Healthy Snacking
What is a healthy snack? A healthy snack should give you energy and nutrition. Ideally, a combination of
healthy complex carbohydrates and protein will give you the fullness you desire while giving you energy to get
through the day feeling energized. This may also help prevent overeating at the end of the day.
First of all, what is carbohydrate? Most people think of bread, pasta, rice and potatoes when they think of
carbs. But actually carbohydrates are any food that will convert to sugar in your bloodstream. The categories
are:

Breads/starches – bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereal, crackers, chips, pretzels, muffins,
tortillas, starchy vegetables like corn and peas, beans and legumes.

Fruit – whole fruit and juice are very simple forms of carbohydrate. They contain fructose,
another word for fruit sugar. They are healthy too with many vitamins and minerals but also
contain simple sugar.

Milk and yogurt – Milk contains lactose, another word for milk sugar. Choose low fat dairy
products.

Sweets and desserts – basically any simple sugar. Soda, sugar, candy, desserts, etc.

Vegetables – non-starchy vegetables have a very small amount of carbohydrates and lots of
fiber, vitamins and minerals – we will call these the “freebies”!
What about protein? Protein is found in meat, cheese, eggs, nut butters, legumes and soy. Protein has been
shown to fill you up! It provides satiety – a feeling of fullness.
Combine carbohydrate and protein for a satisfying snack!
Carbohydrate
Small apple
½ cup peaches/pineapple/pears
Handful of pretzels
½ banana
½ english muffin
½ ounce raisins/cranberries
2 rice cakes
3 graham cracker squares
1 slice of bread
Yogurt – contains both carb and protein
Milk –contains both carb and protein
Protein
1 oz cheddar cheese
½ cup low fat cottage cheese
1 piece of string cheese
1 T. natural nut butter
1 hard-boiled egg
1 oz raw almonds
1 oz ham/turkey