Healthy Snacking

Are you eating enough healthy foods from the Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating food groups every day?  If not, you may be missing the nutrients you need for good health. 
Healthy snacks to the rescue! 

Snacks help to:

• Meet daily vitamin and mineral requirements when you choose a variety of foods
• Boost your energy level
• Control your appetite
• Satisfy your hunger

Healthy snacking tips

• Choose snacks from Canada's Food Guide for Healthy Eating to meet your nutrient needs. The food groups are: Grain Products, Vegetables and Fruit, Milk Products and Meat and Alternatives and the Other's category.
• Choose two food groups at each snack.  Choose fruits and vegetables, milk products and grain products more often.
• Eat a snack or meal every 3 to 4 hours.  This will give your body energy and help you to think and feel better.
• Limit your choices of "Other" foods.  These "other foods" replace foods high in nutrients from the four food groups.  They are high in sugar, salt and/or fat.  Examples of "other foods" include: candy, pop, potato chips and high salt high fat snack food.

Snack on:

Grain Products

• Low-fat crackers like melba toast, Stoned Wheat Thins, or rice cakes
• low-fat cookies like graham wafers or arrowroot biscuits
• mini pita bread
• bagels, pretzels and light microwave or air-popped popcorn
• low-fat muffins
• dry, high fibre cereals like Corn Bran
• or Mini Wheats®

Meat and Alternatives

• a handful of nuts, almonds, or sunflower seeds
• soy nuts
• peanut butter
• hummus

Vegetables and Fruit

• canned fruit packed in its own juice or pear juice
• a handful of dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, apricots or fruit leathers
• raw vegetables like baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, red pepper strips, cucumber slices
• fresh fruits

Milk Products

• 1%, skim milk or chocolate milk
• flavoured yogurt
• plain, frozen or low-fat yogurt
• low-fat cheese less than 15% milk fat (MF)
• 1% fat cottage cheese
• low-fat pudding or pudding made with skim milk

Healthy snack recipes

Pita Chips

8  pita bread  8 
1 Tbsp  oil   15 mL
dash  garlic powder  dash

Cut pita bread into wedges.  Brush lightly with oil and sprinkle with garlic powder.  Bake at 350?F for 10 minutes until crisp.

Fruit Smoothie

¾ cup  yogurt   175 mL
2 Tbsp   skim milk powder 30 mL
½ cup   orange juice  125 mL
½ cup   banana or berries 125 mL

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

No Bake Trail Mix

2 cups   Shreddies® type cereal 500 mL
2 cups   Cheerio® type cereal 500 mL
1½ cups  chopped dried fruit 375 mL
½ cup   whole almonds  125 mL
½ cup   pretzels   125 mL

Toss together and enjoy.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

8  tortillas   8
dash  chili powder  dash

Cut soft flour tortillas into wedges.  Sprinkle lightly with chili powder.  Bake at 400F for 8 minutes or until crisp.

Yogurt Parfait

Mix together
3/4 cup     low-fat yogurt                               175 ml
1/2-1 cup   fresh fruit or berries              125-250 ml
1/2 cup      All Bran Buds®/high fibre cereal  125 ml

Pineapple Pick Me Up

1/2 cup           canned pineapple                   125 ml
1/2                  low-fat cottage cheese           125 ml
(Can substitute pineapple for any diced fruit)

Other Ideas:

• Low-fat cheese (2-4 slices) and low fat crackers (4-6) e.g.  Salteens, Baked Wheat or Vegetable thins, Melba, Whole Grain Crackers
• 1/2 Sandwich - whole wheat bread with turkey/chicken/tuna/salmon and /or Cheese, lettuce and mustard
• Granola bar and a medium piece of fruit
• Protein bar or protein shake
• Energy bar (power bar, cliff bar, soy bars) or Energy Drink (boost, ensure, CIB)
• 1 Granola bar and 1 cup Milk or low-fat yogurt
• Small low-fat muffin (bran or blueberry) and low- fat cheese
• Veggies and Humus / Dip
• About 15 Rice cakes or 1 cup Pretzels with 2 - 3 low fat cheese slices
• 1 medium Apple and 2 - 3 low-fat cheese slices
• Celery Sticks and Peanut Butter 

Disclaimer
Reviewed by Alberta clinical experts. Brought to you by HealthLink Alberta. Copyright.
This material is designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment. For more health advice call Capital Health Link at 780-408-LINK (5465) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In Alberta, call Toll-free: 1-866-408-LINK (5465)