Working from home at the moment?
You might be at a safe distance from the cakes and cookies yet another co-worker brought in for their birthday – but you’re in perilously close range of your kitchen cupboards!
Being in close proximity to snacksĀ makes it all too easy to start rifling through drawers and cupboards for biscuits to have with your (ninth) cup of tea or crisps to crunch on while you scroll through your emails.
ResearchĀ suggestsĀ weĀ eat more when we’re mindlessly snacking or distracted. Double or triple a snack serving, and you might find yourself gobbling up the caloric equivalent of a meal, which could push you over your daily SmartPointsĀ® Budget.
Keep snacking
That’s not to say you shouldn’t snack while working from home. In fact, healthy snacks can help you reach your weight loss goals because they:
1)Ā Prevent overeating
Because snacking between meals fends off hunger, it may helpĀ curb food cravingsĀ and reduce the possibilityĀ of overeating at your next meal, particularly when you pair ingredients that are high in protein and fibre, according to aĀ 2016 reviewĀ of studies on snacking published in the journalĀ Advances in Nutrition.
2) Curb sugar cravings
If you tend to reach for sweets when you feel extra hungry, pairing high-fibre and high-protein foods may also help alleviate that urge. Fibre helps toĀ slow the rateĀ of digestion and absorption in your gastrointestinal tract, WWās head of nutrition and wellness Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDNĀ says, while protein requires more “work” to break down and digests at a slower rate. Itās one reason why pairing an apple (for its fibre) and cheese (which serves up protein) rather than choosing one or the other may help you feel fuller for longer.
3) ProvideĀ nutrients
Your body needsĀ bothĀ macronutrients (i.e.Ā fat, proteinĀ and carbohydrates) and micronutrientsĀ (vitamins and minerals) to function. But as it happens, consuming nutrient-dense foods can also help you lose weight in the long run: in aĀ 20-year studyĀ of 120,000 adults conducted by the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, researchers found that people who ate a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, yogurt, nuts, and wholegrains rather than low-quality foods (i.e.Ā crisps, sugar-sweetened beveragesĀ and processed meats) were more apt to lose weight than gain it over the course of two decades.
Stay on track snacks
To stay on track, positionĀ pre-prepared, pre-portioned healthy snacksĀ within easy reach of your desk (like a piece of fruit)Ā or at the front of your fridge or cupboards (like a small pot of 0% fat Greek yogurt or a serving of raw nuts).
Other great snack ideas include hard-boiled eggs, cheese cubes, grapes, crackers with low-fat spread, and dried fruit (remember to count the SmartPoints). As a rule, if your savoury snack containsĀ protein, fibreĀ and/or healthy fats, itās most likely a healthy choice.
Scroll down for 12 snack recipes to satisfy your munchies and tide you over until your next meal.

Lemon Baked Oats
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- 2
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Turkey Scotch Eggs
- 5
- 2
- 2



Carrot cake snack bites
- 1
- 1
- 1

Pea & potato samosas
- 3
- 3
- 2




Croquettes with aioli
- 12
- 11
- 4


Kale & lemon popcorn
- 2
- 2
- 0