I work in an open office with mostly men where there is a lot of banter and even more snacks. When I first started working there I loved the daily trips to Lidl for chocolate croissants and the endless supply of chocolate digestives. After about a year though I started noticing my work dresses were getting a little... snug. I was grazing all day and not on anything particularly nutritious. Except for Jaffa cakes because those are definitely one of your five a day. After a while though I was beginning to feel guilty eating my morning croissant while I was exploding out of my trousers and so I decided I needed to do something. It wasn't an easy decision to remove myself from the snack club because Gary in particular was a feeder of the highest order but I gradually learned how to say "NO FOR THE LOVE OF JEEPERS CAN YOU PLEASE GET THE FAIRY CAKES AWAY FROM ME!!!" I've a a bit of a routine now when it comes to my work snacks and I've definitely noticed a change in myself and also how I choose to snack outside of work as well. I am determined to put on a bikini this summer and feel great knowing I put some effort in to get healthy. I've included a few examples below of some of the healthy treats I pack in the morning along with a sneaky recipe.
- Almonds - not the salted covered ones ye rascal
- Sliced cucumber/carrot/celery dipped in hummus or guacamole
- Dried cranberries - actually mildly addictive
- Mixed seeds and nuts - when you're cooking some butternut squash save the seeds and roast those bad boys for the day after
- Avocado smothered on wholemeal toast - avocados are the bees knees but frig they are expensive
- Mini fruit salad - ye know berries, chopped banana, grapes - raid that fruit bowl!
- Protein Balls - it's easy to eat a bajillion of these - don't
- Gluten free popcorn - there's salty & sweet kind in Tesco's - get on it!
- Walkers Sweet Chilli Multigrain crisps - very specific and very amazing
AND...
Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies
I made two batches of these in a week because everyone in work scoffed them. I have since been scolded by Andrew to not share the delicious treats and to keep them at home - what a guy! What's great though is there is no refined sugar in them - seems to be the buzz words to use these days - and the oats mean that you're getting sufficient energy for a wee afternoon kick.
I found the recipe here at Amy's Healthy Baking and have included it below too. I've seen a few other recipes on the site that I'm definitely going to try out because no doubt I will tire of eating these every day. Or maybe not.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (visit Amy's website to see how to measure correctly)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (28g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) honey
- 6 tbsp (53g) fresh raspberries, diced
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the honey until thoroughly incorporated. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the raspberries. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. (If chilling longer, cover with plastic wrap, ensuring it touches the entire surface of the cookie dough.)
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops on the baking sheet. (If chilled longer than 1.5 hours, flatten slightly.) Bake at 325°F for 13-15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Good luck!
xx
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