Healthy afternoon treats: Ranging from sweet to savory and low in sodium content
Heart-Healthy Snacking: Delicious and Nutritious Options
When it comes to snacking, making heart-healthy choices can be both enjoyable and beneficial for your cardiovascular health. Here are some examples of sweet, savory, and low-sodium snacks that are good for your heart.
Sweet Snacks
- Fresh or frozen fruit toppings on plain oatmeal can add antioxidants that reduce inflammation and improve blood vessel function.
- Blueberry oatmeal with Greek yogurt is a combination of fiber, antioxidants, and protein without added sodium or sugar.
- Terra No Salt Added Sweet Potato & Beet Chips offer a sweet, low-sodium option with only 10mg sodium per ounce.
- Quaker Caramel Rice Cakes are a mildly sweet snack with whole grains and no high-fructose corn syrup.
- KIND Plus Cranberry Almond Bars are made with whole and simple ingredients and low sodium.
Savory Snacks
- Unsalted plain brown rice crackers are free from sodium and unhealthy fats.
- Low sodium beef jerky or no salt added peanuts provide protein with minimal sodium.
- Vegetable sticks like carrot, celery, cucumber, broccoli, and cauliflower florets are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals without added salt.
- Roasted vegetables such as cauliflower or peas contain disease-fighting nutrients beneficial for heart health.
Low Sodium Guidelines for Heart-Healthy Snacks
- Choose foods low in sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars.
- Incorporate legumes (beans) regularly as they are rich in fiber, protein, antioxidants, and help reduce cardiovascular risk.
- Opt for whole grains rich in soluble fiber like oats, which lower cholesterol and improve heart health.
- Include nuts and seeds in moderation for healthy fats and micronutrients without added sodium.
Other Heart-Healthy Snack Ideas
- Making your own popcorn by heating oil in a saucepan, adding kernels, covering and removing from heat, counting for 30 seconds, putting back on heat, and shaking the pan until the popping slows down, can be a fun and low-sodium snack option.
- Apples are a source of plant sterols, vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants.
- Chickpeas, when roasted, become a crunchy, heart-healthy snack that is high in fiber, potassium, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, selenium, and low in fat.
- Chia seed pudding can be customized with flavors such as honey, vanilla extract, fruit, cocoa powder, and chopped nuts.
- Banana, chopped walnuts, and honey can be combined to make a heart-healthy snack.
- Chia seed pudding is a versatile heart-healthy snack or dessert, containing omega-3s, which may slow the buildup of plaque that can block arteries.
When choosing a store-bought dip, look for products that do not contain large amounts of sodium or added sugar. Vegetables and dip, such as guacamole with bell peppers, hummus with carrot sticks or celery, salsa with roasted sweet potato, and tapenade with roasted zucchini, can be heart-healthy snack options. Peanut butter with apple is a sweet and easy-to-make heart-healthy snack, containing heart-healthy fats and plant sterols.
The best heart-healthy snacks for a person will depend on their overall health, preferences, and the ingredients they can access. Some ideas for seasonings for popcorn include Italian herbs and garlic powder, lime, chile, and cilantro, lemon zest and black pepper, and chives and nutritional yeast. Greek yogurt with fruit is a heart-healthy snack, with some evidence associating a moderate intake of some dairy products with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A study found that adults with high blood pressure who ate two or more servings of yogurt per week were less likely to develop CVD than those who ate yogurt less than once per month. Raspberries and unsweetened cocoa powder can be combined to make a heart-healthy snack.
In conclusion, these snack options emphasize nutrient density, antioxidants, fiber, and minimal sodium to support cardiovascular health effectively. Snacks containing fruits, nuts, and whole grains could be good options for heart-healthy snacks.
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