As the saying goes, hunger can strike at any time! The best way to fight back is to be prepared. Here are 100 healthy, yummy snacks to help fight your cravings and keep you away from the dreaded snack machines and drive-through!
While you look over the list, think of which foods you would actually eat -not just ones you think you should eat – and where you would store them (pantry, desk, fridge, purse, car, etc.). Make a shopping list as you read.
1. 3-bean salad (kidney, garbanzo, green beans, light Italian dressing)
2. Angelhair pasta with fresh veggies
3. Applesauce (no sugar added)
4. Baked chips
5. Baked potato with small amount of low-fat sour cream and chives
6. Baked salmon
7. Baked sweet potato with small amount of butter and brown sugar
8. Cheese sticks (low-fat)
9. Cheese toast (low-fat)
10. Chopped salad (romaine or spinach, black beans, corn, green peas, blue cheese, low-fat dressing)
11. Cottage cheese (low-fat)
12. Couscous cooked in low-sodium chicken broth
13. Crackers (low-fat, low-sodium)
14. Crusty bread with small amount of olive oil or butter
15. Dark chocolate (small amount)
16. Dried Apricots
17. Dried plums (prunes)
18. Edamame (frozen, not canned)
19. Egg-drop soup (egg whites dropped in boiling chicken broth, add corn kernels)
20. Egg-white omelet (with mushrooms, spinach, peppers, low-fat cheese)
21. English muffins with small amount of butter
22. Figs (fresh if in season, dried year-round)
23. Fresh apples
24. Fresh avocado and tomato sandwich
25. Fresh bananas
26. Fresh blackberries
27. Fresh blueberries
28. Fresh carrot sticks (make your own)
29. Fresh celery sticks with peanut butter
30. Fresh cherries (try Rainer and Bing)
31. Fresh cherry tomatoes
32. Fresh fruit juice (small amount)
33. Fresh grapes
34. Fresh grapefruit with small amount of sugar
35. Fresh jicama (sliced and marinated in fresh orange juice)
36. Fresh mangoes (prepare to get a little messy)
37. Fresh oranges
38. Fresh kiwis (cut in half, scoop out with spoon)
39. Fresh papaya
40. Fresh peaches (or sliced, chilled fresh peaches with low-fat vanilla yogurt)
41. Fresh pears
42. Fresh pineapple
43. Fresh raspberries
44. Fresh strawberries
45. Fresh sliced cucumbers
46. Fresh sliced red peppers
47. Fresh sliced tomato or cherry tomato and fresh mozzerella
48. Fresh sprouts (try sprouting your own at home!)
49. Fresh steamed zucchini and yellow squash
50. Fresh steamed cauliflower and broccoli florets
51. Fresh vegetable juice (low-sodium, small amount)
52. Fresh Melon (Cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew)
53. Frozen fruit juice bars (make your own with 100% juices)
54. Frozen yogurt bars (make your own with lowfat flavored yogurt)
55. Glass of skim milk and 2 small low-fat cookies
56. Greek yogurt (low-fat, with fresh fruit and/or granola)
57. Green beans with sliced almonds
58. Grilled chicken marinated in lime juice
59. Ground turkey (low-fat) chili with roasted corn
60. Hard-boiled egg (whole or crumbled and added to a salad)
61. Hard candy (1 or 2 pieces)
62. High-fiber, low-fat cereal with rice or soy milk
63. Kefir (naturally flavored, or use plain in a smoothie)
64. Lentil soup (low-sodium)
65. Mandarin oranges (canned in own juice)
66. Marinated mushrooms
67. Mini bran muffins (2 or 3)
68. Miso soup
69. Natural peanut butter and fruit preserves sandwich
70. Oatmeal with small amount of brown sugar or maple syrup
71. Olives
72. Orzo and spinach salad
73. Pasta salad (whole wheat pasta, crumbled or cubed low-fat cheese, fresh veggies, low-fat dressing)
74. Pistachios in the shell
75. Pita bread with hummus and sprouts
76. Polenta or Grits (low-sodium, small amount of butter)
77. Popcorn (low-sodium)
78. Pretzels (low-sodium)
79. Pudding (low-fat)
80. Pumpkin seeds
81. Quesadilla with low-fat cheese and lean chicken
82. Raisins (try golden!)
83. Raw almonds
84. Raw walnuts
86. Granola (low-fat)
87. Salsa
88. Smoothies (orange juice or yogurt, bananas, frozen berries)
89. Steamed asparagus with small amount of butter
90. Stir-fried vegetables and tofu (small amount, can be high in fat)
91. Sunflower seeds
92. Tabbouleh with chopped tomato and cucumber
93. Tea with small amount of honey
94. Trail Mix (nuts, dried fruit, small pieces of dark chocolate)
95. Turkey bacon
96. Vegetable Soup (low-fat, low-sodium)
97. Water with spritz of fresh citrus juice
98. Whole wheat mini-bagels with low-fat cream cheese
99. Wild rice with slivered almonds
100. Winter squash (mashed and cooked with small amount of butter)
TIPS
*After snacking, pop in a mint or brush your teeth to prevent going back for more.
*Pick a regular day and time during the week (Sunday evenings have worked best for me) to prepare snacks in advance for the week. Wash and cut produce in advance.
*Plan ahead when possible. Know what you are looking for when you go to the store.
*Be sure to have convenient containers that are easy to grab and take with you.
*Make a master list of staple foods to keep around at all times. Laminate it and use a wipe-off marker or keep a digital copy and print new ones out as needed. Check off items as they get used up.
*Know which stores carry the products you like best. Once you find a few healthy foods that satisfy you, keep them around!
*Avoid eating straight out of boxes or containers. Have small plastic containers with lids and snack baggies available for pre-measuring portion sizes.
*Purchase a few small bowls, plates, containers, and baggies to be used only for snacks.
*Try eating vegetables, rice and noodles with chopsticks to help with portion control
*Slow down and chew your food well. Remember to breathe and take note of your level of fullness.
Green Snacking = Use less packaging and buy in bulk from warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club, Costco, and BJ’s. Use reusable containers at home to set out your portion sizes.
Local Snacking = Get to know and patronize your local co-ops have bulk bins and you can bring your own containers and fill up on things like granola, flour, rice, nuts, spices, etc. Many will give a discount to customers who put in some volunteer hours in the store.
Budget Snacking = Dollar stores have an amazing variety of food available now, even name brands. If you are on a budget, take a stroll down the dollar store aisles and stock up on some snacks for the week.
Kid-Friendly Snacking = Make a game out of snack-preparation. Set up an assembly line with different items to go in snack container, such as a trail mix or dried fruit mix. Time yourselves and see how many snack baggies you can make together. Decorate the baggies with bits of ribbon. Help your child label the snacks with words and/or pictures.
Organized Snacking = Designate areas in your pantry, cabinets, refrigerator, desk, car, purse, backpack, etc. where you can keep prepared snacks. Anticipate where and when you get hunger pangs or cravings. Never leave that spot empty or messy.
