West Lakes Hy-Vee Dietitians: Smart Snacking

Do you love snacking throughout the day? When snacking is done right it can have several benefits such as providing your body with essential nutrients, helping to curb cravings and boosting your energy. In order to get these benefits you must choose a healthy snack that is nutrient-dense rather than eating a snack filled with empty calories, such as potato chips. Nutrient-dense is just a fancy word that describes foods that have a lot of nutrients, but few calories. A healthy snack includes healthy carbohydrates, protein and fat (or at least two out of the three).

So what makes one carbohydrate, protein or fat healthier than another? Here’s a few details to help you decipher which ones are best, followed by some real-life examples of healthy snacks to stock up on:

The healthiest carbohydrates are those that contain the most vitamins, minerals and fiber. These nutrients are going to be found in snacks like whole grain crackers (Kashi, Triscuits or Wheat Thins) and fruits and vegetables (fresh or those frozen without added sugars are the best route). Fiber helps to fill up your stomach and curbs your cravings.

The healthiest protein snacks are those that are low in saturated fats and sugar and have at least 5 grams of protein. Great examples of this include a hard-boiled egg, certain Greek yogurt brands or a cheese stick made with 2% milk or less. Protein also contributes to helping you feel full because your body digests protein rather slowly, therefore it stays in your stomach longer.

And last but not least, the healthy fats are known as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. These healthy, aka heart-healthy fats, are going to be found in snacks like avocados and nuts. Certain brands of chips now contain more healthy fats than unhealthy fats as well.

Next time you go to grab a snack, think of these helpful tips and tricks to snack smarter. Here are a few of my favorite healthy snacks to get you started:

1. Dried edamame (HealthMarket)

¼ cup contains 13 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein.

2. 100 calorie pack almonds (Aisle 7)

3. Siggi’s Greek Yogurt (HealthMarket)

Siggi’s is my favorite Greek yogurt but if you prefer a different brand, just check the label and make sure the yogurt you’re eating has more protein than sugar.

4. Snapea crisps (Produce)

A crunchy and salty snack to eat in place of potato chips! The serving size is generous (22 pieces) and gives you 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.