By: Kristen Hruschak | November 30, 2022

Snacks are a daily feature for most people. They may even be what you eat instead of meals. Maybe your appetite isn't large enough for meals. Maybe making a full meal takes too much energy. Or maybe snacks are all that seem to be in the budget right now. In this article, you will learn how to build a better snack for healthy aging.

Snacks can be used for healthy aging to fill in the gaps that your meals may be missing. Maybe you have not had enough protein or fibre or even fluids today. These are things to keep in mind when making a snack.

Snacks have many added benefits, such as those identified by Health Canada(1):

Giving you a much needed boost of energy
Helping to keep you feeling full between meals
Adding key nutrients to your day-to-day
Supporting a variety of health conditions

So what makes up a healthy snack?

TheBuilding Blocks of a Snack

Canada's Food Guide(2) was updated in 2019 and included many changes from previous versions. One of which was doing away with the concept of food groups. Instead, it is suggested to follow a 'healthy plate' at meals and snacks, and that includes 4 main components(2):

Vegetables and Fruits
Whole Grains
Protein Foods and,
Water as the drink of choice

So what sort of vegetables and fruits can you include at snacks that will help with healthy aging?

Vegetables and fruits include many key nutrients for healthy aging.

Vegetables and fruits contain both soluble and insoluble fibre. Fibre is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes(2).

Dark and brightly coloured vegetables and fruits also contain antioxidants. Antioxidants protect your body’s cells from damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants help to keep you healthy and prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and age-related macular degeneration(3).

Fresh, frozen, canned, and dried vegetables and fruits can all be part of a healthy snack. Some options may be more convenient for you. Some may also be more affordable.

Examples of dark and brightly coloured vegetables include broccoli, spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, bok choy, okra, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, bell peppers, corn, green and yellow beans, etc.

Examples of brightly coloured fruits include banana, oranges, apples, berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), mangoes, peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, etc.

What are whole grains?

Whole grains are those that have undergone the least amount of processing from farm to table. They include the three components of the grain - the bran, germ, and endosperm layer. Most refined grains, such as white rice and all purpose flours have the bran and germ layer removed. I am not saying that these foods cannot still be a part of a healthful diet. But whole grains, particularly in the bran and germ layer contain many nutrients: fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins, vitamin E, trace minerals, protein, and unsaturated fat(4).

Diagram of a Grain (apologies for my poor paint skills!)

Examples of whole grains include oats, wheat, brown and wild rice, quinoa, barley, and rye, among others.

What’s a protein food?

Protein foods are just that, foods that contain a significant proportion of protein. Protein is key to healthy aging for many different reasons. It helps with promoting general health, maintaining muscle mass as we age, and improving immune function(5). All important features we want to consider as we age!

Health Canada gives examples of protein foods in the new dietary guidelines. Protein foods include legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, fortified soy beverage, fish, shellfish, eggs, poultry, lean red meats including wild game, lower fat milk, lower fat yogurt, lower fat kefir, and cheeses lower in fat and sodium(2).

That list can seem overwhelming. It includes so many different foods! But this will help give you so many more options of foods to include when building a better snack.

Determine Your Snack Size

So now that you know the building blocks of a snack, we should consider the size of the snack we want to have. This is a great time to check in with yourself and gauge your hunger. Am I very hungry? Or do I need a small snack to tide me over until dinner? This will help to build a better snack, according to your hunger level.

Healthy Snack Ideas

Below are a few ideas of snack combinations to get you started. This list is by no means exhaustive. Let me know what your favourite snack combination is in the comments below!

Two Item Snacks:

build a better snack with cheese and crackers

Raw vegetables with hummus dip
Fruit with nuts or nut butters
Fruit with yogurt
Fruit with cheese
Cheese and crackers
Nut butter on toast
Hard boiled egg and crackers
Homemade popcorn with a little melted butter or olive oil - can add in nuts and/or dried fruit
Pretzels with nut butter

Three Item Snacks:

Nut butter on toast with fruit
Raw vegetables with hummus and pita
Cheese and crackers with raw vegetables
Trail Mix: dried fruit, nuts, and maybe a few chocolate chips!
Homemade muffin with cheese and fruit
Smoothie with fruit and/or vegetables, milk of choice, and nut butter

Where can I get more support with planning healthy snacks and general nutrition advice?

If you would like more information on support for nutrition, meal planning, and healthy snack ideas to promote healthy aging, I can help! I offer in person and virtual nutrition counselling support for healthy aging, metabolic conditions, and neurological conditions.

Read more about my services here: Virtual and In-Person Nutrition Counselling.

And remember to check with your insurance provider to see if you are covered for Registered Dietitian Services through your plan or health spending account. Dietitian services are also tax deductible!

References:

Health Canada. (2022). Healthy snacks. Canada Food Guide. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/tips-for-healthy-eating/healthy-snacks/
Health Canada. (2022). Section 1 foundation for healthy eating. Canada Food Guide. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/guidelines/section-1-foundation-healthy-eating/
PEN Nutrition. (2018). Antioxidants and Your Diet. PEN Nutrition. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://www.pennutrition.com/KnowledgePathway.aspx?kpid=3127&trid=13678&trcatid=467
Food Insight. (2022). Whole Grains Fact Sheet. Food Insight. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://foodinsight.org/whole-grain-fact-sheet/
Alberta Health Services. (2019). Seniors Health Overview. https://www.albertahealthservices.ca. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/nutrition/if-nfs-ng-seniors-health-overview.pdf

How to Build a Better Snack