Snacking at Work

Yesterday was a quiet running day...five soft miles...yet I still managed to ding my right Achilles. I believe I did it by over-stretching rather than running. I'll go light on the stretching for the next few days.

The following article from the New York Times seemed worth sharing.

Smart Eating at Work

Marissa Lippert, a registered dietician, has put together a shopping list, including some of her favorite brands, for the foods she has recommended.

Here’s her list:

Top 10 all-around picks, in no specific order, to stash at your desk or in your office fridge

1. Raw, unsalted nuts (almonds, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, pecans)

2. Kashi TLC granola bars, Gnu Flavor & Fiber bars, Lara bars (or check out youbars.com and create your own)

3. Low-Fat Laughing Cow Cheese, Coach Farm Goat Cheese or organic part-skim string cheese

4. Fage 0% Greek Yogurt or Stoneyfield Farms Low-Fat Organic Yogurt

5. Wasa, Finn Crisp, Kavli or Dr. Kracker wholegrain crackers

6. Organic peanut, almond or cashew butter (any organic/natural brand will do, or get the freshly ground stuff at your local Whole Foods Market or health food store or through FreshDirect.com)

7. McCann’s Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal or Arrowhead Mills Organic Original Instant Oatmeal

8. Kashi GoLean or Heart to Heart Cereal; Uncle Sam’s Cereal; Bear Naked Granola (watch portions!)

9. Sweet Riot Chocolate Covered Cacao Nibs (for the occasional afternoon chocolate craving)

10. Good Health Half-Naked Popcorn or Gleny’s Soy Crisps (1.3oz – small bag)

I would add a few more that I keep at work.

• Fresh fruit: I keep a bowl at my desk with apples, bananas, etc.
  

• Cliff bars: I buy these by the case and always have some at my desk, in my PC bag, in my gym bag, and in the car.
  

• Quaker Oats or other non-instant varieties of oats: You can 'cook' the oats by putting about five heaping teaspoons in a coffee mug, then adding hot water from the coffee brewer, then covering and waiting for about five minutes.

• Raisins (add them to the oatmeal if you like)

• As suggested above, yogurt, but I also keep whole flax seed at my desk, and mix about 1 teaspoon into each container of yogurt.

If you have some other good ideas for snack foods to keep at work, please add a comment. THANKS!