Office Staples: Healthy Food Stuffs to Keep in your Office
This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
2018 Update: This post on healthy food stuffs to keep in your office is an old favorite — do check out our most recent roundup on 40+ snack ideas for work, too.
We've done the toiletries, the clothes, and the gadgets — now it's time for Corporette's suggestions for food stuffs to keep at the office.
Many of you will be asking, what do you mean? Why would I keep food on hand? What about all the long, “power” lunches I grew to know and love over my summer experience? If not, I know of some great little inexpensive restaurants — sandwiches and sushi, really! — where I expect my friends and I will be pow-wowing during the day…
Yeah… here's the thing: When you're busy, half the time you won't have time to eat. And when you're not busy, no one really wants to prolong a stay at the office any more than necessary, so you do your work and get out as soon as you can. That said, it's handy to keep some foods at the office — healthy, low-calorie, filling foods — so that you can nosh while working and not get stuck raiding the cracker closet for food. (This is the glamorous life, right?) Note that this list was written on the assumption that you do have ready access to hot water, but not necessarily a readily-accessible microwave.
1. Peanut butter. If this isn't a “problem” for you, it's a great thing to keep around the office. Spread some on crackers like saltines, and you've got protein, fat, healthy oil, and you should stay satiated for at least a few hours. If portion control is a problem for you, you can keep things like PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter in your office and only make as much as you want.
2. Bars. We highly recommend finding a a low-calorie, high-protein, high-fiber bar that you enjoy eating. Meal replacement bars (200 calories plus) never really seem to fill us up, and the low-protein bars — such as granola bars — are kind of like eating a cookie for lunch. Our preferred picks: Gnu Foods bars (extremely high fiber and high protein for only about 130 caloreies), PowerBar Pria Bars (we like mint), or, if you're really craving something dessert-like, the Glenny's 100-Calorie Brownie. Vita-Tops are also awesome, but require a freezer handy — if you have one, we highly recommend.
3. Oatmeal. This doesn't have the protein or fiber of a lot of the things recommended above, but it has a warm, cozy, filling feeling — and it's the closest a busy woman can get to comfort foods a lot of the time. It also smells wonderful. (Be sure to get a box of oatmeal that definitely only requires hot water.)
4. Nuts. Portion control can be a problem here, also, but if you can keep nuts around they really are a power food. Go for nuts that are as close to natural form as possible — avoid things that are roasted, salted, processed. Raw almonds are, some will say, “the king of nuts,” and available via Fresh Direct and other health foods. If portion control is a problem you may also try pistachios or peanuts — in their shells. Everybody's Nuts! makes some great portion-controlled bags of pistachios, available at Jamba Juice, health food stores, or via the internet.
5. Instant noodles. There are a ton of options for meals that can be heated by the microwave — from EasyMac to LeanCuisine — but it's harder to find ones that only require hot water to “cook.” In general, these things won't fill you up, but they are a nice alternative to the bars and other things mentioned above. We like Choice Ramen (an update of the classic that now has less sodium and calories) and Thai Kitchen noodles.
6. Raisins. Dried fruits can be a bit too much like candy, which is why we like the old standards — raisins and dried plums. They may not be “sexy” fruits, but you can keep them in your bottom drawer and a handful from time to time will help you feel like you got your fruit in for the day.
7. Emegen-C. When your energy is dragging — or you feel a cold coming on — or you need some extra pep before heading out for dinner or drinks with friends, we swear by Emergen-C. These lemonade-like packets contain only about 5-25 calories, but pack a wallop of vitamin C — more than 1000% of your daily requirements. Just add water, and you're good to go. We recommend the super-boost ones, such as Emergen-C Super Energy Booster Lemon-Lime
8. Canned tuna or salmon. We highly recommend going to the office kitchen to drain the cans first and dispose of them (or else your office will smell of tuna for a week!) but with a packet of mustard or mayo mixed in, these healthy fishes are great eaten with crackers or by themselves. Of course, be sensible about potential mercury poisoning and don't eat them too often. (If you're unfamiliar with canned salmon, be sure to get cans that contain skinless and boneless salmon.)
9. Cereal. This is another great thing to keep at the office — either to keep a high-fiber cereal to mix into yogurt and oatmeal, like Fiber One — or to keep a favorite cereal from college or childhood, like Cap'n Crunch. Steal some milk from the fridge intended for coffee, and you've got a meal.
10. Pudding. It's a little-known trick, but if you bring in a box of Jell-O Instant Pudding, you can mix 1 heaping Tbsp with 1/2 cup skim milk, let it sit in the fridge for about 60 minutes, and enjoy a single portion of office-made fresh pudding. Is it a meal? Not really, but it is a dairy serving — and it's yummy.
Final $.02: When all else fails and you're unable to leave the office and need to eat something before you pass out, try for a Snickers bar or peanut M&Ms — they're not, strictly speaking, health foods, but the nuts in them will keep you full longer.
Dear readers, are we missing any favorites? What kind of foods do you keep in your drawers to nibble on throughout the day?
In addition to much of the above I keep nice tea, Folgers French Vanilla Instant Cappucino, dried fruit (craisins and goldens), microwave popcorn (they make smartpop 100 calories bags), 100 calorie boxes of crackers, chex mix, etc., microwaveable soup, and good dark chocolate on hand. Chocolate isn’t exactly low calorie or filling but sometimes you really need it!
I always keep boxes of Trader Joe’s Soups. They’re great as the season get colder, no water needed, and with crackers make a great lunch.
Do you mean the ones that need to be refrigerated and have a short expiration date? I tried those, and I love the taste, but since it expires within a week I basically had to eat it every single day in order to finish it (and inevitably ended up throwing out part of it).
Or are you talking about some other Trader Joe’s soups that are not so perishable?
Not exactly a keep in the office kind of thing, but on Sunday nights, I’ll usually make a bunch of pasta salad and bring lunch-sized portions of it to eat throughout the week. It makes a great filling, healthy lunch and requires no reheating whatsoever. It does require refrigeration, though. I make mine usually with ezekiel 4:9 penne which is super filling and has tons of protein and fiber. Just cook up a bunch of pasta (two cups dry will last you about three days) and toss in whatever veggies you have on hand (onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, corn, artichoke hearts, broccoli … whatever), some Italian seasoning, olive oil, vinegar, and maybe some crushed red pepper flakes. If you’re feeling a little decadent, throw in some fresh mozarella balls. It’s a great lunch and it can be consumed in like 15 minutes.
I also love Lundberg rice cakes. Quick, fillng snack. Maybe too bland for some, but I love them.
Canned chicken is a nice option for people who like canned tuna or salmon but are concerned about mercury levels. It doesn’t have all the health benefits of eating fish, but it will fill you up just the same.
I try to keep those little cheese sticks (like string cheese but higher quality) from Trader Joes’ in the office fridge, along with some crackers. I like the stone ground wheat crackers or those sesame ones. I also like to have mini carrots and hummus around, but they’re more perishable, so I often don’t. And good quality dark chocolate is a must.
I don’t worry too much about calories or portion control, though. I’ve found if you eat sufficient qualities of varied and healthy food at regular intervals that problem pretty much solves itself. Nothing induces compulsive snacking on whatever’s available like letting yourself get too hungry.
If you’ve got them in your vending maching, Payday candy bars are better for you and more filling than Snickers
I like the food ideas. In addition to Emergen C, I also use Immugo for energy boosts. Does the job.
Instant Noodles should not be on a list of healthy food stuffs. That stuff is really bad for you.
I agree. Kat mentioned low sodium but most of them have MSG. Don’t eat that stuff.
I love dry roasted edamame, and always keep a case in my credenza. They’re a great source of soy protein, are very low in carbs, and have 70% less fat and 40% more protein than peanuts.
I second microwave popcorn, if that is not too controversial in your office. I also keep on hand instant oatmeal (for when you get in to work before you’ve eaten breakfast breakfast), various types of tea, individual packets of Crystal Light, my own salad dressing (so when you do go out & grab something at the local salad bar, you know what you’re putting on it), and Wasa (or Ryvita) crackers. The crackers are good because sometimes you really need something crunchy, but they are very healthy (low sodium, high fiber) and it would be hard to overdo it with them.
I think you’ve nailed it. I keep meal bars (I like slim fast) or Cliff bars, dried cranberries, almonds or walnuts, 100 calorie cookie bags (sometimes I really crave sweets in the middle of the afternoon), microwave popcorn and diet coke in my office at all times.
i agree on the portion control. i have done sugar free pudding cups, applesauce cups, granola bars with fiber (like kashi), pre-measured cereal in ziploc bags, and some luna or clif or balance bars. trader joe’s also sells almonds in individual servings (i.e., a big bag of little bags of almonds).
I’ll second the VitaTop recommendation. I have them shipped directly to my office, and they go straight into the office freezer. They are the perfect late afternoon snack!
I keep fat-free plain yogurt in the fridge. It’s filling, high in protein and is a stand in for any meal. I just toss in a splenda or two, and sometimes a few choc chips for garnish. Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
I also keep a fruit bowl in my office which I refill every weekend. If there’s something healthy nearby, I will eat that before candy.
I’m a big fan of bars, I like Kashi’s chewy granola bars for a snack or Odwalla for more of a meal-replacement. I also keep raw almonds in my drawer.