Healthy Alternatives to Snack Food - Nutritious & Budget-Friendly

This month I am focusing on replacing high-fat, high price snack foods with healthier and cheaper alternatives. Each of the snack ideas I suggest to replace less than healthy snacks are not only lower in calories and fat, but they will also supply you with vitamins and nutrients. These healthy snack ideas are perfect for those who are eating on a budget because the less processed a food is, the cheaper it is. Some of the suggestions may require a little work but once you get the hang of it, you'll be enjoying extremely healthy snacks. By choosing to replace an unhealthy snack with something more wholesome once a week, the process of modifying your food choices will seem almost effortless.

Instead of ice cream, choose fat free yogurt or make all-fruit smoothies. Most ice creams are high in fat, additives and preservatives; whereas fruit contains potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and folic acid and minimal, if any, amounts of sodium, calories, and fat. Fat free yogurt can help you meet your daily calcium requirement and reap the benefits of probiotics, which are live bacteria that are beneficial to your health.

How to Make Fruit Smoothies

Ingredients

• Fresh or frozen berries or mangoes
• Banana, cut into small pieces
• 1 piece celery or carrot (optional)
• Ice (unnecessary if using frozen fruit)

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.

Instead of eating chips, choose carrots, cauliflower, celery sticks, cucumber slices, or homemade pita chips. Chips provide a nutrient-free, high sodium food with no health benefits, while vegetables provide important nutrients such as beta-carotene, calcium, iron, fiber, several B vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin K. They are nearly fat-free, salt free and low in calories. Serve with a healthy dip. Homemade pita chips are a good snack alternative since they provide an easy way to add wholesome grains to your diet.

How to Make Homemade Pita Chips

Ingredients

• 1 package of pitas, preferably whole grain or whole wheat
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp Onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp optional flavors like cumin, Cajun seasoning, or paprika

Directions

1. Preheat Oven to 350.
2. Brush pitas with olive oil, sprinkle spice mixture.
3. Cut pita pieces into bite sized squares.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until browned.

Please continue on to the final page of this article, where you will find affordable healthy snack alternatives for dips, frozen pizza snacks, popcorn and party mixes.