Think about your average workday for a minute. When does your energy sag? For some of us, it’s midmorning or afternoon, when the previous meal has worn off and the next one seems far away. You may find yourself distracted, irritable, tired or just plain hungry. To stave off those feelings, add a little healthy snack boost to your day.
- Make good choices. It’s so easy to simply hit the vending machines, which usually feature chips, cookies, and candy, along with the occasional granola bar and bags of nuts. Yet, as you probably know, those sugary snacks will give you a great boost for a little while…until the sugar high wears off and you crash, feeling more sluggish than ever and getting less done at work. Instead, pack something with a little protein and fiber that will make you feel satiated and energized.
- Take care with “healthy” snacks. To make sure you truly have a healthy snack, you need to become a bit of a label reader. For example, yogurt, in general, is considered healthy, but some of the brands with fruit can be loaded with sugar. Even a granola bar can have loads of sugar — and what seems healthier than granola? That sugar spike can lead to crashes later in the day. And continued ingestion of sugar can lead to weight gain, tooth decay and an increased risk of developing heart disease. Go for such snack items as fruit, whole grains, hummus or nuts (in small amounts).
- Prepare ahead of time. Having healthy snacks takes just a little bit of planning. There are many you can bring that require no refrigeration at all. Find snacks high in protein and fiber, and low in sugar such as an apple, whole wheat pretzels, almonds, cut-up vegetables and the like. You may want to get a small lunch bag to keep food cold in (depending on your refrigerator situation) as well so you can bring plain yogurt with real fruit in it or hummus, for example. Just ten minutes at night will have you ready when hunger strikes the next day.
One part of getting through the workday is having the energy to get your work done in the best way possible. Eating healthy snacks will give you the boost you need. For any other medical advice, contact the experts at Medical Professionals.
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