Snacking continues to be intrinsic to India’s consumption culture, enabling everyday social moments, being a source of comfort, and providing needful indulgence. As we make our way back to the office, the temptation of raiding the office pantry with colleagues or huddling together over a cup of tea and some munchies is now real. Let’s not forget that innate urge to snack as we put our thinking caps on and pour over excel or power points, trying to get our jobs done. This habit is nothing to feel guilty about. You might think that this throws some healthy eating habits developed over the pandemic period out of the window. As you reach for a snack, take a beat and understand that this is a highly scientific trigger. While working, our body breaks down glucose to create energy for the brain to process information. Food, therefore, becomes an essential ingredient to keep our brains engaged with the task at hand. This experience would be even more guilt-free if you had the right snacks. Stuff boosts your metabolism and keeps you sharp but doesn’t tip the scales towards unnecessary calories.
So here’s a suggestion: stock up your desk work with options that you can munch on without compromising your taste or health with some of these items.
- Protein Pops (Foxnuts) - Makhanas or foxnuts are delicious and have high protein content. They have added long term health benefits that aid in anti-ageing and curbing inflammation. The rate is so high on the snack-o-meter for people looking for healthy eating options. Foxnuts are also a great snacking option for people avoiding gluten. They are filling, easy to store and come with the goodness of nutrition and taste.
- Popcorn - Popcorn is everyone’s favourite snack, and surprisingly enough, they are high in fibre content and low in calories counts. They come in a wide variety of exciting flavours from brands like 4700BC that make consuming them more fun. If you have a sweet tooth, you could also try gourmet popcorn flavours like Salted Caramel, Tiramisu and others, which can be the occasional indulgence for good behaviour if you have an eye out for calories.
- Chocolate-coated Almonds- Everyone knows almonds are a healthy snack but can be boring for many people, so combining them with dark chocolate makes them scrumptious and comes with a host of benefits. Almonds are high in Vitamin E, prevent heart diseases, and keep you focused and productive. In addition, dark chocolate gives you the pep you might need during the post-lunch slump while also being a great source of anti-oxidation.
- Corn Nuts - Corn nuts don’t exactly make it to the list of healthy snacks. But at times, when you are looking for something quick and easy to nibble on during a long workday, it is a great option. It is a great way to break the monotony of having the same snacks and gives you a good energy pump to tick off all the pending tasks for the day.
Don’t wait to add these to your next shopping cart to make your office munching a guilt-free experience
(Inputs by - Chirag Gupta, Founder 4700BC)