A great day begins in the kitchen and this certainly rings true when it comes to preparing your office snacks. Sitting in an office for eight hours a day can leave you feeling sluggish and your body underworked, especially if you’re on a quest to build muscle and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Diet is equally as influential as physical exercise in forming your physique so we’ve put together our top 10 protein-rich snacks that can be eaten and prepared at your desk.

The world ‘snack’ often implies piles of crisp wrappers overflowing out of your bin and rogue biscuit crumbs nestling in your keyboard but with the worldwide health kick still in full force, the face of elevenses is changing for the better. Snacking no longer means wolfing down a high-sugar, low-nutrient processed product that does your body absolutely no favours.

A healthy body makes for a healthy mind so feeding yourself the right foods will not only enhance your physical appearance but also boost productivity and professional performance.

1. Celery sticks & peanut butter – PB packs a hefty protein punch and spread along a few sticks of celery, makes for the ideal office snack. Peanut butter is high in healthy fats so balancing this out with something like celery keeps the calorie count down too.
2. Almonds – A handful of almonds is the perfect substitute when you’re feeling a bit peckish and is a great way to boost your Omega-3 intake too.
3. Chocolate milk – Yes, believe it or not, the childhood classic is also great for growing adults who need a quick protein fix on the go. This is a great option for sitting through long meetings when you don’t have chance to chow down and it’s high in calcium too.
4. Low-fat Greek yoghurt – When you get those sweet-toothed craving that have you hankering after chocolate and biscuits, reach for a pot of low-fat Greek yoghurt instead. A small portion delivers up to 18g of protein and has half the sugar content of regular yoghurt.
5. Cottage cheese & banana – A generous dollop of cottage cheese on top of a sliced banana is another great way to sneak in some extra protein while you work away. The cottage cheese will keep you full for hours while the banana will boost your potassium levels.
6. Hard boiled eggs – Simple but effective, snacking on a hardboiled egg with a sprinkling of pepper can keep your savoury cravings at bay while piling on the protein. At just 70-80 calories a pop, boiled eggs are also a good source of Vitamin D and Vitamin B12.
7. Mini Babybel – Another childhood favourite is the Babybel for its high calcium content and practical packaging and you can take advantage of this too. Snack on one of these for a tasty muscle-building boost.
8. Dry roasted edamame beans – A balanced combination of protein and fibre is a sure way to keep you fuller for longer. Snacking on a bowl of edamame beans is a great way to cut down on calories but increase nutrient intake. (FYI, dry roasted edamame beans contain more protein that regular).
9. Turkey & hummus roll ups – Hummus is a great source of protein but regularly eating it with pitta or crackers can leave you feeling bloated. Try spreading it on a slice of wafer-thin turkey and roll it up for a healthy alternative.
10. Protein bar – These are a quick and easy solution when you just don’t have the time to spend spooning out peanut butter or chopping bananas. Protein bars can be chucked in your bag and eaten on the go but watch out for the ones with super high sugar content.

Staying active during the working day can also be a real challenge when your job requires you to sit down for most of it. Check out our article on how to reclaim your recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day while still going about your normal daily routine by clicking here.