Best Healthy Snacks

Before you pick up a greasy bag of chips won’t leave you feeling full, read this list. I’ve written about my five favorite snack foods that will not only satiate you, but will improve your health. These are my favorites because they fill me up, are inexpensive, and easy to find at just about any food store. 

•  Banana – this is nature’s perfect pre-packaged snack. These satisfying fruits are a great source of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese, and dietary fiber. In fact, just one banana can give you over 15% of your daily recommended value of dietary fiber. And if you need more reasons to pick one up, they are a good source of natural energy, a good mood enhancer, and are good for your kidneys, bones, heart, and nerves.

• Popcorn – don’t just reach for popcorn when you’re about to watch a movie. Popcorn is a healthy snack (minus the butter and heavy salt) because it is full of fiber (which is good for your digestive system), and it’s a whole grain (which decreases the risk of heart disease and diabetes). Try to find air-popped butter-free popcorn – it’s the healthiest.

• Yogurt – where do I start with this super snack that always leaves me feeling full? Yogurt has tons of health benefits. The calcium and vitamin D in it can help prevent osteoporosis, its active cultures helps with gastrointestinal issues and prevents yeast infections, and some of its probiotic strains help boost the immune system. When buying yogurt, look for ones that have at most 150 calories per serving, 20 grams or less of sugar, and at least 8 to 10 grams of protein.

• Oatmeal – in its simplest form, this food looks rather…blah. But, adding some blueberries, apples, or my favorite, cranberries, can make all the difference. Oatmeal is a quick snack for when you’re craving something warm, and your body will thank you for eating it. Oatmeal has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and has vitamin E, vitamin B1, magnesium, selenium, fiber, and protein.

• Dried Cranberries – before I recommend this snack to you, I must warn you that they are highly addictive. However, regardless of how many of these you eat, you’ll never feel guilty. Dried cranberries reduce the risk of urinary tract infection, inhibit the development of cancer cells, improve digestive health, and help prevent tooth decay. They also decrease the risk of heart disease and strengthen bones and teeth.

Snack beautiful everyone!