# Recommend a healthy snack. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 10, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165 "2005-05-10T02:38:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/1 "2005-05-10T02:38:20Z")
I can’t stand rice cakes, and plain celery is plain gross. I’m getting a bit tired of pickles, popcorn and baby carrots. What can I much on that’s not horribly unhealthy? ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/2 "2005-05-10T02:41:55Z")
Fruit! Apples, oranges, strawberries, bananas…I could go on and on. And I don’t know where you live, but all the good stuff is about to come into season and I’m excited. I love fresh tomatoes and berries and just about anything that grows from the ground. If that doesn’t fill you up, have some wheat toast with a thin layer of peanut butter. Or graham crackers. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/3 "2005-05-10T02:50:14Z")
A small scoop of tuna on spinach (leaves, not canned…yuck) is good. My parents swear by peaches and cottage cheese, but the idea creeps me out. I tried it once and didn’t like it, but that’s probably only because I “knew” I wasn’t going to. I like yogurt. Berries are good. Various melons. Bananas. Any fruit, really. It’d help if we knew what you were going for (i.e. if you’re on Atkins, the fruit suggestion is no good for you). ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/4 "2005-05-10T02:59:06Z")
Plain low-fat yogurt with fresh fruit added. 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/2 cup of fruit! I prefer peaches or strawberries. I do the tuna, also, but on romaine hearts instead of spinach. It makes a little boat full of tuna! I usually make it into a tuna salad with chopped pickle, grated carrot, and about 1 Tbsp of Mayo. If you use just one Tbsp for the whole can, it doesn’t add an inordinate amount of fat. a handful of nuts (soy, sunflower, almond, walnut, pecan, whatever you prefer). They have fat, but it’s good fat. I get the unsalted (or very lightly salted) kind. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/5 "2005-05-10T03:01:25Z")
something high in protein and/or fiber will help. A peanut butter sandwich on high fiber bread will give about 11g fiber and enough fat and protein to lower your appetite. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/6 "2005-05-10T03:55:17Z")
For a tasty protein snack that will also keep you busy with chewing, you can’t go wrong with beef jerky. It is delicious and comes in several different varieties. As long as you remember to drink water for all the salt, it’s a surprisingly healthy and great snack. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/7 "2005-05-10T04:32:08Z")
> [@Silver Fire](#): > > It’d help if we knew what you were going for Low fat/calories; trying to shed poundage. And I’m not looking for “go in the kitchen and make a snack” snacks, so much as “things to put in my mouth while reading” snacks. Fruit’s a definite, I guess. I’m not a big fruit person, but I can do that. And I can do yogurt. And what’s this about nuts having “good fat?” I’ll happily plow through a pile of pistachios, but I thought they were really fattening… ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/8 "2005-05-10T05:59:32Z")
You shouldn’t “plow through a pile of” anything, but nuts, which contain mostly monounsaturated (good) fats, reduce the risk of heart disease, can lower bad cholesterol and help maintain healthy good cholesterol levels, and I’ve heard that almonds in particular are great for your hair. Nuts are fairly high in calories (carbs, too) though, so be careful. One serving is only about an ounce. I see you like pistachios. For a more substantial snack, try mixing the nuts with a scoop of vanilla pudding (non- or lowfat, of course). It’s delicious **and** you’ll limit your pistachio consumption. 🙂 Happy snacking, and good luck with the weight loss! ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/9 "2005-05-10T06:27:26Z")
Grapes! Just pop 'em off the stem and eat 'em! Green or red, whichever you prefer. I like the seedless ones the best. Berries, grapes, melons, all low calorie. Low-fat butter flavour microwave popcorn is actually pretty low. From [this](http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/nutrition/ins_outs_popcorn.html) site: > [@](#): > > The brand popcorns lowest in fat, like Healthy Choice and Orville Redenbacher’s “Smart Pop” or “Light Natural,” have just 45 to 60 calories and one to two grams of fat in a three-cup serving. But if you choose the “theater style” or “ultimate butter” types, don’t try to convince yourself it’s health food. ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/10 "2005-05-10T06:29:14Z")
> [@furt](#): > > I’m getting a bit tired of pickles, **popcorn** and baby carrots. Whoops. Getting forgetful in my old age. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Kenneth\_Noisewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@Dr.Kenneth\_Noisewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Kenneth_Noisewater)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/11 "2005-05-10T07:57:50Z")
Granola bars. They come in all sorts nowadays. I was addicted to oatmeal raisin granola bars for a month. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/12 "2005-05-10T08:40:19Z")
Raisins? Cereal? ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/13 "2005-05-10T09:45:08Z")
I love rice crackers. Not rice cakes (well, I love rice cakes too, but you already said you don’t!) Here’s a page of rice crackers so you can see what I mean, if you don’t already know. Lately I’ve been hooked on the plain round ones, made by Hot-Kid. The Hot-Kid ones aren’t on the linked page, but they look like the last item on the page. [http://www.mountfuji.co.uk/acatalog/Mount\_Fuji\_Rice\_Crackers\_3.html](http://www.mountfuji.co.uk/acatalog/Mount_Fuji_Rice_Crackers_3.html) ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/14 "2005-05-10T14:22:07Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **Anastasaeon** :_ > Grapes! Just pop 'em off the stem and eat 'em! Oooooh, especially frozen grapes in the summertime. White seedless frozen grapes are divine. Blueberries, too. And blueberries are a “power food,” in that they may not have a lot of any given nutrient, but they pack a huge variety of nutrients into their sweet selves. Just plain old raw sugar snap peas (in pods, obviously). They’re sweet and crunchy and satisfying. Peanut butter as a dip for carrots and celery is good. Especially with raisins, if you like raisins. Endive makes another good tuna boat. Smoked salmon on crackers or endive. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/15 "2005-05-10T14:48:28Z")
Peanut butter and nuts are full of healthy fats - but like others mentioned, limit the quantities. Portion out the right amount into a bowl - and then put away the rest, and walk away from the kitchen. And although healthy snacking is one step, another step may be to limit the snacking . I notice you mentioned wanting to have something to put in your mouth while reading - maybe just stick with water, and when you do have a real snack, take the time to focus on it and enjoy it? Susan ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/16 "2005-05-10T14:55:46Z")
So peanut butter isn’t fattening? I love me some peanut butter, but I was under the impresssion it was mucho bad for me. Thanks for the suggestions … keep em coming. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/17 "2005-05-10T15:08:55Z")
> [@susan\_foster](#): > > Peanut butter and nuts are full of healthy fats - but like others mentioned, limit the quantities. Especially limit the quantities of peanut butter because, while it does contain the same good fats that peanuts have, there are also a lot of additives (sugar, salt, etc.) and partially hydrogenated (trans) fat. I’d go so far as to recommend natural peanut butter, but that’s nasty. 😛 I somehow missed the “things to put in my mouth while reading” part of your post, and I agree with **susan** about not snacking while reading at all. Water’s good and if you absolutely have to chew on something, ice chips work well. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/18 "2005-05-10T15:13:47Z")
Sardines. The ones in mustard are good. The ones in oil with jalapeño slices are quite tasty. My favorites are the ones in hot sauce. A few sardines on a couple whole wheat crackers is a very satisfying snack. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/19 "2005-05-10T15:22:07Z")
> [@furt](#): > > I love me some peanut butter, but I was under the impresssion it was mucho bad for me. You can still eat peanut butter, just limit your intake. I think understanding serving size is the most important thing. One serving of my peanut butter (Skippy creamy) is two tablespoons. That would probably cover an entire serving of snack crackers (9, I think). Add in a cup of milk, and that’s a fine snack. There’s no reason to cut tasty “bad” foods out of your diet completely. Keep an eye on serving sizes, eat more good food than bad, drink loads of water, and exercise and you’ll lose weight. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165/20 "2005-05-10T15:27:00Z")
> [@Silver Fire](#): > > Especially limit the quantities of peanut butter because, while it does contain the same good fats that peanuts have, there are also a lot of additives (sugar, salt, etc.) and partially hydrogenated (trans) fat. I’d go so far as to recommend natural peanut butter, but that’s nasty. 😛 > > I somehow missed the “things to put in my mouth while reading” part of your post, and I agree with **susan** about not snacking while reading at all. Water’s good and if you absolutely have to chew on something, ice chips work well. I love that **Silver Fire** agrees with me on the water part - but I have to respectfully disagree - natural PB is very, very yummy - you get the real taste of the peanuts, without anything else interfering. And yes - I should have mentioned natural in my original post - I usually specify it, but this time I just didn’t. Susan [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-healthy-snack/303165.md?page=2)