Back to School Snack Season! Nostalgic Treats to Improve Your Workday As A Corporate Millennial

If you have the right back-to-school snack, working from home can feel like summer break all over again... with a salary this time around! 89% of work-from-home employees report eating home-cooked meals and snacks more often than their in-office counterparts which means you’re definitely not alone when it comes to snacking at your desk!

And there’s good reason to as well: Studies show that snacking boosts productivity by as much as 20%. With an estimated 2.4 billion productivity hours lost each year due to food runs, it makes sense to have snacks nearby. Keep yourself energized when working from home not only to give yourself a midday boost, but to boost your productivity as well!

As millennials, you have unique needs when it comes to snacking. Read on to learn our top snack recommendations for those days when you need a little pick-me-up that will bring you right back to your days on the playground.

Apples and Peanut Butter

The ultimate healthy back-to-school snack — apples and peanut butter allow you to feel like you’re right back on the playground! To kick it up a notch, look to explore the numerous apple and nut butter combinations available: We’re big fans of honey crisp slices with almond butter. Both items are filling and nut butter gives you that protein kick meaning they’ll hold you over until dinner time. And if you have a nut allergy, try WowButter or even a caramel dip as an alternative!

Below is an official list of the 3 most popular apples according to the palette of the writer of this piece. No additional outside research was conducted.

1. Red Delicious
2. Granny Smith
3. McIntosh

Dunkaroos

Back by popular demand, Dunkaroos used to be every 90s kid’s favorite back-to-school snack. Everyone would trade you for it. Featuring cookies with frosting, Dunkaroos allow you to make your own perfect dessert. Although we’re happy to see brand-name Dunkaroos back in action, you can make your own version for the work week at home. 

Simply make some cookies — overcooking them is actually encouraged to keep ‘em crunchy — and make some healthier frosting to make a grown-up snack your tastebuds will love. Worried about sugar? A small blood sugar spike can actually increase your productivity to peak performance if you need a quick energy boost before a midday meeting.

If a natural greener alternative is more your thing — carrots and celery are a perfect crunchy replacement for a crisp cookie. And some ranch dressing is a great replacement for frosting. And there you have it. Homemade healthy dunkaroos.

Gushers

Fruit Gushers (and by extension, we guess a case can be made for Fruit By The Foot) are a back-to-school snack staple for a reason; they’re so darn good! Available in an assortment of flavors, gushers are the perfect snack to give you a midday pickup without worrying about spoiling your appetite later. Whether you decide to go tropical or stick with the original, gushers are the perfect snack when you want to reminisce about the good old days.

Not a fan of gushers? You could always opt to experience the flavors the snacks themselves were based on straight from the source. After all, fruit during the day is always a treat and gives you a great little boost when the 3 PM productivity wall hits.

Adult Lunchables AKA Snack Packs

Although we’re a big fan of Lunchables, we totally understand adult palettes wanting something a little more… flavorful. Hillshire Snacking Packs are the answer.

Offering gourmet cured meats and cheeses with crackers, these are the perfect back-to-school snack when you need something a little more substantial. Want to push it up a notch? Make your own at home with dry cuts, nuts, fruits, cheese, or crackers to create your dream grown-up Lunchable. It’s charcuterie without pretension. Working towards a healthy diet while working remotely is absolutely possible!

Snack Bars (too many to name)

From Kind to Luna, there are an assortment of snack bars on the market. They’re perfect for giving you the energy to work on becoming a better you. These bars are formulated to keep you full in only a few bites. The best part? You can easily make your own granola bars at home to create your ideal snack.

Below we've listed a few popular snack bars and their corresponding benefits to help you make the best choice for you.

• Nature Valley (Crunchy): You get a bite of granola bar. Your couch or car gets 1000 crumbs. The choice is yours.
• Chewy: YUM!
• Anything Chocolate Covered: Basically like a chocolate bar.
• Anything Vector: Immediate +10 athletic ability.
• Nutri Grain: They say variety is the spice of life. And there is TONS of variety here.  

Trail Mix

Stay-at-home employees are repeatedly shown to have more time to prepare their own food, leading to healthier food choices. So why not make your own trail mix?

Trail mix attracts people of all ages due to its snack-friendly form and the ability to customize your mix to include whatever you want. Fruit, candy, nuts, oat clusters, cookies, popcorn, pretzels, and numerous other ingredients can all be thrown in a bag and considered trail mix. This can also be a huge environment saver if you’re looking for an eco-friendly snack option. Without store-bought packaging, you can really make an impact.

Bring your own containers to the bulk store and go wild!

Gourmet Chips

Halloween is just around the corner so we've got individual servings of chips on our mind. But let's think of alternatives!

Beets, kale, carrots, and the trusty potato chip are all available as gourmet chips that will make your mouth water. Available in an assortment of flavors, chips are the perfect snack when you need something quick and easy. If you’re feeling adventurous in the kitchen, you can make your own for the week in your oven or air fryer. 

It's mostly fun and games eating chips, but remember, chips and your keyboard don't mix! Make sure to wash those hands or risk some slippery keys for your afternoon emails!

Bagel Bites

We don’t know about you, but we definitely spent plenty of our school day afternoons chowing down on Bagel Bites with our friends. So, why not enjoy them again as adults?

Bagel Bites are easily customized as well, meaning you can put your pineapple, sausage, and any other topping on your bagels to create the mini pizzas of your dreams. Don’t worry about getting up to make these either. Studies show that more productive workers are those who take frequent breaks.

GoGurt

When GoGurt came out in the late-90s, it changed the face of kids yogurt. Gone were the clumsy containers and in came the fun and easy-to-use squeeze tubes. If you’re Canadian, you might remember the YOP commercials, or the GoGurt tube equivalent Tubes.

Today you’ll find GoGurt in any flavor you can imagine, but we prefer the kid” ones, including bubblegum! Throw them in the freezer to make your own fro-yo too. For a more gourmet option, you can grab a yogurt drink with probiotics, and chop some fruit to throw in, so you’re making your daily fruit allowance, unlike a lot of stay-at-home workers.

Cheez Balls

Cheetos and CheezItz are honorable cheese snack competitors, but nothing beats the good, old-fashioned Cheez Balls. In 2018, they were brought back to great fanfare. Who can’t help but smile the moment those little cheez balls hit your tongue? Nudge, nudge, smiling increases productivity.

We aren’t going to say this is the cleanest snack you’ll eat — you’ll definitely want some wet wipes — but it is one of the tastiest, and if you’re worried about greasy fingers, you can always go at ‘em with some chopsticks.

Back to School Snack Season Can Still Be Fun

One of the greatest things about being an adult is getting to enjoy a back-to-school snack whenever you need a pick-me-up. Luckily, many of your favorite childhood back-to-school snacks are still readily available, or can easily get an adult makeover if you find your taste buds or needs have changed. Get motivated during your work day whenever you eat one of our picks for fun workplace snacks. 

Looking to learn more about careers that let you work from home AND encourage the type of snacking mentioned above? That's where Uvaro might be able to help you learn more! About snacking and said career changes.

Download our Career Success Catalog to start learning more!