Hi!
Choosing delicious snacks for your office that people will actually enjoy and appreciate isn’t easy.
Why?
Because you’re bombarded with too many snack options to choose from and everyone in your office has different preferences.
From bulk snacks or single serve, delivery or driving to the store, pick and chose or ready made packages, how do you ever decide the best way to get snacks for your coworkers?
You start by reading this Office Snacking guide.
Read this guide and you’ll discover:
- How to discover and get the newest, most delicious snacks that everyone in your office likes
- How to choose where to get your snacks, regardless of your budget or how much time you have
- 3 common mistakes to avoid when choosing a snack delivery service
- The top 17 most requested snacks for offices
- 9 unexpected facts about having healthy snacks in the workplace
- The overlooked benefits of having snacks in the office
- The dangerous pitfall of believing cheap snacks are “good enough”
- How to make yourself look good in front of your boss, get publicly praised, and become the office superhero, all without lifting a finger
We wrote this guide to help you better understand the benefits of offering snacks to your team. Now with this information, you can make an informed and intelligent decision. And if you have any questions about your office’s snacks,
We dedicate our team to helping make healthy snacking fun, life is more productive, and offices more awesome!
Happy snacking,
THE OVERLOOKED BENEFITS OF HAVING SNACKS IN THE OFFICE
When it comes to keeping employees happy, we know that perks play an important role. People (especially millennials) love to talk about all the cool stuff their employer offers.
But have you ever wondered which ones matter to employees?
According to a recent survey published in USA Today, 67% of full-time employees with access to free food are “extremely” or “very” happy at their current job. 67%!
“For lots of Millennials coming into the workplace today it is the norm, so you kind of have to meet those expectation.”
-Beth Monaghan, Co-Founder of InkHouse
This same article, called “The key to happiness at work is free snacks”, confesses that free food has become an integral part of the workday in modern workplaces.
Millennials are the largest group of snacks in the United States today (more likely than any other generation to snack).
Unlike other generations, Millennials find function in snacking – both psychological and emotional.
“It shows a personal investment and that need to make sure they’re happy here and they have everything they need to do a good job.”
-Danielle Mahoney, Director of HR for Appeagle
Many smart companies in competitive industries know that having awesome perks (like free snacks) is a fantastic way of recruiting top talent and retaining them.
The thing is, there are still a lot of companies who aren’t buying snacks yet because they don’t understand how valuable of a perk this is for their employees and their business.
We know that people spend more of their waking day at work than they do at home, so if you’re not providing snacks for them, they’re resorting to:
- Wasting time by leaving the office to go to the local store or gas station
- Resorting to low-quality junk food from the vending machine
- Or left fending for themselves and bringing in their snacks if they want to keep their energy levels up throughout the day
Take a look at these 9 unexpected facts about having healthy snacks in the workplace.
HOW TO CHOOSE WHERE TO GET YOUR SNACKS, REGARDLESS OF YOUR BUDGET OR HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAVE
“We want snacks!… Now what?”
So your company has decided to invest in buying snacks for your employees.
Awesome choice! Your team (and their stomachs) will thank you for it 🙂
But now what?
It’s time to figure out where you should buy snacks from. The most important factors to consider at this point are:
- How much budget do you have?
Pro tip: We’ve helped a lot of companies get started with their snacks programs and we’ve found that 0.5 snacks/employee/day is a safe place to get started - What types of snacks does everyone in your office like?
- How much time do you want to spend finding, choosing, and purchasing snacks?
There are 4 common places from which companies decide to purchase snacks:
- Grocery Store
- Costco
- Amazon
- Snack delivery service
Let’s review the pros and cons of each option:
Grocery Store
Pros:
- Ability to choose all your snacks
- Bulk snack options available
- Buy snacks on an as-needed basis
Cons:
- A limited selection of snacks with healthier/natural ingredients
- Limited variety of snacks, so you end up buying the same stuff over and over again
- Someone has to waste time driving to and from the store (usually during work hours) to pick up the snacks
- Someone has to carry the snacks from the car to the office and figure out how to store the snacks neatly in the kitchen/breakroom
Costco
Pros:
- Lowest cost – if you’re looking for the cheapest price per snack and you don’t care as much about the quality of the ingredients in them, Costco is your best bet
- Bulk snack options available
- A business delivery option is available, but orders of $250 or less are hit with a $25 delivery surcharge
Cons:
- A limited selection of snacks with healthier/natural ingredients
- Limited variety of snacks, so you end up buying the same stuff over and over again
- Someone has to waste time driving to and from Costco (usually during work hours) to pick up the snacks
- More time wasted standing in those insanely long lines
- There may not be a Costco near your office
Amazon
Pros:
- Lowest cost – like Costco, you can find cheap snack options on Amazon
- Bulk snack options available
- Deliveries straight to your office
- Lots of snacks to choose from
Cons:
- You have to spend time figuring out which snacks your team will like
- If your team doesn’t like some of the snacks you buy, you have to spend more time looking for new snack ideas
- Shipments often arrive in multiple deliveries over several days
- Deliveries are manual (you have to keep going back to the site to re-order)
Snack delivery service
Pros:
- Effortless – snacks just show up at your office
- All snacks delivered in one easy shipment
- Automatic monthly deliveries so you can focus on your actual job
- Snacks with higher quality ingredient
- Variety of snacks that are hard to find at local stores and online retailers
Cons:
- Can’t always pick out each snack yourself
- Not as cheap as the other snack options listed above
3 COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN CHOOSING A SNACK DELIVERY SERVICE
A lot of offices decide to use a snack delivery service because the person in charge of snacks doesn’t have to think about what to order or when to order it. They just want the snacks to
show up to the office ready to be put out for everyone to enjoy.
When it comes to choosing the right snack delivery service, we’ve seen people make the same mistakes over and over again.
Here are 3 of the most common mistakes to avoid when choosing a snack delivery service:
Mistake #1: Choosing a snack delivery service based on price per snack alone
Low prices could be a problem because it’s usually reflective of the quality of the ingredients in the snacks. Low cost = low quality. If you’re going to provide snacks for your employees, they should be of higher quality, and healthier ingredients so people don’t experience energy swings during the late afternoon hours. Plus, what message does it send to your team if you’re buying the cheapest snacks possible?
Some snack delivery services only offer bulk snacks that come in big bags or tubs. The issue here is that the variety is very limited, it creates a lot of mess because people use plates and bowls to eat their snacks, and most of those snacks only taste so-so.
Mistake #2: Choosing a snack delivery service that doesn’t offer a guarantee
What if your team doesn’t like the snacks? What if they want more chips instead of trail mix, or more bars instead of sweets? Make sure to choose a snack delivery service that allows you to return or exchange the products your team doesn’t like.
Mistake #3: Choosing a snack delivery service that doesn’t automatically rotate snacks for you
Your team is going to get tired of eating the same snacks all the time. People like variety, and snacks are no different! Find a snack delivery service that sends you a variety of new snacks in each order without you having to do any additional work.
THE DANGEROUS PITFALL OF BELIEVING CHEAP SNACKS ARE “GOOD ENOUGH”
Your company may be tempted to look for cheap, low-quality snacks. After all, snacks are just snacks, right?
Guess again…
You want your team to be able to perform at their best while they’re at work, so why would you provide them with low-quality snacks?
Here’s a short list of the ingredients you should avoid when choosing your snacks:
- Partially hydrogenated oils
- High fructose corn syrup
- Nasty preservatives (like nitrates and benzoates)
- Artificial colors
- Artificial flavorings
But healthier, better-for-you ingredients aren’t the only thing that matter. What’s equally as important, if not more important, is how the snacks TASTE.
If the snacks don’t taste great, then all your time, effort, and money will have been wasted.
So to help you find the best quality AND best tasting snacks, we’ve put together the top 17 most requested office snacks.
RBar
All flavors of RBars boast 7 ingredients or less (their #1 best seller, Peanut Butter & Jelly, has just 3).
Peanut Butter & Jelly bar is gluten-free, non-GMO, vegan, and has no added sugar. That’s like having your sandwich and eating it too!
Hi I’m Skinny Sticks
Fat on flavor, but won’t make the scales or your skinny jeans a scary thought.
Brownie Brittle
If you go straight for the crispy edges when you see a pan of brownies, then you’ll love Brownie Brittle.
One bite of their delicious recipe and you’ll be amazed at how they can squeeze a mountain of chocolate goodness into a wafer-thin snack.
Clif Nut Butter Filled Bars
One of the most sought-after bars ever released in SnackNation Boxes, they are made with delicious, creamy peanut, hazelnut, or almond butter.
Certified USDA organic, non-GMO and have 7 grams of plant-based protein.
Hip Chips
You’ll love these better-for-you, sophisticated, delicious corn and edamame chips that have 30% less fat compared to regular chips.
These chips also pack 3g of protein into every serving.
Caveman Chicken Bites
These Chicken Bites are the ideal low-carb, high-protein snack to share or save for later.
Caveman’s gluten-free and Certified Paleo savory Chicken Bites are guaranteed to satisfy the meat cravings of your coworkers.
Barnana
Browned to perfection, and crafted only from chewy organic bananas, these tasty morsels will remind you of real homemade banana bread.
Check out their Coconut and Chocolate flavors too!
G.H. Cretors
When they say “Obsessively Delicious Popcorn” they’re not kidding… be careful.
Blend rich, buttery caramel corn and premium aged cheddar cheese corn, and you’ve got a mouth-watering mix of sweet and salty. Aka some freaking delicious popcorn.
Duke’s
Short on size, not on flavor, these slow-dried sausages are made from quality ingredients and slow-smoked-to-be pint-sized perfections.
Betty Lou’s
Betty Lou’s tasty nut butter balls and fruit bars challenge the notion that healthy, all-natural, gluten-free products have to compromise on taste.
Belgian Boys
Why go all the way to Europe when you can get these insanely delicious treats right here at home?!
Consider yourselves warned: ADDICTIVE.
Field Trip Jerky
An all-natural, gluten-free jerky for the adventurer.
No nitrites, no-nonsense, just delicious taste.
PAQUI Tortilla Chips
A healthier chip that tastes better than Doritos… YES.
Imagine a light, crispy chip that meets fresh salsa verde and cool sour cream. That’s a beautiful friendship. They contain no artificial ingredients or flavors and have no preservatives.
They’re very, very, good.
Matt’s Munchies
Matt’s Munchies are a refreshing, delicious taste thrill that’s only 90 calories and 1 ingredient! Yes, you read that right, 1 ingredient.
These fruit snacks (square peel-offs) are made with pure, wholesome ingredients and will instantly transport you to a nostalgic paradise… without the regret of fake ingredients.
Dang Coconut Chips
A long-time favorite of everyone at SnackNation, Dang Coconut Chips are the perfect solution to that 3 pm cookie craving.
These crunchy, award-winning coconut chips are made from nutrient-packed copra or the meat of the coconut. They’re vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, have no cholesterol, and only3 ingredients.
Skinny Dipped Almonds
Finally, a chocolate-covered almond that is healthier and indulgent. These almonds are covered with a thin layer of artisan dark chocolate and finished with a powdering of cocoa, espresso, or pure raspberry.
Honestly, my mouth is watering typing this… savory and delicious.
Jackson’s Honest Sweet Potato
Coconut oil sweet potato chips are a paleo-powerhouse: a delicious source of healthy carbohydrates and medium-chain triglycerides bonded together by their proprietary low and slow cooking process.
These chips are good and good for you. Oh, and they only have 3 ingredients.
YOUR NEXT STEPS…
So how can you get these top most requested snacks we just mentioned into your office?
You have a couple of options…
You could go directly to each brand’s website and buy them at retail cost (plus shipping & handling).
You could also scour Amazon to see if these brands are currently in stock and eligible for Prime shipping AND come in single-serving packs (spoiler alert: most don’t).
And of course, you could get them by becoming a SnackNation member. You’ll get these and other new, amazing brands without the hassle of doing all the work. Instead, you and your coworkers will just get the best-emerging snacks every month without having to think about it or lift a finger.
