Office snacks can sometimes be more important than a full meal!
A nutritionist has specially recommended 10 types of office snacks that are low in sugar, low in fat, and low in calories, allowing you to enjoy them boldly while maintaining the best physical and mental state for the office.
Coffee, Milk
Nutritional Insights
Some people cannot drink milk or simply don't like its taste. However, the nutritional value of milk is hard to give up; it is rich in milk calcium with a high absorption rate.
Some people enjoy drinking coffee, but they choose 3-in-1 instant coffee packets. The "3-in-1" is a mix of hydrogenated vegetable oil, white sugar, and coffee powder. The hydrogenated vegetable oil brings trans fats that are harmful to cardiovascular health, and you also have to consume so much sugar along with it.
Consumption Guidelines
Prepare a glass of low-fat milk (with 2/3 less fat than whole milk), add a spoonful of coffee powder, and sweeten it with raw sugar or Ba'er sugar (safe sweeteners).
Seaweed
Nutritional Insights
Seaweed contains a variety of vitamins and minerals, with a particularly high iodine content. Regular consumption can prevent skin dullness, dry hair, and slow growth caused by iodine deficiency, reduce fat accumulation in the body, and prevent hypertension and coronary heart disease.
Consumption Guidelines
This thin snack won't make you fat because it contains almost no fat and very few calories!
Tofu Skin/Parchment Tofu
Nutritional Insights
The prominent nutritional benefit of tofu skin is its high calcium content. The greatest feature of tofu skin is its balanced nutrition: it has protein, fat, and carbohydrates, with none lacking and none in excess.
According to measurements, every 100 grams of tofu skin contains 336 kilocalories of energy and 731 milligrams of calcium, while its fat content is less than 16 grams, so you won't gain weight from eating it.
Consumption Guidelines
If you miss a meal, eating some tofu skin is a great way to satisfy both your craving and hunger.
A single vacuum-sealed pack of five-spice tofu skin weighs about 20 grams. Eating two or three packs as a snack can supplement 40% of your daily calcium requirement.
Beef Jerky, Braised Beef
Nutritional Insights
Braised beef or beef jerky is rich in protein, contains some heme iron, and also has high levels of zinc, selenium, and various B vitamins. It can nourish the spleen and stomach, strengthen muscles and bones, and replenish qi and blood. Compared to small packs of braised beef, beef jerky contains less water and salt.
In addition, the nutritional value of braised beef is roughly half that of beef jerky of the same weight, but its sodium content is twice as high.
Consumption Guidelines
These two snacks are suitable to eat when your stomach is empty.
Roasted Fish Fillets, Shredded Squid
Nutritional Insights:
After being dried, roasted fish fillets have a reduced water content, and their nutrients become concentrated. The content of protein, iron, zinc, etc., is quite high.
Shredded squid is also good, with a protein content of 16% to 20% and not high in fat. Moreover, the fat in fish contains rare unsaturated fatty acids like EPA and DHA, which have lipid-lowering and brain-boosting effects.
Consumption Guidelines
Roasted fish fillets, shredded squid, or fish bone snacks are all extremely high in sodium. While enjoyable, they should be consumed in moderation.
Ready-to-eat Fruit and Vegetable Chips
Nutritional Insights
Pineapple chips and banana chips, which were once all the rage, are now considered the least healthy among various ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable chips because their energy and sugar content are relatively high.
Nowadays, apples, carrots, and even oyster mushrooms and ginger can be processed into delicious ready-to-eat snacks, produced using low-temperature vacuum drying technology, which minimizes nutritional loss in the fruits and vegetables.
Consumption Guidelines
Eating too many is not beneficial, as the best way to supplement with vegetables and fruits is always to eat them fresh.
Preserved Plums and Olives
Nutritional Insights
Both preserved plums and olives can relieve coughs and reduce phlegm, promote saliva production, and quench thirst.
Plums and olives are rich in organic acids, which can promote the secretion of digestive juices and aid digestion. Therefore, they are suitable to eat between meals or after a meal, but not when you are extremely hungry.
Preserved plums and olives can also freshen your breath, making them an indispensable item in the office snack lineup!
Consumption Guidelines
2-3 pieces a day, after meals.
Fresh Fruit, Fresh Vegetables
Nutritional Insights
The word "fresh" is essential. The nutritional value of fruits and vegetables continuously diminishes with storage time.
In addition, when preparing fresh fruits and vegetables for the day, you should follow the principle of moderation (250g/day), as excessive consumption goes against the principles of health preservation.
Consumption Guidelines
About an hour before or after a meal, eat an apple, half an orange, or some cucumber or tomato. The vitamins, water, dietary fiber, and antioxidants they contain can make up for the nutritional deficiencies of a main meal, regulate gastrointestinal function, promote food digestion, dispel drowsiness, and bring you a good mood.
Hickory Nuts
Nutritional Insights
The energy and fat content of hickory nuts is similar to that of walnuts and other nuts, while its mineral content is twice that of walnuts, especially its rich zinc content.
Furthermore, hickory nut oil is rich in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, and its nutritional value is no less than that of olive oil. It has the unique function of lowering blood lipids and maintaining cardiovascular health, an advantage that other nuts cannot match. Traditional Chinese medicine also believes that hickory nuts can moisten the lungs and strengthen the kidneys.
Consumption Guidelines
Roasted hickory nuts are very salty, so try not to eat the skin to avoid excessive sodium intake.
Also, it's best not to buy hickory nuts coated in sugar, as this adds sugar and makes it easy to overeat.
Low-Sugar Oatmeal
Nutritional Insights
Oatmeal can provide energy from complex carbohydrates and also bring soluble or insoluble dietary fiber, helping to balance the day's nutritional structure.
Raw oatmeal that requires long cooking is definitely not suitable for the office. Instant pure oatmeal has been pre-cooked at high temperatures and can be ready in just 2-3 minutes in the microwave. Some people find pure oatmeal too bland to swallow, so you can mix it with milk and honey to enhance the flavor.
From a nutritional perspective, minimally processed whole grain products have the highest nutritional value.
Consumption Guidelines
If you miss a meal, a bowl of oatmeal porridge is a good option.