Many people include snacks as a part of their eating pattern. Snacks can:

• Give you energy
• Satisfy hunger between meals
• Provide important nutrients
• Support good health
• Snacking is different for everyone. Snack size, types of food, and how often we eat can change based on many factors. This includes age, daily routine, activity level, food preferences and culture.

This handout gives tips for planning, buying, and preparing snacks, along with a list of snack ideas.

Tips for healthy snacking

At the grocery store

• Plan snacks in advance and add them to your grocery list. Having a list will help save time, money and avoid impulse buys
• If you’re hungry, have a snack before going grocery shopping. You might buy foods you do not need if you shop while hungry
• For packaged snacks like crackers and granola bars, compare the nutrition facts tables. Choose products that are lower in sodium, sugars and saturated fat

 At home

• Include a vegetable or fruit with each snack. Rinse vegetables and fruits ahead of time so they’re easy to grab when you’re hungry
• Make snacks that are tasty and appealing. You can pair plain vegetables with a dip such as tzatziki or hummus. Fruit goes well with yogurt, cheese or nuts
• When possible, prepare healthy snacks ahead of time. Try some of these time-saving tips:
  • Cut up or cook extra vegetables when preparing meals. Store them in the fridge for easy snacking
  • Make whole grain muffins, granola bars or energy balls to keep in the freezer for busy times
  • Cook a batch of hard-boiled eggs to have throughout the week. They’ll stay fresh for one week with the shell on
  • Make your own trail mix and portion it into smaller bags. Combine whole grain cereal, nuts, seeds and dried fruit for a satisfying snack 
• Practice being mindful when you snack by removing distractions and paying attention to hunger and fullness cues. Have a snack when you’re feeling hungry, not out of habit or when you’re bored, stressed, emotional or tired
• Eat slowly and without distractions. Put electronics away and focus on enjoying your food
• Avoid snacking straight out of the package. Portion out a smaller amount in a bowl or on a plate
• Stay hydrated by drinking water with your snacks

On the go

• Pack snacks in your bag for when you’re on the go. Travel friendly ideas include roasted chickpeas, nuts, seeds, cheese sticks, and fruit such as apples, oranges and bananas
• Keep a small supply of nutritious foods at work or school in case you forget to pack a snack or do not pack enough food. For example, roasted chickpeas, unsalted trail mix, plain oatmeal packets and dried fruit
• Look for nutritious ready-to-eat snacks at convenience stores and gas stations, such as:
  • Lower fat yogurt or string cheese
  • Roasted, unsalted nuts and seeds
  • Hummus or guacamole snack cups with pretzels
  • Fresh, canned or dried fruit
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Plain popcorn
  • Single serving canned fish with whole grain crackers

Healthy snack ideas

Snacks can be both healthy and satisfying. Having a source of fibre and protein in your snack makes it more filling:

• Fibre is in whole grains, vegetables and fruits
• Protein is in eggs, dairy products, animal meat and soy products like tofu
• Beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds contain both protein and fibre

Try to include a vegetable or fruit at each snack.

Snacks that include vegetables:

• Veggie sticks with hummus, cashew dip or a yogurt-based dip such as tzatziki
• Celery sticks or cucumber rounds topped with tuna, salmon, chicken or egg salad  
• Pita chips with a bean and corn dip, salsa or guacamole. You can make your own pita chips from a whole grain pita or tortilla
• Whole grain crackers, veggie sticks and cheese or a hard-boiled egg 
• Shelled edamame on its own, or as a salad with sliced cucumber and a splash of olive oil and vinegar, topped with sesame seeds 
• Savoury muffins with feta and shredded vegetables like zucchini or carrot
• Whole grain toast topped with mashed avocado and tomato slices
• Mini baked spinach and egg frittata
• Vegetable salad rolls with a nut butter sauce

Snacks that include fruit:

• Fresh, frozen or canned fruit with cottage cheese, soft tofu or plain Greek yogurt 
• Banana or apple slices with nut butter
• Fruit with string cheese 
• Parfait made with yogurt, chopped fresh fruit, nuts or whole grain breakfast cereal or granola 
• Homemade whole grain muffin with added fruit like berries, mashed banana or shredded apple 
• Whole grain English muffin, nut butter and fruit slices
• Homemade smoothie or lassi
  • Blend together fruit and/or vegetables with yogurt, milk or unsweetened fortified soy beverage
• Chia pudding with unsweetened shredded coconut and pineapple
• Fruit yogurt popsicle
  • Blend together fruit and yogurt, then pour into popsicle mold tray and freeze
• Energy bites made with dried fruit and nuts

For more information

See Canada’s Food Guide for more tips and ideas on healthy snacks:

• https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/recipes/#Snacks
• https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/healthy-eating-recommendations/make-it-a-habit-to-eat-vegetables-fruit-whole-grains-and-protein-foods/

For more nutrition information, call 8-1-1 to speak with a registered dietitian or visit www.healthlinkbc.ca