Ambitious & Nutritious

Jury Duty Snacks

Posted by Alexandra Oppenheimer Delvito, MS, RD, CDN on March 27, 2013 · 1 Comment 

Several weeks ago, that dreaded letter showed up on my desk… “JURY SUMMONS ENCLOSED.” Great.

I know, I know— it is the most valuable service that I can perform in support of our democratic Government (as I am reminded on the jury duty website). To be honest, my issue isn’t jury duty itself, it’s not truly knowing how long or short of a stint this could be or if I’ll even have to show up. All that aside, you know I need to be prepared because this girl will be one cranky juror if not well fed. As I read the Handbook for Trial Jurors, I’m looking for rules on food/snacks while waiting to be called. I get it, no cell phones… but are snacks allowed? Apparently that’s not a FAQ. Oh well.

My assumptions are going to be: no eating in the court room and that, fingers crossed, there are some breaks while waiting and during a trial (otherwise someone will need to scrape me off the floor). Not wanting to leave my snack options up to chance or fall victim to the vending machine, I’ll be packing my own snacks so I can make my trial decisions with a well-nourished brain. Knowing I won’t have access to a fridge, it limits my choices as low-fat cheese and Greek yogurts make great snack options, but not in the absence of refrigeration. Fortunately, there are still several options.

Here are some snacks I’ll be packing for my trip “downtown”:

• Water bottle (disposable, in case they make me toss it)
• 23 almonds or 49 pistachios or 14 walnuts
• Dried fruit (1/4 cup raisins, dried apricots or plums)
• Apple, banana or pear
• 1 cup grapes
• Larabar or Luna Bar
• Sliced carrot sticks
• Mini peanut butter sandwich (1 slice whole grain bread and 1 Tbsp peanut butter)

I won’t be packing all of these options but will choose several to get a dose of protein and fiber throughout the day to keep me satisfied and my mind on the trial, not my hunger.

UPDATE: My summons date was postponed so I didn’t have to report to court for jury duty! What have your experiences been with bringing snacks to jury duty?

What are your go-to snacks for days away from home and away from the office?