22 (Amazing) office snacks you must try in Vancouver

Snacks are an essential part of working in an office, but it’s hard keeping them healthy and interesting.

We asked Vancouver’s leading health and wellness experts how they snack in their office.

Vancouver snacks

Office snacks can make your office awesome, or a calorific hell-hole. At Fruitfull Offices, we think fruit is the number one snack to eat at your desk. But we also know that sometimes you need something else to get you through the day.

In this article, we’ve asked some of Vancouver’s leading health experts what they like to snack on to keep them going, and we’ve compiled a list of 22 awesome snacks for you to try in your office. Many of the snacks on this list are available to buy in Vancouver city.

Feel free to jump to your favourite kind of office snack
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office supplies vancouver

In line with Health Canada, we believe a healthy diet should include all the essential macro-nutrients. We believe that ‘fad-diets’ that restrict one group of nutrients, could lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. Snacks should come from a variety of sources. We recommend you avoid the low-nutrient junk-food, and focus on fruit, vegetables, nuts, and cereal whole grains; and make that a part of your employee wellness program.

The ‘Locals’ Protein Bar:

Jolt – Plant-based, Naturally Caffeinated.

 

Jolt Performance is a local Vancouver based business that have created a revolutionary protein bar – it’s caffeinated to give you the energy you need to excel through your day in the office.

Jolt’s bars are delicious, and contain 65 mg of naturally occurring caffeine from green tea (equivalent to an espresso shot), along with quality plant-based protein and fibre. These bars are also free of gluten, soy, or added sugar, and are high in iron. Jolt is the perfect lifestyle bar for the busy consumer – whether it is to jumpstart your morning, power through that afternoon meeting, rock your workout, or keep up with the kids.

Jolt actually started in Safia (the founders) kitchen before it became a business – “I have been a certified fitness instructor for about 10 years and started experimenting with protein bar recipes as I just couldn’t find a bar I loved.”

These bars look awesome and they are selling in a variety of health food stores and grocery stores like IGA, Fresh St Market, Thrifty’s and are available for purchase online at www.performancebyjolt.com

Local Kombucha – Healthy Hooch

Kombucha drink made in Vancouver by the Healthy Hooch Company

Retired road cyclists Will & Shoshauna have taken the next road in their careers and ended up on an Abbotsford farm making Healthy Hooch. As professional athletes with a perfect understanding of health, well-being and fitness, the duo has given us their low-sugar, pro-biotic rich kombucha. Kombucha is a fermented and effervescent tea beverage rich in pro-biotics, low in calories, and just plain delicious. Available all over Vancouver and in flavours ranging from Pear & Ginger, Tart Cherry to Tumeric Sunshine, we hope you get your hands on some Healthy Hooch. Check out their website here:

www.healthyhoochkombucha.com

More Cookies Please

Our new favourite snack right now is the MORE Cookie a delicious cookie that you’ll want to snack on every day. Feel good when you do, as the MORE cookie is packed with up to 28% of your daily fibre which means you’ll feel full and satiated to tackle your day. Combine that with all natural ingredients like wholegrain oats, chia, quinoa, wild blueberries, cranberries… and it’s certified tree nut and peanut free. Well, you have a snack perfect for any work place. Found out where to buy the More cookie now on their awesome website www.morecookie.ca

Snack Bombs!

Snack Bombs are a powerhouse of plant-based super-foods that fuel your body and mind. They are organic, gluten free, high In protein & iron, sulphite & preservative free, and made from non-GMO ingredients. Many people are calling Snack Bombs their secret weapon because they give you both cognitive and physical energy thanks to their whole-food ingredients like cacao butter, almonds, baru seed and flax. Snack Bombs are available online at well.ca and www.snackconscious.com

Nuts and Seeds

1. Prana’s Goji-Cranberry Trail Mix.

We love Prana’s Almond Goji berry and cranberry mix, it’s an awesome snack full of antioxidants, and UTI fighting cranberries – we can’t get enough of it. Making your own trail mix is an awesome way to get some nuts and dried fruits inside you too. See some awesome recipes here or curate you own blends based on these classic ideas.

  • Simple and Sophisticated: Almonds, dried cherries, dark chocolate chips, sea salt, cinnamon.
  • Old-School: Peanuts, raisins, M&Ms.
  • Tropical Mix: Cashews, Brazil nuts, dried mango, coconut flakes, banana chips.

 

2. Avocado on Crackers

You did know that the avocado is actually a nut right? Well it is, and it’s got some pretty awesome oils in it called monounsaturated oleic acids, or Omega-9 fats, which do everything from lubricating your joints, staving-off diabetes, improving eyesight, rejuvenating your memory and clarifying your cognition. It turns out your brain is made from Omega-9 fats too, and so finding a good source of brain fat is an essential part of your diet.

3. Almond Butter (with apple slices)

We asked some of Vancouver’s leading health experts what they like to snack on, and what they recommend to others. Meghan De Jong is the Nutritionist at The Practice Studio, Vancouver’s leading health, fitness and wellness centre. Seriously, they do everything there!

When it comes to healthy snacking, I like to recommend having a carbohydrate with a fat, or a carbohydrate with a protein – I find this stabilizes the blood sugars, and therefore helps sustain the body for longer. This can look like an apple with almond butter, “Wasa Rye Crackers” with sliced avocado, or carrot sticks with hummus. I also love making healthy homemade treats to keep in the freezer. My favourites include; cacao bliss balls made with dates, nuts and seeds, refined sugar-free chickpea blondies, or a “health-i-fied” oatmeal banana bread.

See Meghan De Jong (Registered Holistic Nutritionist) on Instagram

4. It’s not bacon

 

So you’ve thrown a few salad leaves into some Tupperware in the hope that it gets you through the day. But wait, why are you still sooo hungry? Why not try an awesome topping made from Coconut. This awesome Vegan snack really tastes like bacon…..but it’s not. ‘It’s not Bacon’ is made by ‘Everyday Superfoods’ a Vancouver-based company focused on all natural, vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO packaged food products.

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5. A handful of Peanuts



Peanuts are rich in essential nutrients. A 100 g serving of peanuts provide 570 calories and contains essential micro-nutrients like vitamins B, E, manganese, magnesium and phosphorus. Peanuts also contain about 25 g protein per 100 g serving, a higher proportion than in many other tree nuts. We really like the Salted Spanish Peanuts made by Vancouver ‘Island Nut Roastery’. You can buy their delicious peanuts here.

Fruits and Vegetables

6. Cara Cara Oranges

We love oranges and we’ve got 8-10 Vitamin-C packed juicy sweet soft citrus fruits in each of our fruit baskets. We love the delicious Cara Cara oranges which are best described as a cross between a Navel orange and a grapefruit.

7. Frozen Fruit and Yogurt

Put a few frozen fruits into some Greek yogurt in the morning, and have the perfect mid-morning snack in your office.

Cristina Sutter is a Registered Dietitian with over ten years of experience providing nutrition counselling. She has helped hundreds of individuals reach their health and fitness goals with proven dietary strategies. Her clients include the Vancouver Canucks, and Canada’s Olympic athletes.

My favourite snacks often include fresh seasonal fruits with yogurt. On a hungry day, I might go for some crackers and tuna or guacamole or a boiled egg.  I keep a spare protein bar in my car for hectic days.  On very long work days, I might have a second lunch to tide me over until dinner, this could be a small sandwich or chicken veggie wrap or a protein muffin.  Lately, my favourite evening sweet snack is “banana ice cream” made from blended frozen banana and cocoa powder – so delicious and satisfying!

8. A box of fruit for you office

Having an office that’s constantly filled with cakes, donuts, muffins, candy bars, cookies and soft drinks is going to make you sick over your working life. If you have a box of fruit in your office kitchen, half the battle is won!

Find out how to motivate your employees to eat a healthier diet

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9. Chopped Veggies and Hummus/Guacamole Dip.

It’s really easy to get some baby carrots, celery sticks, snap-peas, broccoli florets, chopped cucumber and sliced peppers together the night before work. Add some individual guacamole or hummus servings to your lunch box for a perfect self-serve veggie dip plater. We can deliver a pre-chopped veggie platter right to your office if this makes the job any easier?

10. Dried Mango Slices



These are the most addictive dried fruits known to the snacking world. Dried mango slices are very high in fructose (the ones with added sugar do taste much better), but they’ve got to be better for you than gummies…..right? Well anyway, they are a hugely popular snack across South East Asia, and we can’t get enough of them. You can try to make your own here.

Low Carb/High Protein

11. Salmon Jerky

It’s a traditional food of the Pacific North West, and one that is sure to give you the energy boost you need to get you through the office day, let alone the long rainy winters of Vancouver. We really like the Salmon Jerky that is made by SooJerky, a Vancouver based business with over 30 years in the jerky business. You can see their jerky here.

12. Smashed Boiled Eggs, with dill pickles and mustard.

Ok, well this snack sounds like someone might be pregnant, but really, it’s a protein packed, flavourful burst of mouth-watering snack-tastic satisfaction. Smash up some hard boiled eggs and add some mustard and pickles, just don’t sit next to me.

13.  Coast (Cricket Protein) Energy Bar

With the onset of global warming, and the huge release of methane from the rearing of animals, is it time to rethink where our protein comes from? Coast’s mantra is sustainable protein, and their range of products include everything from an energy bar, a chocolate bar, and the 100% powdered form of cricket protein. You can buy their range of products here.

14. Pork-crackling

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This light, crispy and crunchy protein-packed treat is great if you are limiting your carbs. You may also know this snack by one of its many aliases: pork rinds, chicharrons, cracklin’, scratchings, or scrunchions, depending on where you’re from. Whatever you call it, it’s a delicious snack! Salty Things Snack Co. is a Vancouver based company that sells pre-packaged pork-crackling at Lower Mainland craft breweries and small independent neighbourhood grocery stores.

15. Fatso Peanut Butter.

If you’re in to getting your daily dose of essential fats like coconut oil, MCT oil, macadamia oil, avocado oil, chia seed and flax, and love peanut butter, you’re going to love Fatso. It’s so full of fat it’s funny.

low-carb snack

We were introduced to Fatso by Virginia Ritchie, the producer of the Vancouver Health Show which is coming to Canada Place convention centre on October 27th and 28th 2018 – do you have your tickets?

Virginia and the Vancouver Health Show team eat an awesome selection of snacks in their office:

“We have a couple favourite healthy snacks while working in the office and on our show weekends.


  • Follow the Vancouver Health Show: @TheHealthShows.

    Gluten Free

    16. Want Want Crackers

    Want Want crackers are a strangely addictive super-sized rice cracker with either a sugar, or seaweed enhanced flavouring. We particularly like the spicy seaweed flavoured variety if you can find them!

    17. Pura Vida Plantain Chips

    Originally from the tropics, the plantain belongs to the same family as the banana, but is starchier, lower in sugar and needs to be cooked to be eaten. Prepared in a variety of dishes in tropical countries, they are best fried up with simple ingredients such as vegetable oil and salt, plantains make delicious chips.

    18.  Fudgy Mint Crinkle Cookies



    We love the Gluten Free treats coming out of Vancouver’s very own Wise Bite’s bakery. Wise Bite’s has a range of ‘Free From’ products. The bakery has replaced large amounts of refined sugar with date paste. The nutritional value of their baked goods has been further increased, by selecting quinoa flour as the main flour in their baked goods. Quinoa flour has all the amino acids required for human consumption, plus minerals and protein.

    Dairy Products

    19. Mini Babybel

    The mini babybel is an awesome little snack, but have you ever wondered how they get the wax on it?

    20. Cheesestring Antipasto

    Bring out the Italian in you by creating an antipasto inspired lunch. Cheese strings are easy to throw into a lunchbox. Why not add an Italian twist to your lunch with some cold cuts, olives, grape tomatoes, and a few pickled vegetables?

    21. Probiotic Yogurt Drink

    So it turns out there is a whole community of bacteria in you stomach that scientists are now starting to realize are responsible for disease-resistance and health. Growing and maintaining this community of good gut bacteria is a challenge to those living in hyper-clean homes, and eating from an antibiotic-infested food chain. Instead of getting a faecal transplant from the Butcher’s dog, why not try a pro-biotic drink? It’s a good start!

    22. Chocolate Protein Smoothie

    Lynne and Sean are serious people to look out for on Vancouver’s health and wellness scene. They operate two businesses in Vancouver; the Holistic Nutrition Hub; a business that helps Holistic nutritionists run a more successful operation, and Prepped with Love, a meal planning service that brings their knowledge to your plate.

     

     

    Lynne offered us this awesome Chocolate Protein Smoothie snack idea:

    • 1 cup frozen cauliflower
    • 1 cup frozen cherries
    • 1 cup frozen spinach
    • 1 scoop chocolate cricket protein powder
    • 1/2 tablespoon cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
    • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
    • 2 cups almond milk (or milk of your choice)
    • 2 cups water
    Directions: Blend until smooth – this recipe works best with a high-powered blender.
    *for more snack ideas see the Canada Health guidelines for smart snacking.

  • Show us some love below. What do you bring in to the office to snack on? Let us know below in the comments.

     

About the Author

Fruitfull Offices

We serve Vancouver's offices with the highest quality fresh fruit, premium snacks & office supplies. Our mission is to improve the corporations we serve. We want our clients to be healthy, productive & successful.

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