Snacks are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy snacks can help provide extra nutrients and also count towards our five a day target of fruit and vegetables. Healthy natural snacks should be eaten between meals and will help towards your health and nutrition. Nutritionists recommend that healthy snacks should contain vegetables, fruit, nuts or cereal grains. They will also cost you less than buying junk food that has little nutritional value and is bad for your health. Combining healthy snacks with a good diet and exercise leads to an improved wellbeing. The five ideas below, for healthy snacks, are suitable for everyone from school children to those at work.
Avocado and cheese sandwich made with wholemeal bread
Avocados are a good source of vitamin E and C as well as being high in fibre and potassium. They also contain folic acid, an important vitamin for pregnant women. Cheese contains important levels of calcium and wholemeal bread is high in fibre.
By Maryjeanne.li (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Dried banana chips
Dried banana chips are often fried in coconut oil and coated in honey. Bananas contain high levels of vitamin A and C. They are also rich in potassium. You can often find banana chips included in muesli. Great for a carbohydrate boost.
By കാക്കര (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
Crackers and cheese
A very popular snack after dinner. Cheese is high in calcium. Crackers also come in wholemeal varieties and these are a good source of extra fibre.
Fruit salad
You can combine any of your favourite fruits in this snack such as kiwi fruit, apples, pear, and nectarines. This snack will help you towards your five a day of fruit and vegetables.
Hummus in pita bread
Hummus is made from dried chickpeas, garlic and sometimes tahini. Hummus contains fibre and iron; tahini is made from sesame seeds and is high in calcium.
By Ewan Munro from London, UK (Clifton, St John’s Wood, LondonUploaded by tm) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
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