5 Snacks You Need to Stock in Your Desk

Tracie Kendziora is a holistic health coach focused on plant-based lifestyles. She is a wellness enthusiast drawn to alternative practices like Ayurveda, crystals, meditation, and yoga, and is passionate about green beauty and ethical fashion.

Even if you guzzled your green smoothie this morning and packed a homemade lunch, you still might not be immune to an afternoon snack attack.

We’ve all been there.

It’s 2:30 in the afternoon. You get up from your desk to stretch your legs. You wander into the break room to fill your water bottle and discover some unattended cookies and cupcakes. Despite all the healthy food you’ve been fueling your body with, you find yourself staring down a chocolate chip cookie.

What to do?

Say, “Not today, chocolate chip cookie” and head back to your desk, where you happily nosh on the healthy goodies you squirreled away for situations like this.

What’s that? Your drawers are empty?

Time to change that. The five snacks below are easy, healthy, and perfect when you’re up against that mid-afternoon cupcake craving. Even better? You can stash them in your desk and forget about them — until you need an ally against that cupcake calling to you from the break room.

NUTS

Nuts are high on the healthy snacking list for good reason: Just a handful gives you plenty of protein and healthy fat to fight off the cookie cravings. Nuts are also full of vitamins and minerals that can lend a little support when you’re stressed, angry, or tired.

For example, almonds and cashews are loaded with zinc and magnesium, which can help keep your energy and mood on the up and up, especially when you’re freaking out about that looming deadline.

And the omega-3 fatty acids in walnuts (a quarter cup has 90% of the recommended value of omegas 3s) help keep your cortisol and adrenaline in check.

Plus, that bag of nuts won’t rot for a while. Unlike that questionable banana on your desk right now.

SEEDS

Maybe your first thought when you see “seeds” is bird food or your uncle spitting out watermelon seeds.

You probably don't think of them as a great snack. But pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds are bursting with fiber, good fats, iron, protein, and vitamins and minerals.

Pumpkin seeds are rich in iron, phosphorus, and zinc, which give you a little extra dose of energy. And pumpkin seeds are full of magnesium, making them a great snack when you need to calm down or relax. You can also reach for sunflower seeds and sesame seeds when you’re stressed — they’re high in magnesium, too.

Just like nuts, you can stash a bag of seeds in your desk and grab a handful when needed, like when your boss assigns you some busy work at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon.

MEDJOOL DATES

You probably put dates in your smoothies. Maybe you use them as a sugar substitute when baking. Maybe you even make caramel with them.

But dates are pretty delicious on their own, too. Besides being full of fiber and plenty of potassium, dates are super sweet (very helpful when that cupcake is pouring on the charm) and a natural source of sugar that will perk you up mid-afternoon.

And you won’t crash afterward because your body can easily digest those natural sugars. That cupcake’s sugar? Not so much.

NUT BUTTER

Protein should be a priority when you’re snacking because it helps you feel full, and nut butter should be a priority because it’s full of protein and, well, delicious.

Whether you keep a jar at your desk or grab some pre-portioned packets, whether you pair it with a piece of fruit or a piece of toast, this snack will satisfy that hunger like a good cat video satisfies your Monday-morning blues.

A clean nut butter with as few ingredients as possible (think nuts and salt) is a great option to dip your veggies, fruit, or fingers into.

DARK CHOCOLATE

Yes, you can (and should) have chocolate! Just make sure it’s at least 75% chocolate with minimal added ingredients.

If you focus on those two features, you’ll be able to focus on that feature article you’re writing. And, thanks to dark chocolate’s feel-good chemicals, you’ll also be able to stifle the sadness that comes with another day of writing about asset allocation and portfolio management instead of your true passion.

At least you’ve got a square of dark chocolate in your desk.

You can enjoy each of these snacks solo or mix and match, if you’re not an eat-nut-butter-by-the-spoonful kind of gal. You can totally throw together some nuts and seeds, maybe add in some of that dark chocolate, and make an impromptu trail mix. Or stuff those Medjool dates with nut butter. And maybe more dark chocolate?

These snacks are all easy and healthy, perfect when you’re in a cookie crisis. Even better? You can stock your desk on a weekly or monthly basis and call on your supplies when you need an ally against the break room leftovers.

“Tracie Kendziora is a health coach for crazy busy working women who are tired of feeling like shit.

With her off-beat humor and no-nonsense approach, she’s here to show you that wellness doesn’t have to be work. When she’s not making smoothies, you can find her relaxing on the beach with a good book.”

Learn how to eat clean in your cubicle at TracieKendziora.com.

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