Snacks are too often just purchased convenience items that are high in fats and kilojoules, bought to ‘top up’ between healthy meals or in answer to hunger pangs.

However, with a bit of planning you can have healthy snacks that give you sustained energy throughout the day while they help you control your weight.

Snacks will help you manage hunger and reduce any tendency towards binge eating. A healthy snack answers your body’s cravings without ruining your appetite for the next scheduled meal.

Variety is the key to healthy snacking, so the first thing to do is to prepare a menu of healthy snacks that you can have on hand for those between-meal nibbles. You’re looking for foods that are high in energy, low in kilojoules, are transportable and don’t require a lot of preparation.

Fruits and vegetables give your body nutrition without fats and with minimal kilojoules.  Many come with their own wrappings, like bananas, pears, grapes and apples, and keep without refrigeration.

Dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein but can be high in fats, so always choose the low-fat variety.  There are many varieties of low-fat yogurt and cheese that make excellent snacks.

Wholegrains provide fibre and carbohydrates for long-lasting energy. Low-fat wholegrain crackers and crispbreads are readily available, inexpensive and easy to store and carry around.

Nuts are another great snack ingredient, but because they can be high in kilojoules include them only in small quantities.

Snacks aren’t meant to be meal-sized so equip yourself with a selection of small plastic containers with securely-fitting lids and be sensible when making up each item. About 1 ½ cups of ingredients should be sufficient.

Here are a few suggestions for healthy snacks that will get you started:

Crispbread spread with low-fat cottage cheese and thinly sliced apple
Banana and apricot slices in low-fat yogurt
Crackers spread with low-fat cottage cheese and tuna
Orange slices with raspberries dusted lightly with sugar and cinnamon
Low-fat popcorn sprinkled with parmesan cheese
Vegetable slices with low-fat yogurt or tzatziki dip

It’s important that you eat snacks only when you feel hungry. Think of them as ‘occasional’ food rather than part of a regular eating schedule.  Don’t use snacks to replace meals, and avoid snacking after dinner. 

And while you’re preparing your healthy snacks you’ll find it’s fun to get creative and invent your own combinations. Experiment and enjoy!