With daytime snacks, it is quite common to depend on a Dunkin D drive-by or go for your colleague's candy bowl, but that is obviously not the right thing to do, as there are healthier options to consider. Moreover, you may be in no mood to go out to get something to eat. In that case, you can opt for some health snacks for work, which you can keep at your desk and enjoy between meals. Let's find out about some of the best options.

Healthy Snacks for Work

When you do not have time to get your car out and get something to eat between meals, you can always try some options that are healthy and always available. Here are a few options:

1. Oatmeal

Simply get a packet of instant oatmeal packets and leave it in your desk drawer. Every time you feel like eating something between the meals, you can simply add some hot water to oatmeal and enjoy. It is easy to prepare it and it provides you with soluble fiber. Your body digests it slowly, which helps you feel full for several hours. Just make sure to avoid flavored varieties of oatmeal because they provide you with added salt and sugar.

2. Dried Fruit

It is true that dried fruits can be quite high in sugar, but you can easily find unsweetened brands to limit your intake of sugar and still have something to eat between the meals. You can keep dried fruit on your list of healthy snacks for work, but be sure to keep your serving small.

3. Unsalted Nuts

You may be thinking that the fat content of nuts will directly target your waistline and make it go big in no time. That is actually not the case; in fact, some studies have shown that including nuts in your diet helps you maintain a healthy body weight. This happens because nuts provide you with a combination of fiber, protein, and heart-healthy fats. Fiber in nuts makes you feel fuller and prevents hunger pangs. You can always opt for pistachios, almonds, peanuts, and other options, but be sure to stick with unsalted varieties.

4. Dark Chocolate

When you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, you can always reach out for some dark chocolate. Simply stash squares of dark chocolate and enjoy whenever you feel like having an after-lunch dessert. The good thing is that dark chocolate can also boost your mood and improve alertness by increasing blood flow to your brain. Just do not go overboard with the idea of getting health benefits from dark chocolate.

5. Peanut Butter

If you do not feel like eating nuts, you may get their health benefits from peanut butter. It is always a great idea to go for nut butter when you want to eat something between meals. You can use it with a snack of celery or fresh apples to increase your intake of protein, which will help keep you fuller longer. Just make sure to consume no more than two tablespoons of peanut butter a day.

6. Tuna

Looking for healthy snacks for work? You can get single-serving pouches of tuna and enjoy them when you cannot abandon your work for long. A typical serving pack of tuna provides you with about a third of your recommended daily intake of protein. At the same time, you get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids from tuna, which not only lower your risk of heart disease but also slow down age-related cognitive decline. You can cut the fat content further by opt for a version that uses water in place of oil.

 7. Whole Grain Crackers

Instead of snacking on a bag of fried chips, you will be much better off going for whole grain crackers. You will get the coveted crunch you are after without loading you up on calories usually associated fried chips. You can enjoy some hearty crackers along with string cheese for midday, post-workout snack because they provide you with a perfect combination of carbs and protein.

8. Fresh Fruit

You just cannot go wrong when you opt for fresh fruit. You can use sliced fruits and berries to prepare a salad and leave it in the office fridge to enjoy between the meals. You can prepare enough to last you a week and have some of it daily. You can also opt for low-maintenance picks, like oranges, apples, and pears if you do not like the idea of making a salad.

9. Vegetables

Just like fresh fruit, veggies provide you with essential nutrients along with fiber that keep you full and prevent hunger pangs. Consider bringing a tub of celery sticks, baby carrots, or already steamed edamame to work and enjoy between the meals. It is also possible to find prepackaged options, but be sure to stay away from the blue cheese dressing. Opt for hummus instead to get some protein.

10. Healthy Bars

You can have bars between the meals, but not all bars fall into the category of healthy snacks for work. Opt for the ones with low sugar and high protein and fiber content. You are going to experience a crash after you eat a bar that is all sugar and carbs, so choose sensibly.

11. Walnuts

You can include walnuts in your diet even if you are currently following a low-carb diet. You get about 4g of carbs from an ounce of walnuts, but you also get loads of omega-3 fatty acids from the same serving size. Just be sure to opt for salt-free varieties of walnuts to stay on the safe side.

12. Pumpkin Seeds

If you are looking for one of the best sources of whole-food protein, look no further than pumpkin seeds. A crunchy serving of these seeds provides you with 7g of protein. They are also a great choice because they contain 5g of carbs per ounce but none of them are sugar. You can also add them to oatmeal, salads, cottage cheese, and yogurt to increase your intake of protein.