Snacks Can be Healthy—and Tasty Too

SNACKS CAN BE HEALTHY—AND TASTY TOO

I love to eat and hardly ever miss a meal. Yet I love snacks too—mid morning, late morning, mid afternoon, late afternoon. Some of what I snack on is healthy—a small bag of raw almonds, apple slices, grapes. But I’ve been filling in the other snack craving times with Snyder’s Pretzels—which are so easy to grab out of the bag and eat but ain’t so healthy. You probably don’t snack as often as I do. But when you do take a snack break what do you go for?

Just today, I finally promised myself that I wouldn’t buy another bag of pretzels the rest of the year. But I’ll still be craving snacks. I did a bit of online searching of what would be good snack substitutes that are healthy, easy to fix, and enjoyable.

From what I found, I’m giving recommendations from three sources. You—and me—are bound to get excited about a few of these suggestions. First, here are excerpts from a July 2016 Harvard article, Revamp your snacking habits

“Snacks help bridge the gap between meals,” says Liz Moore, a dietitian at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A small snack in the afternoon curbs your appetite so you’re not completely starving when you sit down to dinner, she explains. That can help you control your portion sizes and avoid overeating—a common cause of weight gain. “If you eat lunch at noon and are planning to meet a friend for dinner at 7 or 8 p.m., have a snack between 4 and 5 p.m.,” she suggests.

Healthy snack suggestions

When choosing snacks, select whole foods with little processing, and look for the healthiest sources of fats, carbs, and protein. For example:

• 8 ounces plain Greek yogurt with fresh or frozen berries and a sprinkle of granola
• ¼ cup hummus with 1 cup fresh vegetables, such as baby carrots, broccoli florets, and cherry tomatoes
• 1 slice whole-grain flatbread with 1 tablespoon almond butter and 1 teaspoon fruit spread
• 1 banana, sliced and spread with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1 cup of cooked oatmeal with a dusting of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon raisins, and ½ cup low-fat milk or soy milk
• Low-fat string cheese with an apple or small bunch of grapes
• 1 cup edamame in the shell

 Next, some suggestions from Lisa M. Dierks of the Mayo Clinic in her article Easy ways to get out of your snack rut:

It’s 3 p.m., and you need a snack. Sure, grabbing a bag of chips or a candy bar at the office vending machine might seem more enticing than, say, biting into an apple. But there are ways to make healthy snacks enjoyable.

Change up your snack staples with these ideas:

• Sliced apple with cashew butter and raisins
• Whole-grain crackers with peanut butter and sliced banana
• Fruit or veggie toothpick kebabs — such as cherry tomatoes with feta cheese, strawberries and grapes, or a mix of your favorite melons
• Trail mix — nuts, dried fruit and whole-grain cereal

Remember, in a typical meal plan snacks usually account for 100 to 300 calories for the day (depending on your specific caloric needs). Be sure to keep portion sizes appropriate and not overindulge with mindless munching.

Set yourself up for success by stocking up on the healthy items you enjoy. Then prep them for the week — cut celery or carrots into sticks, take the tops off strawberries, slice up fresh pineapple, pre-portion nuts into small containers. If everything is cleaned, prepped and portioned out, it can be grabbed quickly and eaten before you’re even tempted by unhealthy fare. Consider dedicating one shelf in your fridge to these grab-and-go snacks.

Finally, here’s a list of snack suggestions from the June 2016 article by Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE in Healthline 29 Healthy Snacks that Can Help You Lose Weight

Here are her recommendations that weren’t already mentioned in the above 2 articles:

2. Red Bell Pepper with Guacamole
3. Celery Sticks with Cream Cheese
4. Kale Chips
5. Cherry Tomatoes with Mozzarella
6. Chia Seed Pudding
7. Hard-Boiled Eggs
8. Baby Carrots with Blue Cheese Dressing
9. A Piece of Cheese
10. Healthy Beef Jerky or Beef Sticks
11. Whey Protein Shake
12. Canned Salmon or Sardines
13. Marinated Artichoke Hearts
14. Pear Slices with Ricotta Cheese
15. Dried Unsweetened Coconut.
16. Turkey Roll-Ups
17. Olives
18. Spicy Avocado
19. Ricotta Cheese with Cocoa Powder
20. Sun-Dried Tomatoes
21. Cantaloupe Slices Wrapped in Prosciutto

 

Often you or me just need a snack. Do some of the choices on these lists sound appealing enough to add to your snack time? Having some nutritious—but delicious—options close by can help us avoid unhealthy and fattening alternatives.