CIGNA HealthCare produces a monthly newsletter featuring information on relevant health topics. The February 2009 issue of Your Health & Wellbeing focuses on “Eating for Your Heart.”
Dietitians’ Picks for Heart-Healthy Snacks
Supermarkets are stocking more 100-calorie snack packs every day. Those snacks have become a $150 million business, but are they the answer to the mid-afternoon munchies? The 100-calorie products do provide portion control, convenience, and ability to satisfy a sweet tooth. What they don’t have is fiber, so they won’t keep those munchies away for long.
Dietitians agree that the best snacks satisfy hunger while helping to meet daily dietary needs, especially for fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy. They recommend looking for snacks that contain protein with healthy carbohydrates and fats, and eating your snacks slowly so they fill you up.
Try these heart-healthy options:
- Almonds – 1 oz (about 24 nuts) has only 160 calories. That’s a satisfying snack that provides heart-healthy fats, fiber, and calcium
- Half a peanut butter sandwich on whole-wheat bread
- Whole-grain crackers or whole-wheat pita with hummus
- Individual unsweetened applesauce with a few dry-roasted walnuts
- High-fiber dry cereal with a few nuts or seeds and dried fruit in a baggie, for a make-your-own snack pack
- Raw vegetables with 1/4 cup low-fat ranch dressing
- 100-calorie pack of low-fat popcorn – no butter!
- Handful of tortilla chips and salsa
- “Skinny” latte (made with low-fat or skim milk)
Source: WebMD