20 Easy, Healthy Snacks

Got the munchies?  Instead of heading for the junk food, keep a stash of healthy snacks in your pantry or office drawer.  Pack them is single portions if you tend to plough through the whole bag once you start.  These healthy snacks will keep in the drawer so you don’t need to keep them in the fridge or worry about them going bad in a short time. Keep a variety so you don’t get bored.  Need some healthy snack ideas? Try these!

Healthier snacks to keep in the drawer

1. Dried fruit- apricots, apples, cranberries, sultanas, dates, unsweetened bananas, mango slices. Just remember that dried fruit may be high in sugar so don’t over do it, especially if you need to manage your sugar levels.
2. Nuts – cashews, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, macadamia, Brazil nuts
3. Coconut chunks
4. Seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, flax, sesame
5. Granola bars
6. Protein bars
7. Freeze dried fruit
8. Trail mix – you can get prepacked trail mix but you can also mix your own and just use your favourite dried fruit, nuts and seeds.  Add dark chocolate chips for a treat.
9. Dark chocolate – get store bought or make your own chocolate bark.  Just melt good quality dark chocolate (follow directions on the packaging), pour into a tray and add your favourite toppings or dip slices of dried fruit into the chocolate.  I love chilli and sea salt, or chilli and peanuts or just chilli.  Whatever dried fruit you have on hand – just chop into a small pieces.  Nuts go stale so unless you’re going to eat it pretty soon, I wouldn’t put nuts on.
10. Fruit leather
11. Quinoa crackers
12. Rice crackers
13. Veggie chips
14. Fruit chips
15. Air popped popcorn
16. Nut butter – it is not necessary to refrigerate but I would only have a small jar in the drawer.

Healthy drinks to keep in your drawer

The office usually has water, coffee and tea available but if you want something different, try these:

1. Herbal teas – keep some teabags or tea leaves in your drawer. Green tea is a good source of antioxidants and will relieve the effects of stress.
2. Protein shake powder
3. Honey – good for scratchy throats
4. Small boxes of coconut water

Healthy toppings

Crackers can be a bit dry sometimes so you can top with avacado, hummus, nut butter or whatever else you like.  You can get small containers of dips, enough for 1 or 2 serves.  They may need to be kept in the fridge though.

Fresh fruit

This isn’t really to keep in your drawer but get some fresh fruit to eat through the week.  I know if I don’t eat fresh fruit while working during the week, I won’t get enough in.  I usually get some fruit at the beginning of the week and leave it on my desk or put it in the fridge.  Just see what’s in season and get some that’s ripe and some that can ripen over the week and be ready when you need it.  I usually get at least five bananas so that I can have one every night on the train home so I’m not starving on the commute (aka “I’m so hungry I need to get crisps from the vending machine at the train station otherwise I’ll die of hunger!!!”)

Happy snacking!

Jennifer Tak

Jennifer Tak is a certified Integrative Health Practitioner & Energy Coach who helps busy professionals regain their energy and conquer stress, gently and naturally.  Jennifer had over 20 years of corporate life and was stressed out and exhausted.  Now she’s using her previous corporate experience, combined with her hippy inclinations with health and energy medicine to simplify health for busy people.  Get a FREE copy of her Stress Relief e-Book for 15 ways to reduce your stress quickly, gently and naturally.

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