The Successful Professional’s Guide to Smart Phone Savvy Snacking

I once had someone tell me that they liked to eat donuts for breakfast instead of more nutritious choices because it took less chewing so he could hurry up and eat it and get back to work. I’ve seen people struggle in meetings to try to be elegant in their healthful but messy/hard to eat choices.

Let’s be honest. Many of us have chosen snacks not based on their nutritional value, but instead for whether or not they will leave a greasy trail on our smart phone screens and/or if they are socially appropriate to eat in meetings without drawing attention to yourself or your food choices.

Many of the delicious foods that happen to be good for us too are crunchy, teeth stickers, and/or impossibly hard to eat in a sophisticated way without getting gooey hands or screens. It’s time to stop letting your business success get in the way of your desire to care for yourself and make better food choices.

Here are a few examples of nutritious snacks with modifications for work appropriate enjoyment. This is not a comprehensive list, so use your imagination and apply the same type of thinking to your other favorites:

Delicious, nutritious option	At home	At-work modifications	“Equipment” needed
Apple	Eat whole Slice with knife Added to oatmeal	Pre-slice before meeting with apple slicer or enjoy applesauce	Knife & Apple slicer (slicer more work appropriate than knife) Spoon for applesauce Napkin or moist towelette
Banana	Peel and eat	Not best choice for a formal meeting. Eat before you go or use a fork Have a plan for what to do with peel in meeting	Knife Napkin (wrap peel after eating) Don’t throw out where it will be stinky later
Cheese stick	Enjoy	Enjoy, place wrapper somewhere appropriate to recycle after meeting	Napkin Thermal lunch bag
Cherries	Wash, enjoy!	Not best choice for formal meeting. Eat before you go Wash, pit, put in a reusable bowl	Cherry pitter Reusable bowl with lid Fork and Napkin Check teeth after eating
Grapes	Wash, eat	Wash, eat Choose seedless, red or green; raisins Green may be less visible if stuck in teeth 😉	Check teeth after eating Either pre-stem or dispose of properly after meeting
Nuts	In shell or pre-shelled	Shelled Consider possibility of nut allergies before choosing	Consider moist towelette to avoid salt or oil on phone or when shaking hands
Pineapple	Whole, cut into chunks; canned in juice or water	Whole, cut into chunks; canned in juice or water – use a fork	Do not bring the entire pineapple to work. Eat with utensils, not your fingers. 😉
Tea	Loose leaf or bag	Bag	Do not leave bag on table. Include a cup or lid to place bag and dispose of properly
Water	Cup, mug, or other reusable and washable container	Cup, mug, or other reusable and washable container; bottled if you must (pour into reusable glass)	Wash cup/mug every day; recycle bottles
Yogurt	Enjoy as is or combined with other foods	Use a spoon or drink in a premade smoothie	Spoon Napkin Recycle container as appropriate