When it hits 3pm and you just need that ‘pick-me-up’, is it a chocolate bar or a cup of coffee? Here are 5 healthier swaps to pick you up at work and ensure you don’t drop again later in the day.

Change a sugary treat for some fruit

Sugar can give us a lift when we need it, but it can ultimately be more damaging than we think. We will probably end up dropping sooner than we think, meaning the lift isn’t as sustainable.

Lollies can also cause cavities and weight gain, a healthy sugar hit is some fruit. Fruit contains natural sugar, giving you the lift that lollies would but in a more sustainable way. Fruit is also full of antioxidants and vitamins, making it a diet friendly snack that helps keep the weight off.

Get rid of the chocolate and try some yoghurt

Yoghurt is full of probiotics, and a healthy alternative chocolate. It might be difficult for some to get their probiotics into their diet, switching chocolate for a low-fat yoghurt could be the best way to get those good nutrients in.

Remember when selecting a yoghurt ensure that it is low in sugar and fat to ensure that you aren’t replacing an unhealthy snack with another unhealthy snack.

And well, for those chocolate cravings that cannot be stopped, try adding a little dark chocolate or dark chocolate muesli to the yoghurt.

Swap tea & biscuits for tea & medjool dates

Nothing better than tea and biscuits on a winter afternoon, but those biscuits are not very friendly to the summer belly that we do not want once the weather clears up.

So what can I have when I need a little something sweet with my tea? Try medjool dates! Like caramel, these dates have the sweetness like a biscuit, but also contain potassium, supporting the function of the nervous system.

Swap coffee for green tea

When we’re feeling a little sleepy and need the caffeine hit, we tend to reach for the coffee pot like it’s second nature.

Coffee can be a temporary fix, which over-consumption can produce more harm than good. Green tea is a more sustainable fix, it keeps us awake and alert with less caffeine than coffee. Green tea also contains amino acids that improve brain function.

The post-consumption is also much smoother, meaning we don’t feel as “on-edge” as we do with coffee, thus making us better to be around too.

When you get really hungry and go for a bigger meal, switch for some oats

So there are some times when we feel like lunch wasn’t enough to get us through the working day, and start to feel like we’re starving around 3pm. Many of us might get some takeaway, or have a bigger meal yet again.

Oats can give us energy while giving us a fuller feeling than a lighter snack. Oatmeal is also high in fibre and a highly versatile snack.

Oats can be paired with a small spoonful of nut butter, some husk to aid digestion or some fruit for a sugar fix.