Lip-Smacking Snacking at Office

Mindful Snacking Avoids Unmindful Calorie Accumulation

​Our office is a home away from home where we spend most of our precious time. Some of us have all three meals at office canteens and also squeeze in one or two snack breaks in between. Most companies host frequent luncheons, parties, birthday bashes, offer evening snacks, have tough deadlines to meet which include prolonged working hours and frequent travels too! All these factors together make a person doubtful about weight loss targets which seem to be practically impossible.

Highly motivated workers indulge in eating their meals or snacks at desk to save time and work more which can prove to be disadvantageous sometimes:
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1. The meal mostly would be an unhealthy one constituting of ready-to-eat sandwiches or burgers that can be consumed without spoiling your hands (otherwise you must get up to wash your hand).
2. Eating while working makes a person consume more food as his/her focus is on the job at hand instead of focusing on the food that goes into the mouth. The brain is not fully aware of the satiety cues and you mindlessly consume food until you become overfull.
3. Individuals eating at their desk eat food faster than usual as they are in a hurry to finish it up and continue working.
4. Nutrition and weight loss goals are lost in this process
5. People snack at their desk sometimes out of boredom. This triggers them to eat unhealthy foods that contain more calories and increase their overall calorie value.
   
   

We are under the drudgery of our bosses for anywhere between 9-14 hours and the thought of hot samosas, kachoris or namkeens with a cup of steaming chai sounds heavenly and brings back the lost charm of the day. Cheese sandwich, potato chips, peanuts and momos are other unhealthy snacks that distract us from work but bring comfort and energy to our work too! Apart from these, such snacks also bring about extra sugar, sodium and fat! Snacking is not unhealthy all the time. It in fact, increases metabolic activities and saves you from weight gain. Choosing the right snacks helps to keep your calorie meter in check. When it’s time for meals or snacks ditch your samosas and pizzas for some healthy alternatives given here:
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• Sprouts salad: Boil sprouts or eat them raw with a pinch of salt, crushed pepper and squeezed lemon juice. You can chop cubes of onions and tomatoes and add them to your sprouts if you have time to make a yummy salad. Full of protein and fiber, they are low in calories and help to keep you full for longer periods.
• Fruits: Brimming with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, fruits are an excellent snacking option. Always keep a bowl of assorted fruits such as apples, oranges, bananas, guavas, berries and melons or carry whole fruits with you every day.
• Steamed or boiled corn (minus the butter) with some salt, chili powder and lime juice over it is rich in fiber, easy to prepare and keeps you full.
• Peanuts may be high in calories, but a handful of roasted peanuts can replenish your body with the required amount of proteins and minerals.
• Our authentic options such as poha, idlis and dhoklas are good snacking and meal options.
• Nuts make an awesome snack but should be consumed in moderation. Make a nut mix by adding almonds, walnuts, dried fruits and some pistachios.
• Popcorn makes a good snacking option when it is not greased with butter. Microwave popcorns at home and eat a bowlful of them to fill your tummy and your taste buds.
• Dark chocolates are good for heart, good for health and good for stress! What more advantage do you want? Those craving for sweet can bite on a few pieces of bitter dark chocolate rarely.
• Instead of choosing ‘food’ snacks, you can carry some clear veg soup or fresh fruit juice that can be a pleasant welcome change to your regular salads and sprouts.
• If you would love to eat some Indianized food, bhel puri is the perfect choice when it is customized as per your needs. Trash out the sev and aloo, bring in spicy channa masala, diced tomatoes and onions, kaccha mango cubes for slight sourness, sprouts and mint chutney to make your customized bhel puri. Corn, chili powder or chat masala can also be added if you want spice and masala in your snack.
• Unsweetened yogurt
• Salted buttermilk
• Coconut water

Power-Packed Sweet Delicacies!

Snacks are the best way to stop you from attacking food vigorously during mealtimes. They also prevent you from getting hangry (you become angry when hungry) and throwing tantrums at people around you. Hangry is a common term used off late to define people on the verge of hunger anger. Read more about ‘hangry’ feeling at www.firsteatright.com. Enjoy any of the above-mentioned snacking options and make your day fruitful and healthy at office. ​

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