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 |
Ideas for some Fun Healthy Snack Recipes are
- Yogurt and Fruit Smoothie
- Orange Shake
- Dry Fruits Milkshake
- Veggie with a Dip
- Fruit Juice Cups
