Healthy snacks curb your appetite to prevent overeating, add nutrients to your diet and give you the energy to make it to your next meal. Plan your snacks ahead of time and have a supply at hand to avoid impulsively reaching for chips, soda or candy. Create healthy snacks that include fruits and vegetables, whole grains or healthy, unsaturated fats, and be sure to Include a source of protein to feel full longer.
Portable Snacks
Don't get caught without a healthy snack when you're on the go -- plan ahead, and stash non-perishable snacks in your car, backpack or purse. Mix almonds and raisins with whole-grain cereal, and put individual servings into baggies. Try dried cranberries mixed with almonds or cashews and a small can of low-sodium tomato juice. Nuts provide fiber, protein and healthy unsaturated fat, but watch portion size -- 1 oz. has about 180 calories. Dried fruit is a healthy choice because it is high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Limit the amount you eat, though, because dried fruit is also high in calories. Read labels and avoid dried fruit that contains added sugar.
Snacks for Your Desk
Plan in advance, and store healthy snacks in your desk for the times you have to work through lunch or stay late. Keep a box of whole-grain, high-fiber cereal and single-serving boxes of low-fat milk or soy milk on hand. Stash single-serving cans of water-packed tuna, packets of low-fat mayonnaise and whole-grain crackers for a healthy tuna salad snack. Stock single-serving containers of sugar-free applesauce, small cans of low-sodium vegetable juice and packets of sugar-free instant oatmeal to eat sprinkled with nuts. Don't forget the necessary utensils and dishes.
Kid's Snacks
Make healthy, fun snacks for kids. Microwave a small baked potato and top with low-fat cheese and mild salsa, or assemble snack kabobs made with grapes and cubed low-fat cheese. Make tuna or egg salad sandwiches on whole-grain bread and cut them into shapes with cookie cutters. Top sugar-free instant oatmeal with walnuts and dried cranberries, or make a mini-pizza with a toasted whole-grain English muffin topped with pizza sauce and low-fat mozzarella cheese. Never give children under 3 grapes or other food items that present a choking hazard.
More Healthy Snack Options
For a healthy snack, try a low-fat mozzarella stick and a cup of grapes, hummus with carrots and cucumber slices or whole-grain pita wedges, almond or peanut butter on a sliced apple or a banana, plain yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit or a whole-grain tortilla topped with low-fat cheese and heated in the microwave. Make a turkey kabob with cubes of turkey breast and low-fat cheese and eat it with whole-grain crackers, or have a hard-boiled egg with pita bread or a piece of fruit.
Member Comments