Top Healthy Supermarket Snacks to Fuel Your Day: Nutritious Picks at Your Local Grocery Store
Reinventing the Snack Game:
Snack time no longer has to be a hairy situation, no matter how hectic your day gets. Packaged snacks are lifesavers, boosting energy levels, curbing cravings, and bridging the gap until the next meal. However, not all snack food is created equal. Here's what you need to know about finding nutrient-dense packaged snacks and our suggested list of the healthiest packaged snacks you can grab on your grocery run.
Let's face it, most classic packaged snacks aren't exactly paragons of good health. They often contain questionable nutrients and ingredients, like sodium, sugar, unhealthy fats, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. Food manufacturers design these snacks to tantalize our taste buds, making it harder to resist. It's crucial to know what makes one packaged snack more or less healthy than the next, allowing us to make informed decisions.
Dive into the factors that play a vital role in snack selection with the insights of Brittany Brown, RD, IBCLC, CDE, and Dru Rosales, MS, RD, registered dietitians who have cracked the code on healthy packaged snacks.
Unveiling the Keys to a Healthy Packaged Snack:
Suss out those less-than-healthy snacks easily by scrutinizing the nutrition facts panel. Look for snacks with lower levels of added sugar, unhealthy fats, and sodium. Snacks packed with mystery ingredients like additives, preservatives, and artificial ingredients should be avoided.
On the flip side, seek out snacks loaded with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and whole-food alternatives. Nutrients like these promote steady energy, healthy blood sugar levels, and increased satiety while warding off harmful health issues. Fiber, in particular, supports digestion, heart health, and lowers the likelihood of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
Transform Your Grocery Bag:
Armed with this knowledge, we've rounded up seven scrumptious packaged snacks that not only cater to your cravings but also encourage overall health. Discover the tasty, nutrient-rich options that will keep you satisfied until your next meal. Best of all, these snacks fit seamlessly into your busy lifestyle.
- Nuts:
Loaded with unsaturated fats, fiber, and protein, nuts are incredibly versatile. Munch on them plain, pair them with fruit or yogurt, or toss them in a snack mix.保持录原文格式，在程式碼中新增注释
- Yogurt:
Whether you prefer dairy or plant-based options, Greek, regular, or plant-based yogurts are excellent snack options. Greek yogurt is particularly high in protein and calcium. Plus, it's a terrific source of gut-friendly probiotics.
- Hummus:
Craving a dip? Plant-based dips like hummus are an excellent choice, providing healthy fats, fiber, and protein. Hummus is typically made from chickpeas, offering a dose of plant-based protein.
- Seeded Crackers:
Seeded crackers are chock-full of nutrients, including protein, healthy fats, and fiber, thanks to their nutrient-dense ingredients. These lucky little crackers also contain an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds.
- Edamame:
Whether you opt for fresh, frozen, or crunchy snack-sized packs, edamame offers a good serving of protein and it's a great choice for satisfying that salt craving.
- Popcorn:
It's easy to dismiss popcorn due to the butter and salt content, but there are plenty of healthier alternatives available. Opt for popcorn without saturated fats and minimal sodium.
- Protein Bars:
When beans and nuts won't cut it, protein bars can be a fantastic alternative. Just be sure to watch out for high sugar content and stick to bars with as few mystery ingredients as possible.
Healthy Snacks: Decoded:
These options are merely the beginning of your nutrient-dense packaged snacks journey. To find more, keep these tips in mind:
- Choose snacks with less than five grams of added sugar per serving.
- Opt for snack foods with zero grams of trans fat and no more than three grams of saturated fat.
- Keep the sodium content low by picking snacks with less than 200 milligrams of sodium per serving.
- Seek out snacks with as few mystery ingredients as possible.
- Look for fiber content of at least five grams per snack serving.
- Aim for five grams or more of protein per serving for a healthier snack pick.
- At least three grams of unsaturated fat is an added bonus.
- Strive to include a fruit or vegetable in your snack for optimal nutrition.
With these smart shopping tips, you'll be well on your way to building a grocery cart full of healthier packaged snack options that satisfy your cravings and contribute to a longer, healthier life.
- In their quest for healthy packaged snacks, registered dietitians Brittany Brown and Dru Rosales emphasize the importance of scrutinizing nutrition facts panels, particularly for snacks with lower levels of added sugar, unhealthy fats, and sodium.
- The health experts advise avoiding snacks packed with mystery ingredients such as additives, preservatives, and artificial ingredients.
- Instead, they advocate for snacks rich in protein, fiber, healthy fats, and whole-food alternatives, which promote steady energy, healthy blood sugar levels, and increased satiety.
- Fiber, in particular, is highlighted for its benefits in supporting digestion, heart health, and lowering the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
- In their recommendation of healthy packaged snacks, they suggest Nuts, Yogurt, Hummus, Seeded Crackers, Edamame, Popcorn, and Protein Bars as nutrient-rich options.
- Following their advice, a sensible snack choice could be Blue Diamond Almond Nut-Thins Crackers, which are gluten-free, have no added wheat, no cholesterol, no saturated fat, and low sodium.
- To continue exploring more nutrient-dense packaged snacks, consider snacks with less than five grams of added sugar per serving, zero grams of trans fat and no more than three grams of saturated fat, and as few mystery ingredients as possible, along with a higher fiber and protein content.
