Wholesome office snacks boost your business’s productivity. Here’s how!
Whenever most of us get the munchies, we probably snack on candies, chocolates, potato chips and so on. Who doesn’t like treating themselves to some delicious bites to get through a busy work day? Sure, these snacks can bring us joy when taking time off from the hustle and bustle of work, but healthy snacks, like fruits, nuts and veggies, can go a step further to add to our productivity.
Why is snacking important while working?
Keeping you on the ball
On some days, you might end up at work without eating breakfast. On an empty stomach, you find yourself staring blankly at the clock on the wall, counting the minutes to lunchtime instead of concentrating on your work. If you find yourself repeating this cycle every day, healthy snacks are here to the rescue.
What prevents us from concentrating on our tasks is the lack of energy or, put simply, low blood sugar. As healthy snacks, such as dried fruits, are naturally high in glucose (which is our body’s main source of energy), consuming them (best during mid-morning and mid-afternoon) can help balance out your blood sugar and awaken your brain. So, the next time you find it hard to concentrate at work, reach out for a healthy snack.
Ensuring a quality break
Scrolling on the phone might seem to be the best reward for working in front of the computer for a whole morning (other than going home and taking a nap, of course). However, instead of hurting your eyes further by staring at the mobile screen, you can spend your break in a healthier—and arguably more fun—manner by snacking on wholesome snacks, like blueberries, apples, bell peppers and celery.
If employers set up a healthy snack bar for employees to fuel themselves with energy and nutrients during breaks, they will earn a productive, loyal and healthy team. Not only will the team members feel energized when they’re snowed in with work, but they will also feel the care your company extends to them from the perk.
When setting up your snack bar…
Now you understand why snacking matters when it comes to being productive at work. Yet, before you go into a grocery store and fill your bag with snacks, keep these tips in mind:
Find out others’ food allergies
Recent data indicate that up to 10.8% of the global population has a food allergy (i.e., 864,000,000 people). In America alone, 32 million people are living with the issue. To put this into perspective, 1 in 10 adults and 1 in 13 children have allergic reactions to foods, such as shellfish (e.g., shrimp, crab, clams), milk, peanuts, tree nuts (e.g., almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts), eggs and soy. With such a sizable food allergy-affected population and allergen sources, it’s not surprising that there may be a member or two on your team who need to watch what they eat.
So, if you happen to be the one in charge of the snack bar, you must first figure out if anyone on your team has a food allergy to ensure what you buy is safe for all to enjoy.
Pro-tip: Read the ingredients label carefully. Look for precautionary labels, such as “produced in a factory where (allergen) is also handled”, “manufactured in a facility which processes (allergen)” and “manufactured on shared equipment…may contain (allergen)”. In doing so, you can locate allergen-free snacks unfailingly every time.
Understand the merits of healthy snacks
Without a doubt, snacking is one of the best tools in our arsenal when it comes to sustaining concentration and sparking productivity. Nonetheless, remember that only healthy snacks can do the trick.
Stuffing Cheetos or Lay’s chips in your face can make you happy. But at the same time, they are dubbed “the unhealthiest snacks on the planet” due to the high calories, fat and sodium content. As exaggerated as the claim may seem, many processed snacks that come in packages are negatively affecting our insides, risking diabetes, stroke and even cancer.
Healthy snacks, on the other hand, can increase nutrient intake and sustain energy levels. For example, almonds are rich in fiber and protein—two essential nutrients that provide a feeling of fullness. They can prevent us from leaving our seats and traveling to the pantry from time to time for food to fill our stomachs. Besides, other nutrients, such as vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids, in almonds are also proven to contribute to brain health and neurological function, helping us concentrate on the job at hand.
Of course, if you have tree nuts allergies that prevent you from consuming almonds, there are other alternatives, such as avocado and dark chocolate, that you can try out for yourself to improve concentration.
Hands down, healthy snacks can be very beneficial. However, no matter how eager you are to shoot up your productivity, overconsumption of any healthy snack, be it almonds or avocados, can induce side effects, such as unwanted weight gain, and counteract your health. Therefore, you should always be mindful of what you eat. If you have friends who struggle to make the most of their workdays, share your healthy snacks with them, and you shall all become high-flying workers soon.
Also read:
- Sparking Productivity through Office Design—Where Do We Start?
- 5 Hidden Google’s Treasures You Don’t Want to Miss
- How To Make Your Business Meetings More Productive
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