Healthy Snack Alternatives
It’s easy to reach for chips or candy when the urge to snack hits. But with just a little bit of forethoughtat the grocery store, you can pick up healthy and delicious eats that will satisfy your hunger and providesome healthy nutrition with less fat and calories.
Regularly choosing foods that help you maintain a healthy weight can lower your risk of several cancers, including breast, colon, and pancreatic cancers. American Cancer Society Director of Nutrition and Physical Activity Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, offers these easy-to-prepare ideas you and your family will love:
• String cheese or cheese cubes and whole-grain crackers
• Hummus and whole-wheat pita bread
• Carrots, pepper strips, and celery sticks (sometimes with ranch dressing to dip)
• Edamame (soy beans) and sweet cherry tomatoes
• Whole fruit or fruit slices (dipped in lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown)
• Trail mix made with cereals, nuts, pretzels, dried fruit, or raisins
• Individual serving-sized containers of low-fat, low-sugar yogurt (look for no more than 20 grams ofsugar per 6 ounces)
• Baked tortilla chips and salsa
• Popcorn without added salt or butter
• Single portion-sized cups of unsweetened apple sauce or fruit packed in its own juice, without addedsugar
• Celery sticks stuffed with peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins or other dried fruit (cranberries, bluberries)