Snacking can boost your metabolism, help prevent overeating between meals, and ensure you get all of the essential vitamins and minerals your body requires – but too much snacking could contribute to weight gain or other health complications.
Avoid making unhealthy choices by planning ahead and creating nutritious snacks to enjoy both at home and when traveling. Choose snacks with an optimal balance of fiber, water, healthy fats and proteins.
1. Fruits
Fruits and vegetables offer numerous health benefits while being low in both calories and fat content, including vitamins, minerals, fiber and plant chemicals that protect against some cancers and diseases. Furthermore, phytochemicals found in them help provide protection from cancerous tumors as well as other serious illnesses.
Many nutritious snacks combine light food and healthy fats, such as the classic “ants on a log,” consisting of celery sticks dipped in peanut butter for 3 grams of fiber and protein, with strawberries or bananas dipped into yogurt or hummus for an equally nutritious treat.
Make nutritious snacks more accessible to make choosing healthier options easier. Look for packages with lower sodium content and limit added sugar and fat.
2. Vegetables
No matter your preferred eating style, including nibbling on vegetables is an effective way to meet dietary requirements. Not only are vegetables low in calories and fat content but are packed with vital fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
Many nutritionists recommend increasing your fruit and vegetable consumption to five servings each day, which may seem difficult. To make this easier, stock up on carrots, jicama sticks and cucumber slices as snackable foods; even better yet if they can be dipped in guacamole or hummus for extra flavor!
While distinguishing fruits and vegetables may become blurry at times – for instance, in regards to tomato, peppers, and eggplant being fruits or vegetables — vegetable snacks tend to be lower in sodium content while more abundant in fiber content than their fruit counterparts.
3. Nuts
Nuts are an excellent, nutritious choice of snack food that are full of essential vitamin E, B vitamins and minerals such as phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, iron and selenium. Incorporating nuts into meals occasionally will ensure optimal nutrition; however, do so in moderation as nuts are high in calories.
A small handful of nuts can help stave off hunger pangs between meals and make an easy addition to numerous dishes, but too many calories could lead to weight gain; aim for a serving size consisting of plain or unsalted roasted nuts for optimal results.
4. Dairy
Milk and dairy products provide essential sources of calcium, protein, vitamin D and other essential nutrients. This category includes fluid milk, whole milk yogurt and cheese as well as other foods derived from milk such as butter and ice cream. If possible, opt for lower fat or fat-free versions in order to cut back on saturated fat content and additional sugar intake.
Protein- and fiber-rich snacks that provide you with protein include hummus with vegetables or fruit smoothies made with non-dairy milk, while for something dairy-free try spreading nut butter on toast or using it to dip fruit slices into.
5. Meat
Meat-based snacks such as jerky and meat sticks contain protein to satisfy hunger, keep energy levels up, and promote muscle growth – making these options perfect for individuals following keto or paleo diets with higher-protein requirements.
Retailers can capitalize on this carnivorous snack trend by selling products that emphasize health. Target options that are gluten-free, free from nitrates/nitrites and contain minimal processing ingredients.
Biltong, an air-cured meat snack, is a traditional meat-based snack. Made with grass-fed venison and salt and pepper for maximum leanness and amino acid-packed taste.
6. Bread
Bread is a traditional food composed of a dough made up of flour and water that may include yeast or another leavening agent for leavening purposes, then baked. Bread has become an indispensable staple of human diet and an integral component of both religious rituals and secular culture worldwide.
Breads can make nutritious snacks when they’re low in fat and added sugar. Medical professionals and dietitians recommend choosing whole wheat bread which contains all parts of the grain such as endosperm, germ and bran; plus is high in fiber content.
The bakery industry strives to produce functional and healthy products, by fortifying bread formulations with essential nutrients like minerals with easy absorption and proteins. Studies have also demonstrated how adding dairy products improves both rheology and sensory acceptability of bread products.
7. Baked Goods
Nutritious baked foods are an ideal snack choice, often providing calcium, protein, iron and vitamins along with energy and sugar for sustained energy release.
Baking processes kill spoilage organisms and can extend shelf life of baked products such as breads, pastries and cakes. Preservatives like propionic acid or sorbic acid or their salts are commonly used to extend mold-free shelf life for bakery items.
Low-sugar labels have become an emerging market trend in bakery stores, as overconsumption of sweets has been shown to harm immune function and lead to obesity. Bakeries are using high-intensity sweeteners, resistant starches and low-calorie artificial sweeteners in their efforts to lower sugar content and encourage consumption responsibly.
