One of the most difficult parts of working from home for some freelancers is the lure of the kitchen. It’s just too easy to get up, go to the refrigerator and whip up a snack (or go to the freezer to grab some ice cream, or to the pantry for some chips). I’m a grazer. I like to eat smaller meals and then snack every few hours throughout the day. But it isn’t always easy to find healthy snacks (that actually taste good and don’t feel like a punishment – carrot sticks, yuck!).

Over the last several weeks I’ve made an effort to stock healthier, but quite yummy, treats around while I’m working. Today I’m going to share some of my favorites with you. Hopefully you’ll find some ideas, and share some of your own!

1. Cottage cheese  - I’ve always liked Light ‘n’ Lively’s cottage cheese, but the problem is that I can only buy them in their largest package size here for some reason anymore. I wanted to switch to snack-size versions, but couldn’t get them. So I took a chance on Breakstone. Turns out, their cottage cheese is even more delicious (plus I get the LiveActive ones through them which have added fiber – I’m a big proponent of high fiber and high nutrient foods). This one just happens to be delicious.
2. Yogurt – Yogurts fall into two groups for me: snack yogurts and breakfast yogurts. If I’m having yogurt for breakfast (like today), I’ll eat a higher calorie variety (150-250 range, usually organic, and very rich tasting). For those, my favorite brands are Liberte Méditerranée (their plum and walnut yogurt is fantastic, as is their coconut one — but I have to hide the coconut ones from my cats because the young one acts like it’s a drug), Rachel’s organic yogurts (they have some interesting flavored cottage cheeses as well — these yogurts aren’t sweetened much so they’re lower calorie than the previous ones), and Wallaby organic creamy Australian style yogurts (the lowest calorie of the bunch). For snack yogurts, I make sure they’re no more than 100 calories each, and my favorites are the custard-style FiberOne yogurts (the key lime flavor is the best, but the most difficult to find by me).
3. String Cheese – Are you noticing a theme? I’m a dairy fan I guess. I find that high protein snacks get me through the day better than carb-based ones. String cheese is one of my favorites when I want something quick or portable if I have to run out on errands and want to avoid being tempted by a drive-thru. Oddly, I don’t really like any of the major brands that I’ve tried. I like the store brand string cheese from one of our grocery chains (Weis Markets) better than the rest. When I was in college I lived in a test market where one of the bigger brands released a really good kind (Sargento I believe), but I don’t think it ever made it to mass-market (although they have other varieties that might not be too bad).
4. Nuts - For the most part I’ve replaced all traditional salty snacks with nuts (except temporarily where whole grain pretzel sticks are easier on my mouth post-work, but I’ll soon be back to all nuts again). My favorite are pistachios (I just buy the kernels, because I don’t like the mess of the shells). I was hesitant to make the change. I thought there would be two problems: 1. it would get really expensive and 2. it wouldn’t be better for me because they’re still high in calories and fat. I’m happy to say neither problem was actually a problem. While it’s more expensive on the surface, you also feel full faster because they’re dense, so you don’t eat as many. You won’t go through them as quickly as you might think (unless you have no self-control, in which case I suggest getting them in-shell, so you have to “work” for each one). And while I may be getting as many calories and as much fat, that comes with plenty of protein, fiber, and nutrients other snacks don’t offer. I’ve eaten them liberally, had more energy to get through the days, and have still lost plenty of weight over the last month or so — so don’t worry too much about them being “bad” for you in some way. I also like to keep brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, and sometimes hazelnuts around for variety.
5. Fruit — Okay. I know fruit is an obvious healthy snack to keep around, but to be quite honest I don’t feel like I’m really snacking when I eat most fruits. So to make it work for me, I have to find ones I really really love. For example, I adore champagne grapes (although they’re very hard to find). When I can find them, eating them is better than popping candy to me. The same with rainier cherries (the yellow and red ones — they’re sweeter than the dark red cherries, so again it’s  a good substitute for other sweets). I can make due with red grapes during some other parts of the year, but the role fruits play in my diet really varies a lot seasonally (for example, in the later fall to winter I primarily eat clementines).
6. Fresh Mozzarella — This is easily one of my favorite snacks. I love fresh mozzarella, and you’d be hard-pressed to catch me without some on-hand. It’s often less salty than other mozzarella, and it’s softer. It’s incredible. I put it in salads or italian dishes constantly, but also like to slice off an ounce for a snack sometimes. My favorite brand is Bel Gioioso, but I also like it fresh from the deli.
7. Sauteed Mushrooms — I’m a mushroom addict. I adore them — especially portabellas. If I want something that feels more substantive, or a warm snack, I’ll sautee some up with either a quick spritz of olive oil or just a spoonfull or two of water in the pan. It’s an incredibly low calorie snack, but mushrooms have a “meaty” taste to them and they’re very filling so you won’t find yourself constantly running back to the kitchen.

Those are my favorite snacks when working from home. What are yours?