Snacks are an important part of any diet, as nutritious, healthy snacks complement your meals and help you get all of the nutrients you need for good health. It is not always easy to determine if a snack is healthy, so it is important to learn how to distinguish between nutritious snacks and less healthy choices.
Choose Whole Foods
Whole foods are those that are as close to their natural state as possible, such as fruits and vegetables. There are multitudes of convenience and packaged snack foods, but many of them contain far too many added ingredients, fat and salt to be considered part of a healthy diet. Fresh fruits and vegetables pack a great deal of nutrition into a snack that is also low in fat and calories. Low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, whole-grain breads, oatmeal, nuts and seeds are other whole foods that supply a good amount of nutrition in a small snack.
Read Labels
It is not always possible to pass on packaged foods, so learning to read labels is essential for choosing the most nutritious snacks. Look for a snack that includes whole grains as one of the first ingredients, as well as one that does not contain high fructose corn syrup or added sugars. Partially hydrogenated oils included on the ingredient label means that the snack contains trans fats, which are particularly dangerous for your health. Choose one that is also low in calories and sodium. The nutrition label will also tell you which vitamins and minerals your snack contains.
Make a Small Snack
A snack should not be the same size as your meals. Snacks are intended to give you energy and fuel your body between meals, but should be much smaller than a full meal. If you regularly eat large snacks that are high in fat and calories, you may eventually gain weight because your body does not need that much food. Instead of a whole bagel, eat only half with reduced-fat cream cheese or peanut butter. Eat a half a bowl of cereal or oatmeal instead of the whole bowl.
Include Several Food Groups
Eating the same snack each day may provide a good amount of nutrition, but eating a variety of snacks will provide more vitamins and minerals. Choose nuts for a morning snack and a piece of fruit for an afternoon snack. If you have a granola bar in the morning, have fresh vegetables in the afternoon to get a variety of nutrients. Have low-fat cheese for one of your daily snacks and air-popped popcorn for the other. Eating a variety of nutritious foods is the easiest way to ensure you get all of the nutrients you need.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Snacks: How They Fit Into Your Weight-Loss Plan; May 29, 2010
- "365 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power"; Carolyn Dean, Valentine Dmitriev and Donna Raskin; 2009
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