Heart healthy snacks, is that for real? We will start the article by providing you with a simple answer and will elaborate on it later. The answer would be yes; there are heart healthy snacks. However, you just can’t rely on claims that are on the packages from the manufacturers. Instead, we recommend you make your own snacks to keep everything as healthy as possible. Keep reading; we have valuable information to share with you.
Most people would say it is not ideal to consume snacks for the betterment of your health. However, as far as we are concerned, you don’t need to get scared of eating snacks. Actually, there are certain advantages of snacks that most of us didn’t know.
Do you really need to eat snacks?
Snacks come to the rescue when you are underweight in particular. If you find it difficult to consume main meals due to lack of appetite or any other reason, snacks can provide you with the calories that you are in need of. Similarly, things can work the other way around if you are already overweight. So it is a balancing job, and you should always try to eat only heart healthy snacks.
In addition, eating healthy snacks frequently helps the metabolism of the human body and also stops you from eating big meals. Therefore, if you feel you are taking too much food in your main meals, one of the best possible methods you can implement is to eat healthy snacks regularly.
However, you have to choose foods such as veggies, nuts, fruits, and non-fat or low-fat dairy products as snacks.
Heart-Healthy Snacks
Here are some of the heart healthy snacks that we recommend for you to consider.
Apple with nut butter
As you would probably know, nuts are pretty beneficial for heart health. Researchers say that consuming nuts on a regular basis can help you reduce up to 30% of heart disease. On the other hand, apples are full of fiber and rich in phytonutrients and pectin, which are considered helpful to lower cardiovascular risks.
Combining apple with nut butter is one simple heart healthy snack you can make, and it is delicious.
Chickpeas
Eating beans is good for heart health, and it’s the same with chickpeas. The compounds in chickpeas are known to reduce the cholesterol levels of the body, which obviously promotes heart health. So, if you are a crunchy snack lover, one easy option for you will be roasted chickpeas. They are super delicious as well as healthy.
In order to enhance the taste of this snack, you can roast the chickpeas with olive oil and add paprika to get the real feel of a spicy snack. It will be ideal to stay away from sugar flavors and also minimize the use of salt.
Dark chocolate duo
Whether you believe it or not, eating a little bit of chocolate on a daily basis has the tendency to lower the risks of heart attacks. If you want to add fiber and potassium, you can add bananas to this recipe. First, melt the chocolate and dip small banana pieces into the melted chocolate. Now, keep them in a fridge, and you are good to go after the pieces get adequately cool.
Make sure you use dark chocolate, and if you want, you can use almonds to make the snack a crunchy one. But, we must emphasize to you that do not consume chocolate excessively as you could easily end up exceeding your daily calorie intake, not to mention the amount of sugar in chocolate. Be delicate with your choices.
Roasted carrot
Carrots are one of the go-to veggie options of health-conscious people. Also, carrots make wonderful snacks when they are lightly fried in olive oil. You can cut carrots into thin rounds and lightly fry them in olive oil and add some chili flakes to the mix.
Else, you can dip fried carrots into avocado in place of chili flakes. It will make the snack even more beneficial for heart health. Also, you can opt for raw carrots, which is another popular method used by people around the world.
Pumpkin seeds
For those who are in chase of magnesium, pumpkin seeds can be your best friend. This is a fantastic option you can consider if you want to lower your blood pressure and minimize the risks of heart disease. Moreover, pumpkin seeds are full of unsaturated fats, protein (plant-based), and fiber; all these properties contribute to better heart health.
You can lightly fry pumpkin seeds with olive oil to make an instant snack. Make no mistake; this snack is absolutely delicious as well.
Yoghurt and berries
There is a debate whether dairy products are good for heart health or not. However, there are ample recent researches that suggest dairies are beneficial to reduce cardiovascular disease risks. But, it would be best if you opt for low-fat dairy products whenever possible. In addition, always prefer yoghurts that are not flavored.
If possible, try Greek yoghurt for this snack, as it has more protein compared to ordinary yoghurt. Simply mix Greek yoghurt with berries to make a quick and mouthwatering snack that is good for heart health.
Whole grain mini pizza
You might be surprised to see the name of pizza on our list. This is not ordinary pizza that we are talking about, but whole-grain pizza. Here is how you prepare it. First, take a whole-grain muffin and top it with tomatoes and low-fat mozzarella cheese (shredded) and sprinkle a pinch of dried oregano.
Now, keep it in your oven until the mozzarella cheese gets melted; easy as that.
Conclusion on heart-healthy snacks
Before we finish the article, let us explain to you one important thing. If you are a snack-crazy person, you must consider replacing your processed snacks with natural and unprocessed food. Our list consists of such wonderful snacks you can make without much of an effort. If you have recipes to add to our list of heart healthy snacks, please comment on them below to help a buddy. Have a great day!
