Ask HN: What do you snack on while coding?

Snacks typically make me feel drowsy or lose concentration. I will typical eat gum if I need something.

I think snacks are dangerous. Eat while your attention is elsewhere, grow obese, suffer ill health.

And going away to prepare a meal gives me time to step back and think over the bigger picture of whatever I’m in the middle of.

High carbonation sparkling mineral water. It gives that same “hit” as sipping a can of soda, but is much healthier.

My go-to is cashews. I used to eat raw, unroasted, unsalted cashews, but during the pandemic, I developed a sensitivity from eating too many, I guess? (tingling mouth/tongue, elevated heart rate) so I’ve recently started roasting them myself, which takes care of the relevant (natural) bacteria. Put them in a pan for 15 minutes at 350F. They taste much better than store bought roasted nuts, too.

Other favorites:

- Cheddar cheese

- Beef/turkey jerky

- Salami or other thin-cut cured meats

It’s important to watch salt intake, though. Cheap stuff generally has more.

And then every afternoon, after 3 or 4, coffee and a “coffee snack”, usually a fig newton or other fresh baked good.