Ah, to dine and decompress as they do in Europe—midday eating is different over there. In Spain a meal followed by a siesta is common—in Italy they call it a riposo. In France, where cuisine holds a special place in people’s hearts, a lunch break can be up to two hours long and sometimes a glass of wine is enjoyed. So blissful is the pause that strong coffee is needed to return to professional alertness.
Here in the United States we’ve successfully amputated the need for such noontide pampering, unless it is in aid of some form of business schmoozing to advance our own – or our company’s – agenda. Long lunches are for the lazy, the uncommitted, the weak waiting to be culled.
Which is why, I suppose, we take seriously our desktop grazing. To keep tip-top we grab quick bites of hastily made or procured items throughout the course of our day. We assembled a list of some healthy foods to snack on at your desk while at work, and came up with mainstays like yogurt (no. 9), nut bars (no. 5) and salads (no. 6), as well as some other more interesting fare. No. 1 might surprise you.
There’s nothing wrong with a culture of snacking, of course, as long as you do it right—making healthy choices will keep your energy up and be better for your wellbeing overall. Unhealthy choices will cause your verve to sink like a stone.
See the slideshow above for our picks for the 10 best healthy snacks to eat at your desk.
