Jul

Healthy Snacks

Good Snack Ideas
All of us tend to snack. Choose snacks wisely so that they are healthful and nutritious. Its best to snack on foods high in fiber but low in sugar and fat. Snacks should help to meet our daily nutritional needs, rather than add pounds.

Wise Snacking

Juicy Snacks: Watermelon, Cherries, Berries, Tangerines, Cantaloupe, Grapes, Grapefruit, Orange, Peaches, Pears, Pineapple, Plums

Crunchy Snacks: Plain Popcorn, Apples, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Jicama, Cauliflower, Carrots, Cabbage wedges, Broccoli.

Thirst Quenching Snacks: Juices (no sugar added) e.g. Apple, Orange, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Watermelon, Milk, Water, Frozen juicesicles, fruit shakes.

Hunger Satisfying Snacks: Banana, Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, almonds, raisins), cheese, unsweetened cereal, hard boiled eggs, leftover meat (turkey, chicken, tuna, pork, lamb, beef), crackers and peanut butter, pizza muffin, plain yoghurt with fruit, cheese tortillas

Why Avoid High Fat, High Sugar Snacks?

High fat, high sugar snacks are usually more expensive, calorie rich, have minimal vitamins and minerals. High sugar snacks have refined sugars which contribute to empty calories. This means they just add on to calories but are devoid of nutrients. Excess sugar promotes dental caries, tooth decay and gum disease. Excess fat can cause heart disease. Excess calories make you overweight or worse still, fat!

BEWARE!

High Sugar Snacks: Candy, Sodas, Sugar coated cereal, Hi-C, Kool-Aid, Fruit drinks, Jello, Popsicles

High Fat Snacks: French fries, potato chips, hot dogs, lunch meat, buttered popcorn, mayonnaise dips, cream cheese, sour cream dips, pork rinds, tortilla chips and deep fried foods.

Double Trouble: These foods are both high in fat and sugars – Cakes, pastries, pies, cookies, doughnuts, chocolate, granola bars.

High fiber snacks are healthy food choice options you can munch on guilt-free and yet promote good health and fitness.

Ideas for High Fiber Snack Options

Puffed wheat
Whole grain muffins (corn, oatmeal, bran, wheat and so on)
Fresh fruit
Whole grain sandwiches filled with carrots/ zucchini/ low fat cottage cheese/ tuna/ baked chicken
Whole wheat or whole grain toast strips
Whole grain pizza bread topped with veggies
Oatmeal cookies
Popcorn
Fig cookies

Healthy Kids Snack Choices

Here are some healthy diet snacks for kids which will help them to choose healthier snack options.

Choose These Foods	Instead of These Foods
Baked Potato	French fries
Frozen Juiceicles	Jello or icecream
Low fat/ non fat milk	Whole milk
Soda crackers	Chips
Fruit pieces	Cookies, Pie, Candies
Whole grain toast	Cake, doughnut
Baked or boiled chicken	Fried chicken
Plain yogurt	Sour cream
Fruit juice, water	Soda, Kool-aid, Hi-C
Chicken, Tuna	Hot dogs, bologna
Hamburger patty	Sausage, Bacon