Healthy snacking is a great strategy to keep your metabolism buzzing and add tons of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your daily diet. A mid-morning and late afternoon snack will hold hunger at bay and prevent lunchtime and evening pig-outs. Try to include 2 or more food groups per snack, aiming for a mix of fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, whole grains, and lowfat dairy throughout the week.

Portion size is key; if the snack is too large, then guess what? It’s not a snack; it’s a meal.  Two hundred calories for women and 300 for men is a realistic snack size.  The following snacks are around 200 calories and packed with a balance of carbohydrate, protein, and fat to keep you energized throughout the day.

1. Whole wheat English muffin spread with 1 Tablespoon peanut, cashew, or almond butter.
2. 2 dried figs, 1 oz goat cheese, 2 slices of prosciutto
3. 1-2 cups tomato, veggie, or lentil soup
4. Celery sticks spread with 1/4 cup cottage cheese and tart, dried cherries
5. 8 cashews (1/2 oz), 3-4 Hershey kisses
6. 4-6 dried apricots, 12 almonds (1/2 oz)
7. 1 cup edamame pods with a dash of soy sauce
8. 2-3 Tablespoons hummus and raw veggies for dipping. Try carrots, celery, broccolini, radish, grape tomatoes, and snow peas.
9. 1 packet instant oatmeal, 7 walnuts (1/2 oz), 1 tsp honey
10. 1 apple or pear sliced and dipped in lowfat strawberry yogurt
11. 1 packet hot chocolate mix make with 8oz low-fat or non-fat milk
12. 1 small whole wheat tortilla wrapped around 1/2 banana and 2 tsp peanut butter
13. Smoothie made with 1 cup each of frozen peaches and raspberries, 1/2 c fatfree Greek yogurt (try Fage), squirt of lime juice
14. 3 Ryvita dark rye crispbreads topped with 1/4 avocado and cucumber slices
15. 1 small whole wheat pita stuffed with cold, shredded chicken breast, grape halves, and celery, and a squirt each of honey and Dijon mustard

Have some favorite snacks of your own? Share them with MentalKitchen readers!