Britain is a nation of snackers. Did you know that 8 out of 10 snacks are eaten on the go or that 6 out of 10 people snack at home daily?

The good news is that fresh fruit appears to be the most popular snack overall, but chocolate is the most popular snack for eating on the go followed by bagged snacks, but if eating at home we prefer fresh fruit.

Here’s a few suggested snacks for you to try at home or at your desk which work well if you want to try something healthy too.  Ideally any daily snack should be less than 200 calories per day for women and 250 for men – that’s 10% of our daily calorie intake.

(snack suggestions provided by Heart UK)

Under 100 calories

  • 1 frozen medium banana
  • 1 small bunch of frozen seedless grapes
  • Chopped strawberries mixed with 2 heaped tablespoons of low fat Greek Yogurt and frozen in ice cube trays 
  • 1 large square dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids with half an ounce of dried cherries or cranberries
  • Sliced medium pear sprinkled with cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons low fat hummus with 2 sticks of celery
  • 1 cup of watermelon cubes with 20g feta cheese cubes
  • 2 rye crackers and 25g of spreadable extra light cheese sprinkled with chives
  • 2 kiwi’s with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar glaze
  • Large hard-boiled egg with 9 olives
  • Bowl of fruit salad (150g) with fresh mint leaves

100-150 calories

  • 3 pineapple rings chopped into cubes with juice with 1 teaspoon desiccated coconut
  • 1 handful of tortilla chips (15g) and 2 tablespoons salsa
  • 2 oatcakes with a hard-boiled egg, salt and pepper
  • 2 rice cakes topped with low fat hummus and cucumber slices
  • 7 walnut halves and 5 small/3 large plums
  • 2 cups of homemade popcorn (25g dry weight) made with minimum oil sprinkled with 1/4 teaspoon of your favourite spicy seasoning or a low calorie powdered sweetener
  • Small glass of a kefir, berry and oat smoothie (150mls kefir, 50g frozen berries and 1 tablespoon oats)

150 to 200 calories

  • Medium apple sliced and dipped in a tablespoon of almond butter
  • 6 dried dates dipped in a ½ a tablespoon of tahini
  • ½ avocado with 1 tablespoon salsa
  • 1 ounce of smoked salmon on ½ a bagel with a teaspoon light mayonnaise
  • 1 Cheese-string with an apple
  • Mashed banana on a slice of toast, grilled for a few minutes
  • 2 large boiled eggs seasoned with a herb or spice mix of your choice – try cumin, chilli or paprika
  • 1 bag of crudite’s (150g) with 2 heaped tablespoons low fat hummus
  • 1 small glass (160ml) tomato juice with spicy Worcester sauce and 25g roasted peanuts
  • Small tub low fat Greek yogurt with a tablespoon of granola or muesli

200-250 calories

  • 1 wholemeal English muffin, 1 tablespoon of fat free cream cheese and a scrape of marmite
  • 1 cup of apple sauce or apple puree with 10 chopped pecans halves
  • ½ cup of cottage cheese with 2 chopped pineapple rings and a handful of tortilla chips (15g)
  • 1 cup broccoli florets and 1½ tablespoons of a low fat dip with 15g of soya nuts
  • Juicy peach slices mixed 1 teaspoon honey and 2 tablespoons of pumpkin and sunflower seeds  

Happy Snacking!!