Choosing nutritious snacks to enjoy throughout the day is a crucial part of any healthy diet. There are a variety of easy-to-prepare, delicious snacks that help you get some essential nutrients and fuel your body.
Here are 12 ideas for healthy and wholesome snacks.
Nut butter with fruit
Combining your favorite fruit with nut butter creates an easy, quick, and easy plant-based snack that you can enjoy anywhere.
Fruits like apples, bananas, and strawberries are packed with antioxidants and rich in fiber that help you feel full between meals.
Meanwhile, nut butters like almond, peanut or cashew butter provide a good dose of protein and healthy fats.
Cheese sticks
Cheese sticks are a perfect snack and convenience to help curb cravings. It is also a good source of calcium, an important mineral that helps strengthen your bones and teeth.
Bell pepper
Bell peppers are a healthy, plant-based alternative to traditional chips and dips.
Not only are bell peppers crunchy like chips or crackers, but they’re also lower in calories and packed with fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin A.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas are packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals like manganese and folate. Chickpeas are easy to make at home by sautéing cooked chickpeas with olive oil and optional spices or baking them at 200 degrees Celsius for 20-30 minutes.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a nutritious, low-calorie snack and an excellent source of the minerals phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.
It’s also high in manganese – a mineral involved in digestion, immune function, energy production and brain health.
Nuts
Nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews and pistachios provide many important nutrients including heart-healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium, iron and calcium.
Research shows that adding nuts to your diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain types of cancer.
Fruit yogurt
Rich in protein, calcium, vitamin B12 and potassium. Yogurt is a great snack option.
Pairing yogurt with apples, berries, bananas, grapes or your favorite fruit can help boost your intake of fiber, vitamin C, and disease-fighting antioxidants.
You can opt for low- or no-sugar yogurt to minimize added sugar and use a dash of cinnamon or honey to enhance the flavor naturally.
French fries
French fries are an easy and delicious way to add to your daily diet. Potatoes are an especially good source of vitamins C and A and other important nutrients involved in immune function and disease prevention.
Green smoothie
Green smoothies can be a quick and convenient way to add a few extra servings of vegetables to your diet while boosting your intake of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
You can make a green smoothie using green vegetables like kale, but you can also add fruits and other ingredients. Examples include carrots, celery, beets, berries, bananas, chia seeds, or flaxseed meal.
Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of many important nutrients including protein and fiber. They are also rich in magnesium – a micronutrient essential for muscle contraction, blood pressure regulation, nerve function and DNA synthesis.
Oatmeal
Oatmeal can be enjoyed at any time of the day as a delicious and nutritious snack.
Oats contain a type of fiber called beta-gluca that promotes weight loss and improves cholesterol levels, blood sugar and blood pressure control.
To enhance the flavor of your oatmeal you can mix it with yogurt, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, berries or cinnamon.
Boiled eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are a healthy and nutritious snack to help you feel full between meals and a great source of protein. Hard-boiled eggs are also high in selenium, vitamin A, and vitamin B.
In addition to the foods above, dried fruit, cocoa, and honey are all great options to boost the flavor and antioxidant content of your snack .
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