By: Jacqueline Gomes, RDN, MBA
April 19th, 2019
Smart shoppers know that eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult or limiting. Choosing the right snacks can help build your nutrition while serving as opportunity to enjoy something delicious. Feel better about indulging in something you love by selecting tasty ingredients that are responsibly sourced and healthy for your body.
Check out these 15 Smart Snack Tips & Ideas:
- Baby carrots with hummus or guacamole
- Low fat Greek yogurt topped with walnuts & drizzle of honey
- Banana and peanut butter
- Rice cake topped with hardboiled egg & teaspoon of mayo
- Spicy almonds
- 1/2 pear with slice of cheese & 3 to 4 whole grain crackers
- Asparagus spears wrapped with low sodium ham
- 1/2 bagel topped with low-fat ricotta and sliced strawberries
- Veggie Wrap: Roasted vegetables and low fat cheese
- Crunchy veggies instead of chips with your favorite low-fat salad dressing for dipping
- Keep cut vegetables handy for mid-afternoon snacks, side dishes, lunch box addition or a quick nibble while waiting for dinner. Ready-to-eat favorites: red, green or yellow peppers, broccoli or cauliflower florets, carrots, celery sticks, cucumbers, snap peas or whole radishes.
- Dessert Tip! Slice a banana lengthwise and top with a scoop of low-fat frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of chopped nuts.
- Savory and Sweet? Every bite of BarkTHINS® is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. With an array of delightful ingredients such as quinoa, berries, nuts and delicious dark chocolate!
- Dark Chocolate is known to have many health benefits through the presence of flavanoid antioxidants and the ability to increase serotonin levels.
- Don’t forget to plan your snacks for the day in order to control portions!
Blueberries with Lemon Cream
Blending vanilla yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese creates a topping that’s as virtuous as it is delicious. Any fresh berry can be used in this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
- ¾ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
Directions:
- Using a fork, break up cream cheese in a medium bowl. Drain off any liquid from the yogurt; add yogurt to the bowl along with honey. Using an electric mixer, beat at high speed until light and creamy. Stir in lemon zest. Layer the lemon cream and blueberries in dessert dishes or wineglasses.
- If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
Recipe source: Eatingwell.com