Healthy snacking tips

By Dr. Lidiya Angelova-Duleva

We all like to have snacks between the meals and when we watch TV, the problem is that most of the snacks are full of calories, and often too processed. Fortunately there are plenty alternatives. They are healthy, easy to pack and eat on a go, and need little or no extra time to prepare.

• Cherry tomatoes. When people think of tomatoes, first comes a salad or a burger, but the little cherry tomatoes are excellent and healthy snacks. What you need to do is just wash them. A little salt or/and black pepper, some dry spices like basil or parsley will make them taste even better.
• Baby carrots. What I love in carrots is that they could be savory, and sweet snacks. Without salt they are sweet and adding a bit of brown sugar will make them taste like candy but without those extra calories. For savory taste add some salt or some dry spices like celery. They are usually sold prewashed and ready to eat, so grab a few next time at the store.
• Blueberries. What not to love in these little jewels?! They are super tasty and super healthy. Wash them and enjoy.
• Grapes. Green, red or black little grapes are also ready to eat snacks that give us variety of tastes in a healthy combination. Wash and serve. Experiment and add some cinnamon or nutmeg.
• Citrus fruits. Orange, tangerine, mandarin, and clementine can be easily taken in a bag on a go. When want to snack, just remove the peel and spread the wedges.
• Dried fruits. These tasty snacks are widely available in the stores. Some fruits are even tastier dry. Keep in mind that sometimes they could have additional sweeteners and which add up to the calorie content, so check the ingredients label.
• Broccoli and cauliflower florets. Many people prefer them cooked, but that takes time and would lead to losing their health benefits. Salt, black pepper or some other seasoning is what you need to have them in your bag of snacks next time.
• Nuts. They are widely available in different variations, but some like the peanuts are fried, have extra oil and too much salt. Raw is a good way eat nuts, but I prefer them roasted, which is very easy way to boost the taste. Just put some nuts on a baking sheet, damp them with some water and add a bit of salt or favorite spice. Preheat the oven at 350 °F (~180 °C), bake for ~ 20 minutes (check the taste, time could vary), and stir few times so they can bake evenly.
• Kale chips. The beautiful green kale leaves are healthy and can be transformed to healthy chips for minutes. You need to wash them, dry very well, coat with a little olive oil and salt, and toss them on single layer in preheated at 350 °F (~180 °C) oven for ~ 10 minutes.

Lots of other fruits and veggies are great for snacking, but can’t be stored for long time once sliced. If you can eat immediately slice an apple, banana, peach, pear, peach, watermelon or melon or any other favourite fruit. Sliced cucumbers, red and yellow sweet pepper are veggies that need only salt to be tasty snacks.
If you like to dip your snacks, look for healthier choices like yogurt based dips, hummus, and salsa.
Have a fun and tasty snacking.

About the Author
Lidiya’s curiosity about “how the life works” led her to complete a Master’s degree in Biology and a PhD in Microbiology. Science gave her more questions than answers and after a few years as a postdoc at the National Institute of Health in Rockville, MD, USA, she decided to pursue her “first” love in writing. Not long after that, she became a mom of a wonderful girl, who is a very energetic toddler now. She loves to travel and has lived in many countries; she is still looking for a place to settle down. Lidiya is thrilled to be a part of the Scientista bloggers team, and loves being able to connect with lots of wonderful young, and already established female scientists, while writing about science, life and everything else.

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