Top 8 Snack Foods - Tips on Snacks that are Nutritious, Filling & Tasty

When considering healthy snack recipes, remember that two key ingredients cause foods to be filling and “stay with you”: protein and fiber. Any filling and healthy snack idea should be high in one or both of these nutrients.

1. Lowfat yogurt is high in protein while low in fat. Unsweetened or artificially sweetened yogurt is low in refined carbohydrates than can play havoc with your blood sugar and waistline. Try unsweetened yogurt on fruit, or artificially sweetened yogurt with high-fiber cereal or granola mixed in.

2. Lowfat cottage cheese is another high protein dairy option. It can be delicious on fruit and can also be served either plain or with vegetables.

3. Natural peanut butter is such a healthy food that it is sometimes called a “superfood,” despite being high in fat. It contains so-called “healthy fats” that can reduce cholesterol, as well as protein and fiber, the keys to filling you up. Smooth or crunchy natural peanut butter can be spread on celery, whole wheat bread, high-fiber crackers, apples, and many other foods. Some people even enjoy peanut butter licked right off a spoon. Natural peanut butter is better than conventional peanut butter because it contains no added sugar.

4. Other nut butters such as almond butter and cashew butter can be used like peanut butter. These nut butters should be kept in the refrigerator to keep their healthy oils from going rancid.

5. Nuts don’t need to be ground into a nut butter to make fun, healthy snacks. They can be eaten plain or in trail mix. In fact, trail mix is a wonderful healthy snack that is high in fiber and protein. Even trail mix that contains chocolate candy includes enough healthy fat, fiber, and protein to keep blood sugar even. It is a good alternative to cereal as a breakfast food or snack, especially for diabetics. And some gourmet trail mix contains dark chocolate, which has numerous health benefits. Watch out for nuts or trail mix with excessive added salt, which can raise blood pressure.

6. Fresh fruit and vegetables are wonderful healthy snacks that contain fiber as well as many important vitamins, minerals, and cancer-fighting phytochemicals. Baby carrots are convenient and nutritious. Cut up other vegetables and store in the refrigerator for nutritious snacks when you get the munchies. They can be eaten plain or with low-fat salad dressing. Good snacking vegetables include celery, cucumbers, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and more exotic choices like jicama.

7. Hard boiled eggs are a fun healthy snack. Though the yolks contain cholesterol, scientists no longer believe that dietary cholesterol is a problem. Eggs are high in protein, making them excellent choices nutritious snacks.

8. Beef jerky does not appear on most people’s lists of healthy snacks, but it is actually an excellent snack idea. Beef jerky is low in fat and high in protein. Avoid “beef sticks” and other high-fat, highly processed foods and go for dried, cured meats. Beef jerky is not for people with high blood pressure because it contains a significant amount of sodium.