Even if you have your healthy breakfasts, lunches and dinners down to a science, snacking on sugary or highly processed treats can negatively impact your health. Choosing healthy snacks can aid in weight control, curb appetite and give you more energy throughout the day, the University of Illinois reports. Fortunately, there are a number of convenient health-boosting snacks for you to choose from.
Fruits and Vegetables
People who meet their fruit and vegetable daily target of five servings per day have significantly lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity than those who rarely eat fruit, Iowa State University reports. Snack-friendly fruits and vegetables like apples, bananas, celery, carrot sticks and bell peppers are rich in healthy nutrients like dietary fiber, antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals.
Fat-Free Dairy
Dairy products provide your body with the B vitamin riboflavin, vitamin D and calcium. While all dairy products contain these nutrients, fat-free dairy is a better choice because it's free of artery-clogging saturated fat. Consuming dairy can combat the important heart disease risk factor hypertension, states M.F. Engberink of the Wageningen University. In research published in the June 2009 issue of "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," Engberink found that people who regularly consumed fat-free dairy had a 20 percent lower hypertension risk compared to those who seldom ate dairy.
Whole Grains
Whole grains like instant oatmeal, granola and whole wheat wraps are healthy snack options that are rich in dietary fiber. The fiber in whole grains can help you stay fuller longer between meals and clear out cholesterol from your body, according to MayoClinic.com. As a result, you should opt for snacks that contain 100 percent whole grain such as granola bars and whole wheat toast.
Nuts
Nuts are a snack choice that are loaded with healthy fats, the antioxidant selenium and fiber. Although nuts are rich in fat and calories, moderate consumption doesn't contribute towards weight gain, reports Purdue University's Richard Mattes. A paper published by Mattes in the September 2008 issue of the "The Journal of Nutrition" concluded that individuals who include nuts as part of a healthy diet tend to maintain a healthy body weight. Mattes states that the fat in nuts is poorly absorbed, allowing you to feel the satiating effects of the nuts without all of the calories.
References
- University of Illinois: Smart Snacks
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Inverse Association Between Dairy Intake and Hypertension: The Rotterdam Study; Marielle F Engberink, et al.; June 2009
- Iowa State University: The Health Value of Fruits and Vegetables
- MayoClinic.com: Whole Grains: Hearty Options for a Healthy Diet
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; Impact of Peanuts and Tree Nuts on Body Weight and Healthy Weight Loss in Adults; Richard D. Mattes, et al.; September 2008
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