Healthy Snacks

• “Guacamole is a surprising calorie bargain—as long as you hold the tortilla chips,” says Karen Ansel, R.D. “It’s packed with heart-smart nutrients like monounsaturated fats, vitamin E and fiber. Pairing it with red pepper strips helps you enjoy it with some crunch but without all the calories of chips—plus, you’ll get additional phytochemicals and vitamin C.”

• • Healthy Snack: 1 Cup Strawberries Dipped in 1 Tablespoon Melted Semisweet Chocolate Chips (115 Calories)

    Ansel says this is a great way to get your fruit fix and satisfy a chocolate craving at the same time. “Plus, you get loads of vitamin C from the strawberries and blood-pressure-lowering polyphenols from the chocolate,” she adds.

   45 Pistachios (148 Calories)

  “I love these because the shells slow you down, so you can’t plow through them,” says Ansel.

• Healthy Snack: 2 Kavli Golden Rye or Wasa Fiber Rye Crispbreads With 2 Tablespoons Hummus and Cucumber (120 Calories)

  “With a short ingredient list and visible whole grains, these crackers are skinny without skimping out on flavor and nutrition. Top with hummus and sliced cucumber and you’ve got a gratifying, energy-boosting trio,” says Rachel Beller, R.D.

• Healthy Snack: Medium Apple With 1 Level Tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter (143 Calories)

  “One of my top favorite snacks that fill you up without filling you out,” says Sari Greaves, R.D.

• Healthy Snack: 2-Percent Greek Yogurt (130 Calories)

  “With 2 1/2 times the protein of regular yogurt and 15 to 20 percent of your day’s calcium, Greek yogurt is one of the smartest snacks out there,” says Ansel. She especially likes the 2-percent kind. “It’s much creamier than the nonfat variety and still has only 2.5 grams of saturated fat.”

• Healthy Snack: 1 Nori Seaweed Sheet With 2 to 3 Ounces of Reduced-Fat Tuna Salad or Wild Salmon Salad (90-110 Calories)

  “Nori is what’s wrapped around sushi rolls; it sounds exotic, but for under $2, you can easily grab yourself a 12-pack at your local market,” says Beller. “It’s a nutritional superstar that’s chock-full of folate, iron, calcium and potassium. Roll it around omega-rich salmon or tuna salad—add some veggies, if you want—and you’ve got the ultimate health-protective yet slimming snack solution.”

• Healthy Snack: Cheese and Crackers (105 Calories)

  For a healthier take on the classic snack combo, Greaves pairs seven or eight Kashi TLC Crackers or Hint of Salt Wheat Thins with a light cheese wedge from Laughing Cow.

• Healthy Snack: 15 Tamari or Marcona Almonds (150 Calories)

  “They are salted, but I don’t use much extra added salt elsewhere in my diet. They’re amazingly delicious—go for 15 or so (just under 3 tablespoons) to stick with 150 calories”.  You can also choose 15 raw almonds and eat them slowly, crunching away!

• Healthy Snack: 1 Cup Snap Peas With 3 Tablespoons Hummus (106 Calories)

  “Perfect for when I need a good crunch and some afternoon stress relief”.

• Healthy Snack: 1 Packet Plain Instant Oatmeal Sprinkled With Cinnamon and 6 Crushed Almonds (142 Calories) Choose a heart healthy version of the oatmeal, such as Kashi.

  Breakfast as a snack? Sure. It can soothe and satisfy any time of day.

• Healthy Snack: Medium Pear and an 8-Ounce Glass of Unsweetened Almond Milk (136 Calories)

  Fruit’s the perfect fiber-filled portable snack; you can round it out with some smooth, satisfying almond milk.

• Healthy Snack: 1 Dr. Kracker Pumpkin Seed Flatbread With 1 Babybel Light (150 Calories)

  Says Beller: “This portable gourmet flatbread and cheese solution totally tastes like you’re cheating. Each hearty-size flatbread is loaded with seeds that not only add a nutritional bonus but also taste amazing.”

Hard boiled eggs!