A healthy snack can go a long way to complement your healthy eating plans. When your stomach begins to growl, your first instinct is often to reach for a snack. You can either hit the vending machines at work, selecting choices that are full of fat, sugar and cholesterol, or you can plan ahead and make sure that you have healthy choices available at all times.
Fresh Vegetables and Dip
Fresh vegetables with dip makes a healthy snack that satisfies the taste buds. The key to this snack is to avoid the dips that are pre-made in the supermarket and make your own healthy variation. To make a vegetable dip, simply combine one-half package of dry vegetable soup mix or dry onion soup mix with 2 cups of plain, low-fat yogurt. Be sure to purchase the low-sodium varieties of soup mix. If you are not a fan of yogurt, you can use cottage cheese in its place. Mix the ingredients together and let the dip chill overnight. Use as a dip for sliced cucumber, cabbage wedges, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower or broccoli. A ¼ cup serving of dip contains about 50 calories.
Banana
One medium sized banana contains just 110 calories, 4 g, of fiber, 35 percent of your daily value of vitamin B6 and 11 percent of your daily value of potassium. Bananas are easy to digest and contain a decent amount of carbohydrates, giving your body plenty of energy to burn throughout the day. Convenience and portability make bananas a good choice for those always on the go and the nutritional value makes them an ideal snack after a workout.
Yogurt
Yogurt is convenient and nutritious. It contains essential vitamins and minerals, protein and 25 percent of the daily value of calcium in one serving. When selecting yogurt, it is best to choose the plain variety and add your own fresh blueberries, raspberries or whatever fruit you prefer. Many yogurt varieties that include fruit are loaded with sugar and additives, turning a healthy snack into junk food. To get the additional benefit of probiotics, look for yogurts that list "live and active cultures" on the label. One cup of plain yogurt contains approximately 150 calories.
Hardboiled Egg
Although many people worry about eggs having a negative effect of cholesterol levels, a single egg yolk has virtually no negative impact whatsoever, according to "Healthy Foods: Fact Versus Fiction." One large hardboiled egg contains just 70 calories and provides your body with 13 essential nutrients. Eggs contain riboflavin, protein and choline.
References
- "The World's Healthiest Foods: The Essential guide for the Healthiest Way of Eating"; George Mateljan; 2007
- "Healthy Foods: An Irreverent Guide to Understanding Nutrition and Feeding Your Family Well"; Leanne Ely; 2001
- "Healthy Foods: Fact versus Fiction"; Myrna Chandler Goldstein; 2010
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