5 Healthy Ideas for Your Next Snack

Savory yogurt bowl

People often assume that yogurt is a nutritious snack food. Unfortunately, most of the yogurt options in stores are heavily sweetened varieties, which means you may end up with more sugar than you'd expect from a healthy snack. Dannon Fruit on the Bottom lowfat blueberry flavor, for instance, has 21 grams of sugar per 5.3-ounce serving, 11 more grams than Dannon's plain lowfat yogurt. That's like adding almost 3 teaspoons of sugar into your bowl. Instead, start your yogurt snack with that plain yogurt, and go savory. Top it with chopped tomatoes and cucumbers or any other raw veggies you have on hand, and a sprinkle of an “everything” seasoning such as Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel.

Cheesecake smoothie

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Cottage cheese may not exactly be new to you. But using it to power a smoothie puts a completely fresh and delicious spin on this retro food. It also makes for a perfect snack. “It's a fantastic source of protein,” says Salge Blake. A half-cup serving has 85 calories, 11 grams of protein and 115 mg of bone-building calcium — around 10 percent of your daily need. Blend 1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup frozen raspberries and 1/2 frozen banana.

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Crunchy chickpeas

Garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, are little nutrition powerhouses. They’re a great source of protein and fiber, and they also provide valuable minerals like folate, iron and potassium. Straight out of the can, though, they’re not exactly snack-worthy. Enter the new breed of crunchy chickpea snacks from brands like Biena and Bush’s Best. Available in savory and sweet flavors like barbecue, ranch and honey, they’re a nutrient-dense stand-in for your potato chips and kettle corn. For instance, a 1-ounce serving of sea salt chickpeas has around 110 calories, 6 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein; a same-sized serving of potato chips has 160 calories, just 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams protein. Measure out a 1-ounce serving or buy in individual serving packets to eat as a standalone snack. Or sprinkle on top of a small salad or cup of soup.

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Edamame

You may have seen these young, green soybeans as an appetizer at sushi restaurants. They're also a good source of protein and fiber — 8 grams and 5 grams, respectively, per half cup — which makes them perfect for snack time, says Salge Blake. Plus, they're easy to prepare. Simply buy a bag of frozen edamame in the pod. Boil 1 pound of edamame in a pot of water for three to five minutes, or microwave with 1/4 cup water for one to five minutes. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and serve warm, or enjoy at room temperature or chilled later.

Rachel Meltzer Warren is a nutrition writer, educator and counselor.