Choosing Heart Healthy Snacks

Snacks or foods that contain high levels of saturated fat can make your cholesterol levels rise which in turn could cause heart problems over time.

For healthier snacks, cut down on hard cheese, butter, cakes, biscuits, pastries, sausages, and foods made with palm or coconut oil, which contain high levels of saturated fats.

It's also a good idea to avoid snacks with a high salt content. Too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which could then cause heart disease. Nuts are an excellent alternative to snacks high in unhealthy fat and salt, but make sure they're the unsalted variety and don't eat more than a handful of peanuts, or 3-4 larger nuts like walnuts or brazils in a serving.

Use Heart Healthy Foods

Adults and children alike enjoy snacking during the day. Children will be more likely to snack wisely if you store heart healthy foods at a height they can easily reach themselves. Get your kids to help you prepare their snacks and they'll be more likely to eat them willingly. Replace snacks like chips, candy and cookies with fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains.

The perfect heart healthy snack leaves you feeling satisfied, and contains protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fiber and (a little) fat. Next time you feel a snack attack coming on, try some of the heart healthy snacks listed here:

Heart Healthy Fruit Snacks

• 100% pure fruit juice ice pops
• Mandarin oranges, chilled
• Dried fruit such as apples, apricots, dark or golden raisins, mangoes, pears
• Fruit skewers – thread them with sliced banana, chunks of pineapple, and seedless grapes
• Green and red grapes - try them frozen for a change
• Crisp apples cut into wedges (easier to eat than the whole fruit)
• A little pot of unsweetened applesauce
• Banana-raspberry smoothie - process half a banana, 115 ml (½ cup) frozen raspberries, 115ml (1/2 cup) fresh squeezed orange juice
• Berry delight - a summer snack - a little dish of sliced strawberries, fresh raspberries and blueberries
• Bananas 'n' bread - a slice of wholemeal toast topped with mashed banana

Heart Healthy Protein Snacks

• 1% cottage cheese with a few blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries on top
• Low-fat cheddar cheese slices on salt-free, whole grain crackers
• Low-fat peanut butter and jelly (jam) spread thinly on a slice of toasted wholegrain bread
• Fat-free, sugar-free yogurt sprinkled with chopped nuts on top
• Fill mini pitta pockets with homemade hummus - blend 1 drained can chick peas, 2 crushed garlic cloves, juice of a lemon, 2-4 tbsp olive oil or tahini. Add baby spinach leaves or other green salads.
• Hard-boiled eggs, sliced and fanned on wholegrain toast

Heart Healthy Vegetable Snacks

• Carrot sticks or baby carrots with peanut butter for dipping
• Celery with peanut butter and raisins on top
• Broccoli with low-fat ranch or low-fat cream cheese
• Fresh vegetables with hummus for dipping
• A cup of homemade vegetable soup goes well with whole-grain crackers

Heart Healthy Carb Snacks

• Mini pizzas - toasted wholegrain English muffins, topped with salt-free tomato sauce, herbs like oregano and thyme, low-fat mozzarella cheese and finely chopped green pepper. Melt cheese under the grill/broiler.
• Air-popped popcorn
• Pretzels with cheese cubes
• Half a wholewheat bagel with peanut butter, low-fat cream cheese or 100% fruit jelly
• Rice cakes with low-fat peanut butter
• Baked tortilla chips with fresh salsa
• Sugar-free muesli with skim milk, topped with fresh fruit

Switch to heart healthy snacks and you and your heart will benefit greatly. Do it today!

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