By Hannah Six, Novant Health Healthy Headlines
The next time you’re famished, this list will save you from lunging for the wrong thing
The year is fresh and new, and maybe you’ve committed to a clean start, too. And why not? With a few more months of cold weather remaining, and COVID-19 still limiting activities, this is the perfect time to practice a little self-care and reboot your healthy-eating plans.
Jennifer Anderson Logan
If better nutrition is your goal, you’ve probably gathered some recipes for nourishing meals. But have you considered snacks? Planning what you’ll nosh on when between-meal hunger strikes is a smart move, according to Jennifer Anderson Logan, registered dietitian at Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute in Charlotte. It also makes staying on track much easier. And during heart month it’s important to remember, a healthy diet is a key component of heart health.
To that end, Logan offered a slew of snack options to help you stock your pantry with healthy goodies. Keep this list on hand — maybe print it out and post it in your kitchen — and you may never again find yourself in front of an open fridge wondering what to eat!
Delicious, lower-calorie snacks (100 calories)
-Half an apple with 2 teaspoons nut butter
-One orange with four to six dry-roasted nuts. Try eating them mindfully — they’re surprisingly satisfying!
-1 cup melon and 1/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
-1/2 cup fresh fruit with 4 to 6 ounces of plain low-fat yogurt
-1 ounce 2% cheddar cheese with half pear. Sweet and salty is always a great combo.
-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1 slice whole-grain bread
-Half a small avocado
-1/3 cup mixed raw vegetables with 1/4 cup fat-free ranch dressing
-1 cup original unsweetened Cheerios. Without milk — they make great finger food
-1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese with three whole grain crackers
-One boiled egg and four whole grain crackers
-3 cups 94% fat-free unbuttered popcorn, a wonderful substitute for chips
-Three reduced-fat Triscuits with 1 1/2 teaspoons nut butter
-One string cheese (made with 2% milk) with two whole grain crackers
-Eight tortilla chips with 2 tablespoons guacamole
-One Lundberg Brown Rice Cake with 1 tablespoon hummus
-13 cashews or almonds
-2 ounces lean turkey, chicken or fish
-1 1/2 cups tossed salad with tomato, cucumber and 2 tablespoons reduced-fat dressing
Healthy, higher-calorie snacks
-PB&J sandwich made with whole-grain bread; 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter; 1 tablespoon low-sugar jelly
-Mini pizza made with 100% whole wheat English muffin, 2 tablespoons tomato sauce and 1/4 cup 2% mozzarella cheese, baked in oven until cheese melts
-Turkey breast slices rolled around one piece of 2% string cheese
-Celery sticks spread with natural peanut butter or light cream cheese
-Fresh fruit with nut butter, 1% cottage cheese, or low-fat/nonfat yogurt
-A mix of raw veggies with hummus, light pimento cheese or light/fat-free cream cheese
-Reduced-fat string cheese (2% or skim-milk varieties)
-1 cup of 1% cottage cheese
-Whole grain cereal with 1% milk. Try using an 8-ounce coffee mug for portion control.
-Whole grain crackers with hummus, low-fat cheese or tuna salad made with light mayo
-100-calorie cup of prepared guacamole with 1 serving whole grain tortilla chips
-1/4 cup serving of homemade trail mix made with whole grain dry cereal, nuts, no-sugar-added dried fruit, and whole grain pretzels. Get creative with a variety of fruits, nuts and seeds!
-1/4 cup of walnuts, almonds, peanuts or soy nuts
-Half a banana, sliced and frozen, with nut butter or 2 tablespoons of nuts
-Apple slices with cinnamon, cooked in the microwave
-Toasted whole wheat English muffin spread with 1 teaspoon low-sugar jelly, topped with 1/4 cup low-fat ricotta cheese and a sprinkle of cinnamon
-1/2 cup dry old-fashioned oats (prepared as directed) with half a banana and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.
-One small baked sweet potato with a dash of paprika and 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
-Millenials, you can stop here. You already know about this next one. Avocado toast: one slice of whole wheat toast with half of a medium avocado spread on it.
Registered dietitians are ready to help you.
Novant Health
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