snacking at work, snacks which promote good taste and good health both.
- Roasted chickpeas – They’re yummy and also a rich source of protein and other essential nutrients.
- Apples and peanut butter – Try thin apple slices with peanut butter spread – you wouldn’t get enough of them ever!
- Homemade granola bars – Granola bars are super-high energy and productivity boosters, alright, but they’re also high on artificial sugar. Why not try making your very own healthier alternative at home? Just blend in rolled oats, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and cashews in a mix of melted coconut oil and honey. Now spread the mixture on a lined baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes on low heat.
- Greek yogurt – Unsweetened Greek yogurt is much higher in protein than regular yogurt. What’s more, it’s also a rich source of calcium.
- Popcorn – High on fiber and low on calories, a perfect munch in between meals. Have air-popped popcorn though which comprises more antioxidants and lesser calories.
- Cottage cheese and fruit – A healthy and yummy combination, it’s low on calorie count and high on nutrition value.
Summing Up
Snacks are good, provided they’re healthy and serve their very purpose – of satisfying short hunger cravings until the next meal time at work. Keep some of the above dry fruits and nuts handy and enjoy.
