--- description: Skip the junk food, and choose these healthy office snacks you can keep at your desk. title: The Best Healthy Office Snacks image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt01bf704978bd3921/69887ece0a4a222f5d9c882b/best-snacks-office-desk-chocolate-chickpeas-cereal.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [motto](/tag/motto/) ## motto Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Best Healthy Snacks to Keep in Your Desk Drawer by [Cynthia Sass / Health.com](/author/health-com/) ## Cynthia Sass / Health.com Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 24, 2016 11:00 AM CUT  Combination of a bar of chocolate and a keyboard Combination of a bar of chocolate and a keyboardGetty Images by [Cynthia Sass / Health.com](/author/health-com/) ## Cynthia Sass / Health.com Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 24, 2016 11:00 AM CUT Should you stock your desk with [snacks](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20855303,00.html "undefined")? It depends on your track record. If having food on hand triggers you to mindlessly nibble, then storing even healthy options within close reach can set you up for disaster. But some find that keeping good stuff nearby prevents them from eating junkier options. If that’s you, stock up. Just put your stash anywhere that requires you to get up from your chair. Here, desk munchies, rated. **Individually wrapped dark chocolate squares** **Pick it**: The treat can satisfy a sweet tooth while providing minimal calories (45 per 0.32-ounce square) along with mood-boosting, heart-protective antioxidants. **Roasted chickpeas** **Pick it:** You’ll get your crunchy, salty fix as well as an array of nutrients like fiber and potassium. Plus, an Australian study found that chickpeas can help curb the desire to eat processed snacks. **_More from Health.com:_**[_4 Surprisingly Healthy Road Trip Snacks_](http://www.health.com/health/video/0,,20836522,00.html?xid=time "undefined") **Cereal** **Skip it:** You can store some at the office for breakfast in a pinch, but if you keep a box at your desk, you might start grabbing handfuls throughout the day and find you’ve finished the whole thing. **Fruit and nut bars** **Pick it:** They offer built-in portion control for people who have a tough time limiting servings of nuts or dried fruit. Look for brands with “clean” ingredient lists that read like a recipe you could make yourself. **_More from Health.com:_**[_Best Snacks for Weight Loss_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20778689,00.html?xid=time "undefined") **Box of crackers** **Skip it:** They tend to be highly processed and pack far more carbs than you can likely burn sitting at a desk, and they’re difficult to stop eating once you start. The same holds true for pretzels and pita chips. **_More from Health.com:_**[_8 Nutty Snacks Under 80 Calories_](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20688300,00.html?xid=time "undefined") **Jar of nut butter** **Skip it:** It’s just too tempting to keep dipping in your spoon. I’ve had clients confess that they polished off an entire jar in one week. Stock whole nuts instead, in premeasured ¼-cup portions. _Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, is Health’s contributing nutrition editor, and privately counsels clients in New York, Los Angeles, and long distance. Cynthia is currently the sports nutrition consultant to the New York Rangers NHL team and the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team, and is board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics_ [_This article originally appeared on Health.com_](http://news.health.com/2015/09/18/the-best-snacks-you-can-keep-in-your-desk-drawer/?xid=time "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4234806/healthy-office-snacks-2/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4234806/healthy-office-snacks-2/"},"headline":"The Best Healthy Snacks to Keep in Your Desk Drawer","datePublished":"2016-02-24T11:00:09.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:01:54.270Z","description":"And 3 snacks you should skip","url":"https://time.com/4234806/healthy-office-snacks-2/","keywords":["motto","diet","Food","Nutrition","Work","Weight loss","health","Workplace","office","Diet & Nutrition","snacks","Healthy Eating"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt01bf704978bd3921/69887ece0a4a222f5d9c882b/best-snacks-office-desk-chocolate-chickpeas-cereal.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Cynthia Sass / Health.com"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt01bf704978bd3921/69887ece0a4a222f5d9c882b/best-snacks-office-desk-chocolate-chickpeas-cereal.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"482820219","caption":"482820219","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4234806/healthy-office-snacks-2/","name":"The Best Healthy Snacks to Keep in Your Desk Drawer"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Should I Eat French Fries?","description":"A record number of experts weighed in on this one, and regretfully, 7 out of the total 9 give French fries a firm thumbs down.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/kL7utfHP/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-06-10T22:49:27.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/kL7utfHP.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4234806/healthy-office-snacks-2/","duration":"PT2M30S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4234806/healthy-office-snacks-2/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```