Healthy Snacks and Chips

Snacking on the wrong types of foods can derail a healthy eating plan. Fried chips, snack mixes and many baked goods contain saturated fats, sodium and added sugars that add calories to your diet without any substantial nutrition. A healthy diet includes snacks that provide nutrients and keeps calories under control, but this does not limit you to just celery sticks and plain yogurt. You can enjoy crunchy chips and tasty snacks, as long as you pay attention to the nutrition panel and stick to modest serving sizes.

Baked Chips

Many baked versions of chips offer a healthier alternative to fried options. Tortilla chips, baked without fat, contain about 116 calories per oz. with just 2 g of fat, compared with 137 calories and 7 g of fat in original varieties. Baked potato chips save you about 30 calories and 8 g of fat per 1-oz. serving. Go for low-sodium when possible to try to meet the American Heart Association's recommendation to keep sodium intake to 1,500 mg daily.

Vegetable Chips

The word "vegetable" on the front of a snack package does not automatically mean the chips are healthy. Many are made with pressed potatoes, fillers and salt and colored to appear as if they offer a bounty of vegetables. Look for vegetables chips made with actual vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, taro and beets, which are cooked in heart-healthy oils such as canola, safflower or olive. Remember to stick to single servings of these chips as they still contain about 150 calories and 9 g of fat per 1-oz. serving.

Pairings

Consider pairing your chips with a healthy dip to up the nutritional content. Baked tortilla chips go well with hummus made with chickpeas and sesame paste. Hummus offers protein, unsaturated fats and a serving of vegetables. If you crave a creamy dip, try mixing nonfat plain Greek yogurt with salsa or herbs and lemon juice and use with baked potato chips. Greek yogurt provides 4 g of protein per ¼ cup and some bone-building calcium.

Nuts

If you crave crunchy, salty snacks, nuts are a nutritious option. Nuts contain between 160 and 200 calories per 1-oz. serving, but also offer magnesium, vitamin E and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Nuts, particularly walnuts, peanuts and pecans, are a rich source of antioxidants, which may help you fight disease such as some cancers and heart disease.

Considerations

Think twice before you choose fat-free chips made with the fat substitute olestra. This synthetic fat passes through the digestive system unabsorbed, so you take in no calories. The product can cause diarrhea and other digestive ailments, ranging from mild to severe. It also affects your ability to absorb certain antioxidants, notes the Center for Science in the Public Interest.