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Healthy Alternatives to Snack Foods

Everyone snacks. In fact, more people snack than eat lunch or breakfast. If you prepare healthy snacks and have them easily accessible, you are less likely to eat snacks that are loaded with fat, sugar and salt, or that are highly processed. If you frequently snack on healthy foods, you will maintain your energy level and be less likely to binge on unhealthy snacks.

  1. Vegetables

    • Tasty, easy-to-prepare vegetables make convenient finger foods. Cut up some of your favorite vegetables such as celery, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers. Serve them with a low-calorie packaged dip, or make your own dip using yogurt.

    Fruits

    • Fruit is a delicious snack. A banana comes prepackaged in its own skin and is easy to transport. Apples, grapes and seasonal fruits such as berries and peaches are also easy to have on hand for a healthy snack.

    Vending Machine Snacks

    • If your only option is to pick a snack from a vending machine, then make the healthiest choice you can. Select a low-fat, low-sodium, high-protein item. Don't allow yourself to grab an unhealthy choice simply because it's available. Some of the healthier vending machine selections include: chips that are baked, pretzels, popcorn, trail mix, unsalted nuts, animal crackers and dried fruit.

    Fries

    • An order of french fries may be full of unhealthy trans fat oils, salt and calories. Instead of french fries, you can bake sweet potato fries, which are a much healthier, lower calorie snack.

    Drinks

    • Water and milk are an excellent substitute for high-calorie, sugary fruit drinks. Milk is especially important for kids and teens, most of whom don't get enough calcium. There are many tasty flavored waters, both carbonated and flat, that make drinking water, which is the healthiest drink there is, even more enjoyable.

    Yogurt and cheese

    • Low-fat and nonfat dairy products such as yogurt and cheese sticks make great snacks because they contain protein; provide calcium, vitamins and minerals; and are generally easy to transport in insulated lunch bags. If you pack your yogurt in the morning it will last until lunchtime in an insulated bag. When possible, you should refrigerate yogurt. Look for yogurt with no added sugar.

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