Choosing Healthy Snacks

Incorporating snacks into your diet can be a healthy way to keep from getting too hungry in between meals. And choosing those snacks wisely can help add nutrients to your diet, rather than just empty calories. Some ideas for healthy snacks include:

• Whole pieces of fruit. Try to remember to grab an apple, banana, pear, or orange on your way out of the dining hall to have as a snack later.
• Crackers or pretzels with peanut butter. The protein in the peanut butter will help you stay full longer, and both of these foods will store for long periods of time to just keep on hand when needed.
• Applesauce cups can be an easy and tasty way to get in another serving of fruit as a snack. And you don't have to have a refrigerator to store applesauce if you buy the pre-packaged variety.
• Dry cereal stores easily and for long periods of time as well. Cereal can also be a good source of whole grains and certain vitamins. Make sure to look for whole grain varieties when purchasing cereal. The ingredients should list "Whole grain" or "Whole Wheat" as one of the first ingredients.
• Trail mix again is easy to store and is a great snack to keep you full until your next meal. The nuts found in trail mix contain healthy fats and many needed nutrients like vitamins and minerals. And if the trail mix contains dried fruit as well, that counts towards your daily fruit needs.
• If you do have a refrigerator to store perishable items, keeping yogurt cups on hand is a good idea for snacking. Choose low-fat or fat-free options to cut down on extra saturated fat.
• Carrots and hummus is another great snack idea if you have access to a refrigerator. The carrots will add vegetables to your diet and the hummus adds protein.

It's important to remember that snacking can fit into your daily requirements! A common misconception is that eating late at night can cause weight gain, which may prevent people from snacking after dinner. But it is not the timing of when we eat that causes weight gain, it's the balance of calories over the entire day that influences our weight. If snacking late at night causes you to consume more calories than needed, then weight  gain will occur. However, if you are hungry and haven't met your daily calorie needs, snacking will not cause weight gain. So if having a snack helps you focus on what you're working on later at night, then pick a healthy snack to have. Getting a sense of your daily needs and requirements will help you figure out if snacking can fit into your diet. As mentioned in an earlier post, try using the USDA's SuperTracker tool to track your calorie needs and balance your healthy snacks.