The COVID-19 crisis is certainly a stressful period for us all. The bombardment of news and updates. Adjusting to working from home. The drastic alterations of our lifestyles due to lockdown. It takes time adapt to this new normal. Moreover, staying focused, energized and motivated while working (or even outside of work) can be at times difficult. But there’s something that can help with this: quarantine treats! Here are some work from home snacks you can nom on and refreshments you can imbibe.
Chocolate
Bars? Boxes? Cake slices? Truffles? Whichever you prefer, having some chocolate is definitely a great way to de-stress. Moreover, they are full of antioxidants and healthy fats, so dark chocolate doesn’t count as junk food. You can indulge in these for yourself to improve your mood. Or you can brighten up your loved ones and friends’ day by sending boxes to them to commemorate birthdays, anniversaries or just remind them that they are loved.
Dalgona Coffee
Need an extra kick to get you through the shift? Accompany your work from home snacks with some dalgona coffee. Yes, it’s the in thing right now, with everyone doing it, making their own recipes and variations, and making Tiktok videos of themselves whisking away for 15 minutes. Dalgona coffee may be a fad but it is a great tasting one. Check out this recipe from BBC.
Ice Cream
Another surefire way of relieving stress. This work from home snack is an ideal afternoon treat especially for Virtual Assistants working from the Philippines where the summer heat is turning up.
Nuts
Make sure you are getting enough protein from your work from home snacks. Nuts are excellent sources of protein. and there is evidence suggesting that they can lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease. That is why nutritionists are crazy about nuts. So aside from giving you something salty and tasty to nom on, nuts can be quite filling and can give you added protein if you are exercising at home too.
Popcorn
Having a movie marathon? Popcorn is a must have, then. According to Heart.com, as long as your home made popcorn isn’t like those movie theater servings full of sodium or sugar, it can be a healthy snack. It is whole grain and rich in fiber, which can help lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other problems. It is also rich in antioxidants while being low in calories.
Ube Cheese Pandesal
A treat that’s probably only available to Philippines-based Virtual Assistants, ube cheese pandesal has become a local craze ever since the lockdown. Bright purple buns of bread with gooey centers full of melted cheese and sweet ube, or purple yams for those outside the Philippines. Move over dalgona, your time is up. There’s a new fad! These make for perfect work from home snacks that go well with steaming cups of coffee.
Takeaway
Just because we are sheltering in place to ensure individual and collective health and safety doesn’t mean we have to give up on creature comforts. Food delivery services still exist. Orders can be picked up from establishments. So we can still enjoy work from home snacks that can help keep us sane and healthy in these trying times, or give us much needed doses of guilty pleasure to deal with stressors.
