Snacking throughout the day can help keep your metabolic rate steady and energy high, rather than suffering through slumps every few hours. There are endless ideas for ways to snack healthily throughout the day, but keep an eye on servings sizes or these snacks can go from healthy to unhealthy quickly.
Step One
Dried Fruit and Nuts - Slices of dried apples, bananas, pineapple and apricots are readily available at most grocery stores and make a very healthy snack. Pair the slices of dried fruit with a handful of almonds or pistachios. Raisins go well with peanuts and dried cherries pair perfectly with hazelnuts. As an added bonus, nuts and fruits are generally high in antioxidants which will help your body fight free-radicals.
Step Two
Fresh Fruit - Fresh fruit makes a great snack. The unprocessed sugar they contain is better for you than its processed counterpart, and they are high in essential vitamins with no fat content. The fiber from the flesh can also help regulate your digestion. Eat fruit by itself or spice it up with a low-fat dip. Slice a fresh apple and serve it with a half a cup of low- or non-fat cottage cheese or yogurt for a delicious treat. For a little extra protein, dip the slices in peanut butter instead.
Step Three
Vegetables and Dip - Slice up fresh vegetables like carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli and celery for a nutritious snack. Vegetables are very low calorie foods and are rich in vitamins and fiber. Cut up your favorite kinds of vegetables and eat them plain or spice it up with a low-fat salad dressing as dip. Hummus is available at many large grocery stores and comes in different flavors making it a great match for dipping vegetables.
Step Four
Low-Fat Cheese and Crackers - Dairy is an important source of calcium, which many people do not get their recommended daily intake of. Help keep your bones strong by snacking on low-fat cheese. About five saltines makes for a good low-calorie snack and topped with cheese you'll also get a boost in protein and calcium intake for the day. A single slice of low-fat American cheese provides 25 percent of your daily calcium needs.