Ask a Dietitian

Snack Attack? Making the Healthy Choice

A snack can be an excellent way to bridge the gap between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner. However, choosing the right type of snack that is healthy and nutrient dense without being too high in sugar, calories and fat, can make all the difference to keeping your energy up throughout the day. Here are 10 great snacks to go:

Mini Low Fat Yogurts: Low fat mini yogurts are only 100 calories each and contain ~150 mg of calcium per serving. They are easy to pack in your lunch bag or even your purse for a quick nutritious snack. Olympic brand yogurts come in no fat varieties and soy yogurts, all of which are sweetened with real fruit and fruit juices rather than sugar and artificial flavouring. Better yet, chop a banana, apple, orange or other fruit and dip it in the yogurt.

Fruit Smoothies: Smoothies by Silhouette come in packs of four (200 ml), in flavours such as strawberry-banana, orange-tangerine, peach-passionfruit and fieldberry. This snack is a healthy energy boost with 0% milk fat and contains only 80 calories.

High Fiber Crackers: High fiber crackers with peanut butter or cheese can be a great healthy snack. When choosing crackers have a look at the ingredients as many contain shortening (trans fat) or tropical oils (high in saturated fat) and little or no fiber. Ryvita, Wasa and Finn Crisp crackers are high in fiber and low in fat. Remember that one serving is usually ~2-3 crackers.

Pop Corn: Air popped popcorn is a low fat snack that supplies only 122 calories per 6 cups and 0.6 g of fat. However, it is what you add to the popcorn that adds the calories and fat. Try adding a small amount of olive oil rather than butter, a pinch of salt and sprinkling on a spice such as curry, taco, chili, garlic or Italian seasoning. Microwave popcorn often has added hydrogenated vegetable oils (trans fat) and is not an ideal choice for a snack.

Sun Rype Fruit Source: This 100% fruit bar comes in a wide range of flavours and is equivalent to 2 servings of fruit. It has only 130 calories and is a great way to get your fruit to go!

Clover Leaf mini tuna: Tuna is a great source of lean protein and iron and now comes in easy to eat mini tins, no can opener needed! They cost just over a dollar and a quarter each for 85g, and come in flavours such as spicy Thai, tomato and onion, Bay lobster pate, sundried tomato and basil, and lemon and dill. These are delicious with a few crackers, a half whole wheat pita or on a salad!

Soups: Soup is an easy and satisfying snack that can be a healthy low fat option depending on the type. Western Family soup cups and Fantastic Soups come in a variety of hearty and delicious flavours, just add water. When looking for a good quality soup check out the ingredients list, ideally they should be packed with vegetables and contain no Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) or hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Del Monte Fruit Medley: Fruit cups can be a great addition to the lunch bag, particularly at the end of the week when you are running short on fresh fruit and vegetables. However, many are packed with a sugar syrup or jelly. Look for the Del Monte cups that pack their fruit in the natural fruit juices.

Granola Bars: When choosing granola bars look at the ingredients to ensure that the first ingredient is in fact rolled oats rather than sugar. Some brands, such as Quaker, contain shortening (trans fat) and are a less ideal choice. Nature Valley granola bars contain all natural ingredients, no trans fat and are ~90-100 calories per bar. Western Family crunchy and chewy granola bars also do not contain trans fat (except the peanut butter one) and are only 130 calories. Energy bars are also a fantastic snack. Many are made with nuts and dried fruit and contain no added sugar or flavours such as Perfect 10 energy bars and Elev8Me.

Fruits and Vegetables: Last but certainly not least fruits and vegetables are the ultimate nutrient dense snack throughout the day! Try eating a half kiwi with a spoon, premade fruit salad in Tupperware, chopped veggies with your favourite dip, mini carrots, chopped apple with cheese, banana sliced in half with peanut butter down the center, or a simple mixed greens salad. A serving of vegetables is only 1/2 a cup or a fruit the size of a tennis ball. Snacking on vegetables is a great way to meet the food guide’s recommendation of 5-12 a day!

Bottom line: Choose your snacks wisely and remember portion sizes. Fruit and vegetables are always the best choices, but if choosing prepackaged products look for those with low sugar, salt and fat and no shortening or hydrogenated vegetable oils (trans fat).