The Super Simple Guide to Discovering & Buying Snacks Your Whole Office Will Love

The Quick and Easy Way to Get Delicious Snacks Your Whole Office Will Rave About, Even If You’ve Never Bought Office Snacks Before

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 actually 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, learn more about SnackNation here.

We dedicate our team to help make healthy snacking fun, life more productive, and offices more awesome!

Happy snacking,

Sean Kelly
CEO of SnackNation

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 really 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.

In fact, 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) are 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 own 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 own snacks
Bulk snack options avaialble
Buy snacks on an as needed basis

Cons:

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 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
Business delivery option available, but order of $250 or less are hit with a $25 delivery surcharge

Cons:

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 the course of 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 individual 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 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 price could be a problem because it’s usually reflective of the quality of ingredients in the snacks. Low cost = low quality. If you’re going to provide snacks for your employees, they should be of higher quality, 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?

There are also some snack delivery services that 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 absolutely 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 RBar 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 absolutely 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 butters.

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, crafted only from chewy organic bananas, these tasty morsels will remind you of real home made 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 the 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: TOTALLY 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, verde, 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 3pm cookie craving.

These crunchy, award-winning coconut chips are made from nutrient-packed copra, or 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 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.

When you’re ready, we’ll be here to provide an amazing and unparalleled snacking experience for your team. Feel free to click below to get the perfect snack program started for your office.

The Super Simple Guide to Discovering & Buying Snacks Your Whole Office Will Love

The Quick and Easy Way to Get Delicious Snacks Your Whole Office Will Rave About, Even If You’ve Never Bought Office Snacks Before

THE OVERLOOKED BENEFITS OF HAVING SNACKS IN THE OFFICE