4 Must-have Healthy Snacks

I believe everyone like snacks, especially munching it in front of TV watching your favorite series or going to cinema. Most of you will think that snack are some kind of unhealthy food. I just found an article that says these snack foods are healthy and MUST-HAVE! Come check out what is it.

1. Bananas
   This grab-and-go snack is a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, fiber, manganese and high in potassium. It is a heart-friendly health snack. Not only bananas are creamy and sweet, they also nutritious and are available year-round. Just eat bananas as is, toss them in your breakfast cereal, or simply blend bananas with low-fat milk to make a delicious smoothie.



2. Yogurt
   It is a very versatile food and a healthy snack. It can be enjoyed on its own, used as a fruit dip or mixed as a sauce or dressing. Not only does this creamy snack provide protein, calcium and potassium; it also contains active live bacterial cultures (also known as probiotics). It may enhance immune functions as well. Unfortunately, not all yogurt contains probiotics. L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus and L. acidophilus are the most common bacterial strains added in yogurt. Therefore, look for these bacteria on the ingredient list. Also, check the label and look for the words "live cultures" or "active cultures." Avoid yogurt that says "heat-treated after culturing" on the label..



3. Nuts
   One of the best plant sources of protein and make for a great snack. They are rich in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants such as Vitamin E and selenium. These tasty snacks are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (omega 3 - the good fats), which have all been shown to lower low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol. Recognized the seven kinds of nuts that having role in heart disease prevention are almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.



4. Popcorn
   Craving for a healthy snack on movie nights? How about popcorn? A standard three-cup serving of air-popped popcorn contains just 93 calories and less than 1.5 grams of fat. These low-calories snacks are considered whole grains, which have some valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables. They also contain B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium and fiber. If you prefer microwave popcorn, choose the plain one if possible and avoid the "buttery" or "caramel" microwave popcorn that may be loaded with calories, sugar and trans fat.

Pluck