Snacks can be an easy, nutritious solution to nutritional gaps caused by missed meals or increased needs such as stress, pregnancy, illness recovery or exercise. Choose nutrient-rich snacks with low levels of fat, sodium and sugar and high fiber content to supplement any nutrient gaps or increased demands.
Avoid eating highly processed foods, which tend to be low in vitamins while high in salt, sugar, fat and calories.
Protein
Protein is an integral component of a nutritious snack and will help you feel full for longer. Select high-protein snacks with healthy fats and limited added sugars such as rye melba toast with low-fat peanut butter, apple slices dipped in peanut butter or three cups of air-popped popcorn from packaged products containing nutritional facts panels to see how many calories and added sugars exist per serving.
Snacking can be part of a healthy diet when comprised of whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy and whole grain foods such as cereal. Snacking can increase nutrient intake while supporting weight management, energy levels and exercise recovery. Excessive snacking however may cause unwanted weight gain while making it hard to meet daily nutritional needs (32-33) Choosing appropriate snacks will ensure that you remain on track with your health goals.
Fiber
Most Americans do not consume enough fiber in their diets. Yet this essential carb doesn’t add calories and helps promote satiety and digestive health while potentially improving heart and blood vessel health, according to research.
Fiber, unlike fats and carbohydrates, which your body breaks down and absorbs into sugar molecules, remains indigestible and passes harmlessly through your digestive tract. Good sources of fiber include whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes – especially those with both soluble (found in oatmeal, beans, peas, apples and barley) and insoluble fiber content such as wheat bran, carrots nuts or psyllium).
Start slowly when increasing your fiber intake to avoid GI distress like gas or bloating, according to Munro. Drink plenty of fluids as this will aid the movement of the fiber through your system; an old-school “ants on a log” snack would work nicely here or make a satisfying “ants on a toast” sandwich using avocado spread and whole grain toast, Derocha suggests.
Carbohydrates
Carbs provide energy for our bodies and can be found in foods such as bread, beans, milk, fruit and popcorn. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains, vegetables and fruits provide vitamins, minerals and fiber. You may also find carbohydrates in processed food items like cookies candy and soft drinks.
Carbs in food are broken down by our bodies into sugars for energy use. A healthy diet should include over one third of its calories as carbohydrates – starchy foods like potatoes, rice and pasta are excellent sources. Peas and corn also contain lots of carbs.
Dried fruits like apricots, raisins or figs provide portable carbohydrate-rich snacks on-the-go, while chocolate milk provides both carbohydrates and protein for post-exercise recovery. Healthy carbohydrates should come from whole food sources rather than processed ones with little nutrition but high amounts of added sugar, fat or salt content.
Healthy Fats
Healthy fats provide a satisfying way to slow the digestion of carbohydrates and add flavor, in addition to being packed with essential vitamins, minerals and phytosterols. Unfortunately, all fats are calorically dense; eating too many can contribute to weight gain or obesity – one gram of fat contains nine calories while one gram of proteins and carbohydrates provides four.
Consume monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to lower disease risk, such as olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocado, seeds and nuts containing these unsaturated fatty acids.
Avoid saturated and trans fats, which increase disease risk. These fats can be found in meat, dairy and some plant products like palm, coconut and lard – the Nutrition Facts panel on packaged food displays how many saturated and trans fats there are in each serving.
