Office Foods

Think again if you find yourself reaching into the office biscuit tin to fend off hunger, relieve boredom, or feed a bad habit. The cure will not provide you with lasting energy and even worse, will add to your waistline.

The issue with biscuits

For a very tiny fraction, most biscuits cost a ton of kilocalories. Two cream-filled biscuits supply 206 kilocalories, for instance. But a medium apple provides just 75 kilocalories, less than half that amount, which is more like filling!

Biscuits are typically high glycemic index (GI), being made of finely ground white flour (or often wholemeal), meaning they have the wrong form of carbohydrate, causing blood sugar to rise rapidly than fall, effectively a quick-hit impact without the sustaining energy you need to get through the afternoon. High-GI low-fiber foods are undesirable for weight management for this reason. The increased risk of type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and heart disease is also associated with these foods.

Also troubling is the quantity and form of fat hidden in biscuits. Two shortbread biscuits, for example, contain about 10 grams of fat, which is one-quarter of the low-fat diet's daily allowance! More worrying is that the form of fat is nasty, saturated or trans fat (often from butter or hydrogenated vegetable oil). These fats are known to improve insulin resistance and raise the amount of blood cholesterol and thus encourage disease.

What to nibble?

If you get hungry or work late during the afternoon and need to top up to last until dinner, have a slice of fruit first. Or try one of the fast and simple suggestions that follows. They contain the right kinds of carbohydrates and fats, and in kilocalories, they do not cost the planet.

*Small pack (30 grams) of mixed nuts (188 kcal)

*Small can of baked beans(140 kcal)

*Small can of vegetable soup (About 115 kcal)

*Small pack (40 grams) of sultanas (110 kcal)

*Small carton (200 grams) of natural lowfat yoghurt (100 kcal)

*Small banana (86 kcal)

*Medium corn cob (84 kcal)