Ever forget your lunch or just get too busy at work that you didn’t have time to grab lunch like you planned. I deeply understand this. In the past it would result in me eating whatever was on the staff-room table which was rarely ever a good option…think random cookies, candy, Filipino sweet buns. While there’s nothing wrong with any of those things in moderation, trying to eat enough to make up for a meal eating donuts and croissants isn’t ideal for most of us trying to make good choices and safe those calories for something we actually want to eat or crave.
Try bringing some of these to work for a quick snack, or to combine as a meal when your day isn’t going as planned.
- Low sodium jerky
- Flavored tuna tins or packs – some even come with crackers. Just read the nutritional information on the packs, some can be quite high in calories. I personally buy the Tuna Snack kits that are about 160-190 calories and have 15+ grams of protein
- Protein powder
- Protein bars – stick to ones between 120-170 calories so you still have room for more food. These bars are great in a pinch but don’t provide a lot of volume when you’re hungry. This can mean eating a calorie dense bar and still feeling the need to eat another 400+ calories just to “feel full”
- Pre-portioned backs of nuts and seeds. I say pre-portioned because otherwise you may find yourself having eating 500 calories of nuts mindlessly…been there, done that!
- Oatmeal packs – all you need to do is throw them in a cup and add hot water
- Rice cakes
- Rice crackers
- Nut butter – add it to your oats, apple or rice cakes
- Air popped popcorn or the 100 calorie bags of microwave popcorn
- Roasted seaweed packs
- Roasted chickpea snacks
- Apples – these can last quite a long time on your desk and make a great snack in a pinch
- Freeze dried fruit
- Canned sardines