Hope you aren’t reading this while hungry because we’re about to break down the best break room snack ideas, including fun and delicious snacks, healthy snacks, and the best office snack delivery.
Whether sweet, salty, spicy, sour, smooth, crispy, crunchy, chewy, or even healthy, there’s no denying that a great snack can brighten your day. And when you’re pulling long hours at the office, lunch won’t always cut it. When you get the munchies on a busy day, break room snacks are your salvation. Be honest with yourself; do you want to read this article alone, or do you want a scrumptious cookie or savory bag of popcorn to keep you company? 🍪 🍿
The Pros and Cons of Single-Serve Office Snacks
Snacks come in many different shapes and sizes, but usually, they’re either served in a big bag or a little one—and both have their pros and cons.
Single-serve snacks won’t go stale because someone didn’t wrap the bag up properly. They’re simple to serve, and they’re more sanitary. You don’t have to worry about who else has put their hands in the bag before you, and you can lick the salt or sugar off your fingers happily without worrying about spreading your germs to anyone else.
On the other hand, single-serve packages generally contain snacks with more preservatives, and they produce much more waste. And you could make the argument that big bags are perfectly sanitary because you can simply use a bowl. The obvious counterargument to this being if you use a bowl, you have to wash it.
That’s why, depending on the size of your team or organization, the best office snacks come in small packages. Delicious single-serve snacks like chips and candy may cause you to hang around the office a little longer, but healthy single-serve snacks can give you the fuel you need to keep pressing on until it’s time to go home.
So, what are good snacks for office meetings, and what snacks are the best to always have on hand to keep you energized in between meals?
The Best Break Room Snacks
Chips, Crackers, and Popcorn
Who doesn’t love a crispy, salty snack? Chips, crackers, pretzels, and popcorn are delicious, savory snacks that come in a variety of large or single-serve packages that are easily stored. The single-use packaging makes for great conference room snack ideas since you can always have them on hand for visitors, events, team gatherings, and client meetings. They’re fairly inexpensive, and they’re sure to please almost anyone in your office looking for something salty.
While these crunchy snacks are sure to satisfy salty cravings, they don’t offer all that much in terms of nutrition. If you’re looking for a healthier option, lean towards crackers with natural ingredients or lightly salted popcorn over processed chips and heavily salted pretzels.
Another important consideration is when the snack will be served, as crunchy snacks in loud, crinkly bags may cause a disturbance during meetings.
Cookies and Cakes
Cookies and individually packaged pastries are a go-to snack for those with a sweet tooth. Many cookie brands have mini versions of their cookies available in individually packaged bags. This makes them sanitary and easy to store; plus, the cookies will last a lot longer before becoming stale.
You’ll please many snackers with sweet baked goods, but you may also induce a sugar crash. Snacks that are filled with processed ingredients and loaded with sugar may give you a small burst of energy at first, but you’ll soon experience a sugar crash.
A blood sugar crash, also called hypoglycemia, affects everyone differently. Depending on the severity, symptoms can include nervousness or anxiety, shakiness, impatience, confusion, a fast heartbeat, nausea, headaches, sleepiness, and yes, even hunger.
Experiencing any of these symptoms is less than ideal for productivity and momentum, and it could seriously harm the health of your employees.
Desktop Mints, Candy, and Chocolate
Small, individually packaged mints, candy, and chocolate are commonly placed in a bowl or a jar on an office desktop, conference room, or lobby. They serve as a simple, sweet offering for visitors entering or leaving the space.
The sweets are generally bite-sized, which makes them inexpensive to purchase in bulk. “Take as many as you’d like” usually applies since this office snack/treat is cheap and easily replaceable.
Desktop mints have the added bonus of combating stale breath before a meeting. This is especially helpful after a morning coffee or the tuna fish and onion sandwich you had for lunch.
Mini Sandwiches
Mini sandwiches aren’t a snack you’ll have around all the time, but they are a delicious and simple option for when a larger, catered lunch is too much food.
Mini sandwiches come with a wide variety of fillings, so you’re sure to please just about everyone with an assorted platter. This is a more elaborate snack, so it’s best suited for conferences, events, large meetings, or team building sessions.
The Best Healthy Office Snacks
Nuts and Trail Mix
Looking for a healthier alternative? Depending on the ingredients, nuts and trail mixes can provide both a salty and sweet fix while offering you increased focus. Nuts are an excellent fuel source for both your mind and body. They are loaded with brain healthy nutrients like zinc and vitamin E, and they’re packed with fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
Learn more: Healthy Breakfast & Other Foods That Impact Your Focus.
However, in a workplace, you must be mindful of nut allergies. Before purchasing nuts or snacks that may contain nuts, make sure every employee has had a chance to note their possible allergies. You should also keep this in mind when hosting events or having clients visit your office. If you’re unsure, choose snacks that are free of nuts, just in case.
Granola and Nut Bars
Granola bars come in all sorts of varieties and sizes, and they are usually individually packaged. From fruit filled to crunchy peanut butter to nut bars, there’s a healthy option for everyone. If you are trying to be conscious of choosing healthy snacks, ensure you check the ingredients—some bars are promoted as a healthy alternative, yet they still contain tons of sugar and processed ingredients.
Again, be careful and mindful of nut allergies. Ask your team about any allergies you should be aware of and the severity of these allergies. A peanut allergy is one of the most common causes of severe allergy attacks. For some people who are allergic to peanuts, even a trace amount of peanuts in the food they eat can cause a serious, life-threatening reaction (anaphylaxis).
Fruit Bowls
Fruit is a much healthier way to satisfy a sweet tooth, and the best part is that many fruits are naturally prepackaged. Fruits like bananas, oranges, and mandarins have an outside peel that keeps the fruit inside clean and individually packaged.
Consider having a rotating office fruit bowl filled with simple, durable fruits that can stay out on the counter. The best options include apples, oranges, bananas, and grapes. More delicate fruits, like berries, are more expensive, and they go bad quickly. Cut up pieces of fruits like watermelon, honeydew, or cantaloupe will get slimy if they are left out for too long.
That’s not to say you can’t enjoy some delicious strawberries or watermelon at work, but know that additional preparation is required, and someone must be available for cleanup shortly after.
For the best tasting fruit, choose options that are in season and shop locally, preferably at a farmers’ market where you can support local farmers.
Veggie Trays
Vegetables! While not everyone’s first choice, vegetables are a healthy option that will fuel your body and mind throughout the day. Aside from receiving the nutrients your body desperately needs, you won’t crash after indulging in a vegetable snack like you would after consuming processed foods. Your heart will thank you!
Make this snack as simple to serve as possible so that team members can simply grab some veggies and dip on-the-go. Veggie trays are ideal since the vegetables are pre-cut into bite-sized portions. Cucumber, carrots, celery, cherry tomato, bell pepper, radish, and broccoli are all great options.
The health benefits of eating vegetables may be clear, but this type of snack is more difficult to prepare and manage. Fresh vegetables can only be left out for a limited amount of time. You also need to make sure someone puts the leftovers in the fridge. But the job doesn’t stop there; you also need to ensure these leftovers are eaten or disposed of before they go bad in the fridge.
Did someone say office cleaning? Check out our 7 Office Spring Cleaning Ideas (Plus Yearly, Monthly, and Weekly Cleaning Checklists).
Office Snack Delivery Service
Looking for convenient snack options delivered right to your office door?
You can have your office treats delivered alongside your other office supplies. Blue Summit Supplies carries a large selection of office snacks and kitchen essentials. Look for individually packaged snack foods, treats, desktop candy, coffee creamer, sugar, and much more in our Food Store.
Don’t forget about healthy office snack delivery options. Blue Summit Supplies carries a number of healthy snacks in individually wrapped packages, including granola bars, trail mix, and Kind nut bars. We also recommend looking for healthy snack options from local businesses within your community. Supporting businesses near you is an excellent way to build rapport with your neighbors and show your support for small businesses.
Check out Blue Summit Supplies’ healthy snack delivery for offices.
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