Top 10 best geek snacks and sustenance

Quick. What's the closest nourishment to you right now? A deli salad in a styrofoam container? A donut? A tiny tub of yogurt? Pretzels? Snickers bar, perhaps? Or are you a brown-bagging apple and Triscuit person? Maybe you've got it down to the bare minimum: a cup of coffee and a cigarette.

But what are the things that satisfy most of us most of the time? Here's my list. What's yours?

Number one for me has to be coffee. Certainly coffee is not the only drink for the online set, but  it has to be considered the preferred one.

The number two item I'd vote for is plain old water. Whether by tap or over-priced bottled water, water is ever present next to my computer monitor and has been for decades. But, truth be told, if I had to give up water or coffee at my desk, water would lose big time.

My third choice would be Triscuits. To me, they are the perfect geek food not served in liquid form. They are salty, but they are also dry. You can stuff them into your mouth without getting your fingers oily and therefore avoid getting the keyboard greasy. Some Triscuits have been tarted up with faux seasonings, and they're fine. But the basic version is the best.

Fourth for me is Vernor's ginger ale. (Hey, I work up a thirst at my keyboard.) You may insert Diet Coke, Jolt or Pepsi in this slot, but Vernor's to me is a refreshing way to keep the fingers flying across the keys.

Number five is the cookie. Oatmeal raisin by Franz Bakery is currently my favorite. But I'm also partial to Pepperidge Farm's Brussels and Sausalito cookies.

At the six slot I'm opting for Frito's corn chips. They're a bit saltier and greasier than Triscuits, but ever so tasty.

After many a long hour in front of a computer monitor, I'm pretty well knackered, and hungry, so I'll reach for Snickers candy bar as my seventh favorite snack. It fills you up and gives a nice sugary buzz to the rest of the work session.

If I have to work through the lunch hour, my mid-day nourishment of choice, and number eight on my Top 10 list, is a take-out burrito. It is brilliant food, appealing to vegans and carnivores alike. It's neatly packaged with an array of goodies inside to make your tastebuds happy. Plus, it's loaded with protein and carbohydrates to keep you going for the second half of your day.

Ninth has to be the lowly jelly bean. I never thought much about them until I heard back in the 1980s that jelly beans were Ronald Reagan's favorite junk food. And, despite our political differences, I tried them and found them flavorful and, surprisingly, satisfying.

Completing my list in the 10 position is a good craft beer. I'm particularly partial to India Pale Ale. It's an enjoyable way to close a long work day. However, I do not advise IPA as the best snack to start your work day. But to each his own.