It's late. Work is piled all around. You still have hours to go before you call it a day. You're hungry. What do you do? Reach for the nearest can of soda and a handful of cookies? Fill your craving with packages of salty snacks? Order out for pizza? Hit the candy machine? There are better alternatives that are just as quick and that have the added benefit of not only making you feel healthier, but actually helping you to be healthier.

The Nibble, a specialty foods magazine, suggests these snacks to help stave off the munchies:

• Beverage options:
• Tea
• Sparkling water
• Lowfat milk
• Meal options
• Hummus or bean dips with crackers
• Non-condensed soups and broths
• Canned tuna and salmon
• Peanut butter
• Jerky
• Snacks
• Dried fruits and fruit chips
• Fruit and nut mixes
• Cacao bars

The Health Heart and Mind, a vegan blog, has these suggestions for stocking your snack drawer:

• Fresh fruit
• Unsalted pretzels
• Ready-to-eat cereals
• Granola bars
• Air-popped popcorn
• Animal carackers
• Vanilla wafers
• Bread sticks
• Rice or popcorn cakes
• Ginger snaps
• Trail mix
• Canned 100% fruit juice

Better Homes and Gardens magazine offers several suggestions for quick snacks to keep in your desk drawers (dried fruits, tuna salad in a pouch, nuts, fruit cookies, animal cookies, and single-serving soups), and snacks you can store in an office refrigerator (cottage cheese, fresh fruits, frozen fruit bars, yogurt, pudding).

Still hungry? Try these options:

• Vegetable juice
• Individually wrapped prunes
• Carrots and celery sticks
• Sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• Cheese
• Almonds
• Salsa and tortillas (too messy?)
• Organic almond or cashew butter
• Soy crisps
• String cheese

What are your favorite office snacks? Click the "Post Comments" button below and share your secrets!

Related article:

• Workplace snacks to get you through the busy season