Snack planning for office days

Direct answer: Office snacking goes better with a plan. Decide ahead whether you will snack, portion it at home, keep water at your desk, and lean on fresh options like fruit or roasted chana. ICMR-NIN advises choosing carefully when eating food prepared outside the home and restricting ultra-processed and HFSS foods.

What should I pack?

Fruit, a small box of roasted chana or peanuts, or curd. These match ICMR-NIN's snack ideas.

How do I handle office treats?

Choose one, serve a small portion, and count it in the day.

How much water at work?

ICMR-NIN suggests about eight glasses, roughly two litres, a day including other beverages.

FAQ

Is the office canteen fine?

Choose carefully; ICMR-NIN advises avoiding deep-fried, fatty, sugary and salty foods often.

More ideas?

Keep a small box of roasted chana or peanuts, some fruit, or curd. These match ICMR-NIN's snack ideas, and they're easy to pack the night before.

Sources

• ICMR-NIN Expert Committee, Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024 (DGI 2024), nin.res.in/dietaryguidelines/pdfjs/locale/DGI_2024.pdf, snack ideas, PDF p. 18 / printed p. 1; Guideline 14 water, PDF p. 106 / printed p. 89; Guideline 15 points to register (choose carefully outside the home; avoid deep-fried, fatty, sugary, salty foods; restrict HFSS/UPF), PDF p. 116 / printed p. 99