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Office snacks: 40 easy meeting snacks and breakfast ideas

KraftyLab TeamUpdated 9 min read
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Meeting
  • 11Drinks water, coffee or sparkling
  • 22Savory pieces cracker packs, string cheese, popcorn
  • 11Sweet pieces mini muffins, cookies, bars
  • 11Fruit or veggie cups one cup or piece each

Put out 3 different snacks. Totals include 10% extra.

Paste it into the order or the chat.

Our rule of thumb, not a catering standard: per person, about 2 savory pieces, 1 sweet piece, 1 fresh cup and 1 drink for a 1-hour meeting, a little more for longer ones, plus 10% extra.

An office kitchen counter with bowls of fruit, mixed nuts, granola bars and a coffee station, coworkers chatting nearby.

The best easy meeting snacks are quiet, tidy and fine at room temperature: fruit cups, mini muffins, cheese and cracker packs. Below are 40 office snacks in four groups: meeting snacks, office breakfast, pantry staples and treat days. Each has the diets it suits and whether it costs less store-bought or catered.

Key: V vegetarian · VG vegan · GF gluten-free · NF nut-free. $ to $$$ is relative cost. Tags describe the usual version, so check labels.

Easy meeting snacks: 12 ideas

Finger food that is quiet, tidy and fine at room temperature for the length of a meeting.

  1. Fruit cups. Pre-cut melon, grapes and berries in lidded cups. No knife, no sticky hands.VG · GF · NF · store $$ · catered $$
  2. Veggie and hummus cups. Carrot and cucumber sticks standing in hummus, one cup each. Hummus contains sesame.VG · GF · NF · store $$ · catered $$
  3. Mini muffins. Two bites, so people take one without committing to a whole muffin.V · store $ · catered $$
  4. Cheese and cracker packs. Wrapped one by one, so they keep until the meeting starts.V · store $
  5. Nut-free trail mix cups. Seeds, raisins and chocolate chips, portioned. Safe to put out without asking first.V · GF · NF · store $
  6. Banana bread slices. Soft, quiet and happy at room temperature all morning.V · store $ · catered $$
  7. Brownie bites. The sweet nobody turns down. Cut them small.V · store $ · catered $$
  8. Kettle corn bags. Light and cheap. Great in the room, too loud on a call.VG · GF · NF · store $
  9. Dried mango and apricots. Sweet without chocolate, and nothing to refrigerate.VG · GF · NF · store $$
  10. Clementines. Easy to peel, no plate needed, one per person.VG · GF · NF · store $
  11. String cheese. Protein in a wrapper. Keep it cold until the meeting starts.V · GF · NF · store $
  12. Wrapped dark chocolate squares. A bowl in the middle of the table ends a long meeting well.V · GF · store $

Snacks keep a long meeting going; a game makes a short one worth showing up to. Try these team meeting games.

Office breakfast: 10 simple breakfast ideas for meetings

For an early meeting, a client visit or a thank-you morning. Put the coffee out first.

A meeting room table set with muffins, fruit, yogurt cups and coffee before a morning meeting.
  1. Scone basket. Plain and fruit scones with butter and jam. Sturdier than muffins, tidier than pastries.V · store $$ · catered $$
  2. Breakfast burrito tray. Egg, potato and cheese wrapped in foil and cut in half. Stays warm the first half hour.V · store $$ · catered $$
  3. Mini frittatas. Egg bites baked in a muffin tin, good warm or at room temperature.V · GF · NF · store $$ · catered $$$
  4. Fruit platter. The one dish everyone can eat. Cut it small and add toothpicks.VG · GF · NF · store $$ · catered $$
  5. Pastry box. Croissants and danishes, halved so people can try two.V · store $$ · catered $$
  6. Overnight oats cups. Oats soaked in milk with fruit on top, made the night before.V · store $ · catered $$
  7. Breakfast sandwich platter. Egg and cheese on English muffins, each wrapped, so they travel to the meeting room.V · store $$ · catered $$$
  8. Coffee cake squares. Sturdy, not sticky, and made for the coffee next to it.V · store $ · catered $$
  9. Hard-boiled eggs. Peeled, with salt and pepper on the side. Cheap protein; keep them chilled.V · GF · NF · store $
  10. Coffee and tea carafes. Order more than you think, plus decaf and a plant milk.VG · GF · NF · store $ · catered $$

Pantry and desk staples: 12 good work snacks

Shelf-stable snacks to keep stocked in the office kitchen, and the best snacks to bring to work in a bag.

  1. Instant oatmeal cups. Hot water at the desk, and breakfast for whoever skipped it.V · store $
  2. Nut butter squeeze packs. With crackers or an apple it is a real snack. Shelve them with the nuts.VG · GF · store $$
  3. Rice cakes. Plain and allergy-friendly; people add their own toppings.VG · GF · NF · store $
  4. Roasted chickpeas. Crunchy and filling, in single-serve bags.VG · GF · NF · store $$
  5. Seaweed snacks. Thin, salty and light. Some are made with sesame oil.VG · GF · store $$
  6. Meat sticks. Shelf-stable protein for the meat eaters.NF · store $$
  7. Whole-grain crackers. The base for cheese, nut butter or a cup of soup.V · store $
  8. Applesauce pouches. No spoon, no fridge, gone in a minute.VG · GF · NF · store $
  9. Portion-pack mixed nuts. Filling and shelf-stable. Keep them apart from the nut-free shelf.VG · GF · store $$
  10. Granola bars. Wrapped and sturdy, easy to grab on the way to a meeting.V · store $
  11. Tea bags and cocoa packets. A hot drink that isn't coffee, for the 3 p.m. slump.V · store $
  12. Sparkling water. The drink nobody complains about. Keep two or three flavors cold.VG · GF · NF · store $

Setting up the space too? Our break room ideas cover the room around the snack shelf.

Treat days: 6 ideas

Once a month, or when the team ships something big.

  1. Mini cupcake day. Two dozen minis go further than one sheet cake and need no knife.V · store $$ · catered $$$
  2. Doughnut box Friday. Cut a few in half for people who only want a taste.V · store $$
  3. Ice cream cooler. Wrapped novelties in a cooler on a hot afternoon. Freezer until 3 p.m.V · store $$
  4. Decorate-your-own cookies. Plain sugar cookies, frosting and sprinkles. Twenty minutes of fun at lunch.V · store $$
  5. Hot cocoa bar. Cocoa, an urn of hot water, marshmallows and peppermint sticks on a cold day.GF · store $$ · catered $$
  6. Cinnamon roll morning. Warm from a bakery tray, with extra napkins.V · store $$ · catered $$

Holiday treats for the office

  • Pumpkin bread for Thanksgiving week, sliced thin.
  • Peppermint bark, broken into small pieces in a tin.
  • Gingerbread cookies, plain or iced.
  • Cranberry orange loaf next to the coffee.
  • Hot spiced apple cider in an urn.

Feeding a crowd in December? See our holiday luncheon ideas, or let everyone bring a dish with these office potluck ideas. For a regular treat day with a game attached, pick from our fun Friday ideas and office games.

Allergy-safe snacks for the office

The FDA names nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame. Sesame became the ninth on January 1, 2023, under the FASTER Act (FDA).

  • Ask in the invite. One line: “Any allergies or dietary needs?” Ask again for each new group.
  • Label every tray. The food's name and its major allergens, on a folded card.
  • Keep nuts apart. Their own end of the table, with their own tongs or scoop.
  • Allergy-friendly first. Put the safest options at the front of the line, before anything gets mixed.
  • Keep the packaging. For store-bought food, the label is the best answer to “what's in this?”

How long meeting food can sit out

The USDA’s rule: perishable food shouldn’t sit out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (USDA). Bacteria grow fastest between 40°F and 140°F.

  • Note the time. A sticky note with the time the tray came out ends the guessing at hour two.
  • Cold on ice, hot kept hot. Fruit, dairy and eggs on a tray of ice; burritos and frittatas in a warmer.
  • Put out half. Refill from the fridge halfway through instead of leaving everything out.
  • Wrapped packs are the exception. Crackers, bars and chips are shelf-stable and can stay out.

Snacks on video calls

Five habits that keep eating on camera from being a distraction.

  • Soft over crunchy. Banana bread and fruit are silent; chips and popcorn are not.
  • Say it in the invite. “Bring a snack, cameras optional” tells people eating is fine.
  • Mute while you chew. And turn the camera off for a minute if you'd rather.
  • Include the remote people. Send them a treat box too, so they aren't watching the room eat.
  • Mind the smell. In a shared office, no fish or burnt popcorn in the microwave before a meeting.

Running a lunch on camera? Our virtual lunch ideas turn it into time together.

Turn snack time into a team event

Want someone to host it? Each of these is a 60-minute class with a live instructor on your team’s video call, with a kit shipped to every person. Book about 3 weeks ahead; December dates fill first. People can join from home or together from the office, and split time zones can take two sessions.

  • Cookie Decorating: sugar cookies, icing, gel colors and sprinkles. The treat day with a teacher.
  • Hot Chocolate Bomb: everyone makes and decorates their own. The cocoa bar, upgraded for winter.
  • Coffee Tasting: three fair trade coffees and a pourover carafe. For the team that lives on the coffee station.
  • Bubble Tea Making: two different bubble teas, from brewing to assembling. An afternoon snack break with a story.

All four, with today’s price.

More food classes are in our virtual cooking classes. For remote staff who miss the office snacks, send curated gift boxes of food and treats to each address. Or get a free quote for your date.

Office snacks FAQ

What are good snacks for a work meeting?

Finger food that is quiet and keeps at room temperature: fruit cups, veggie and hummus cups, mini muffins, cheese and cracker packs and wrapped chocolate. Mix one sweet, one savory and one fresh option, and label anything with nuts.

How much food should I order for a meeting of 10 or 20 people?

Our rule of thumb for a 1-hour meeting is 1 drink, 2 savory pieces, 1 sweet piece and 1 fruit or veggie cup per person, plus 10% extra. That's 22 savory pieces for 10 people and 44 for 20. The planner at the top of the page works it out for other sizes.

What are easy breakfast ideas for a work meeting?

A fruit platter, a scone basket, mini frittatas and coffee cake cover most diets and need little more than a napkin. Add coffee and tea carafes with decaf and a plant milk, and order more coffee than you think.

What snacks should an office keep stocked?

Shelf-stable staples people actually eat: oatmeal cups, rice cakes, crackers, applesauce pouches, granola bars, roasted chickpeas, tea and sparkling water. Keep nut products on their own shelf, and check what runs out first each week.

What are healthy snacks to bring to work?

Fruit, hard-boiled eggs, roasted chickpeas, hummus with vegetables and a small pack of nuts all travel well. Pick things that need no fridge, or pack a cold pack with them.

How do I handle food allergies at office events?

Ask about allergies in the invite, label every tray with its major allergens, and keep nut items on their own end of the table with their own utensils. The FDA lists nine major food allergens, with sesame added as the ninth in 2023.

How long can meeting food sit out?

The USDA says perishable food shouldn't sit out more than 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour above 90°F. Wrapped, shelf-stable snacks are the exception.

How much should a company budget for office snacks?

There's no standard figure; it depends on headcount, how many days people are in, and how much is catered. Stock a month of staples, note what runs out and what goes stale, and set the budget from that.

Turn snack time into a team event

Cookie decorating, hot chocolate bombs or coffee tasting, with a live instructor and a kit for everyone. Send your date and headcount for a plan within 24 hours.

See Cookie DecoratingGet a free quote