A big part of healthy eating is including more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat milk products in your diet. Healthy snacks in reasonable portion sizes are a great way to make sure that you get plenty of these nutritious foods every day. Here are some ideas to help you incorporate healthy snacks to your diet:
Make Smart Snack Choices
- Find healthier substitutes for high-fat snacks. If your favorite high-fat snack is potato chips and dip, try baked tortilla chips with a small serving of bean dip or hummus instead.
- Make snacks interesting. If the idea of a plain piece of fruit doesn't appeal to you, try dipping fruit slices in low-fat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Be prepared and plan ahead. Have snacks ready for when you get hungry. For example, keep healthy snacks with you throughout the day. If you have a healthy snack easily available, it's less likely that you'll pick a candy bar or bag of chips instead.
Try These Healthy Snack Ideas
- Use a small amount of peanut or almond butter as a protein-rich dip for raw apples, carrots, celery, and pretzel sticks.
- Mix fresh or frozen berries with low-fat yogurt. Top it with sliced almonds or granola to make a fruit parfait.
- Top whole-grain crackers with low-fat cottage cheese or ricotta cheese and sliced tomatoes or red pepper strips.
- Make your own healthy trail mix with high fiber cereal, nuts, and dried fruit (e.g., cranberries, blueberries, or dates).
- Dip colorful, sliced vegetables in low-fat salad dressing or hummus. Try bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, or cherry tomatoes.
Tools to Help You Make Healthier Food Choices
The U.S. Department of Agriculture developed the MyPlate website and mobile application to help you make healthier food choices. You can also visit the MyPlate, MyWins for Families website for resources, videos, and fun family activities to help teach your kids about healthy eating.
Last Updated: 08/13/2020