The ABC’s of Healthy Snacking

It’s all about HOW and WHAT you snack on: Wise snacking doesn’t mean reaching for the nearest candy bar or bag of chips. It is important to choose foods that pack in lots of nutrition, are satisfying, and don’t put you overboard on calories. If this sounds more like rocket science than snacking to you, don’t worry, it’s as simple as A...B....C, when you follow these steps.  

Appealing: You should be happy about your snack and feel great after you eat it.  This means choosing foods that not only taste great, but keep you satisfied for the long haul (until your next meal).  Experiment with a variety of snacking options, from sweet to savory and combinations of the two.  And remember, fiber keeps you feeling satisfied for longer, so make sure your snacks pack in at least 4 grams of fiber.  Fat also creates a feeling of satisfaction, so don’t be too enticed by “fat-free” snacks.

Balanced: A snack that’s going to keep your energy up for hours needs to have a balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat – or at least two of the three.  In fact, carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy – and your brain’s preferred source.  By combining carbs with fat and protein, a balanced snack gives you sustained energy.  Choose from these categories to put together a snack that won’t let you down:

Healthy choices for…

CARBOHYDRATES: Whole grain bread, cereal, crackers, tortillas, wraps, English muffins, frozen waffles; cooked whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, barley); oats (cooked or uncooked); baked sweet/regular potato; pureed (canned) pumpkin; fruit (fresh, frozen, dried); veggie (fresh or frozen); canned beans  (garbanzo,  black, kidney, white); hummus

PROTEINS: Low fat plain yogurt; skim or 1% milk; calcium fortified soy milk; canned beans (garbanzo, black, kidney, white); reduced fat cheese (slices or string cheese);1% cottage cheese; canned tuna or  salmon; hard-boiled egg; baked tofu; edamame or soy nuts

FATS: Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, sesame); nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts, cashews,  pistachios); nut and seed butters; milled (ground) flax seeds; avocado; olives; reduced fat mayo; olive oil

Calorie-conscious: The other key to healthy snacking is for your snack  to consist of enough calories, but not too many.  You don’t want to go overboard on calories at snack time, but you also don’t want to skimp on snacks either (because then they’re not satisfying – and that defeats the purpose). In general, 150-200 calories is appropriate for people sticking to a diet below 2000 calories.  If your calorie needs are above 2000 per day, aim for snacks that are about 200-250 calories each. Need some help putting together snacks at each calorie level?  We’ve got you covered with 5 snack suggestions in each category.  

150 calorie snacks

1/2 whole grain English muffin topped with 2 tsp. peanut or almond butter

1 cup berries topped with 1 Tbsp. chopped nuts

1/4 cup hummus and 1/2 cup baby carrots

1 slice whole grain bread topped with 1 Tbsp reduced fat cream cheese and a teaspoon of honey

1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt topped with 1/2 cup blueberries and 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds (or ground flax seeds)

200 calorie snacks

Large apple spread with 1 Tbsp peanut butter

10 oz skim latte, 16 almonds

8 ounces nonfat milk (or 10 ounce nonfat latte) and 2/3 cup whole grain cereal

1 ounce baked tortilla chips dipped in ¼ cup salsa; 1 piece reduced fat string cheese

½ cup black beans mixed with ½  cup no salt added canned corn and topped with 1 Tbsp shredded reduced fat cheese 

250 calorie snacks

1 slice of whole grain toast spread with 1 Tbsp. of peanut butter; a small apple

Medium pear with 22 almonds

1 slice of whole grain toast topped with 1/2 avocado, sliced, and sliced tomato

1 8-inch whole grain tortilla with 1/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheese and ¼ cup salsa (heat in microwave until cheese melts)

3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt topped with 3/4 cup berries, and 2.5 Tbsp. chopped pistachios.

* Contributions to this article by Laura Kashtan