Posted on May 5, 2010.
11 healthy snacks for the heart Everybody likes a snack. And it's not just that you're hungry between meals and you need a slice of bread, but also because snacks can be a treat for you. Snacks help you feel better and raise your spirits. So, here is a list of snacks that can get your heart rate, both literally and figuratively. They are delicious alternatives to traditional bag of chips or chocolate bar that are not part of a healthy diet. Thus, instead of abandoning the drive-through or heading straight to the candy aisle, and you can load on heart-healthy snacks.
1. Vegetables dipped in Hummus - Fresh vegetables are low in calories and have many anti-oxidants. Many of them have no fat whatsoever instead and give you lots of fiber to help make your stomach full. Hummus, chickpea, is a protein without saturated fat alternative.
2. Skewer fruit on a stick with a bit of dark chocolate for dipping - Fruit has a variety of antioxidants to fight against cancer and heart disease. Dark chocolate has a high concentration of flavinols, which is a type of antioxidant that helps fight against heart disease, and is actually recommended by doctors for this purpose.
3. Half of a cantaloupe Filled with Fat Free cottage cheese, a pinch of cinnamon and a few berries are - cantaloupe and berries rich in antioxidants and fat-free cottage cheese is considered a serving of milk products, while avoiding saturates.
4. Fat-free yogurt with fruit and a sprinkle of nuts - Here's a chance to get another serving of milk products which do not contain saturated fat but plenty of antioxidants from fruit and, in addition to this, a poor health, unsaturated fatty acids from walnuts.
5. Smoothies with silken tofu and berries and a hint of grape juice or pomegranate juice Like most dieters know, tofu is an excellent source of protein substitute without saturated fat. The berries, grape juice, pomegranate juice and have a high concentration of antioxidants and are very good for you.
6. Homemade - Start with a vegetable to load on antioxidants and fiber. Make sure you do not buy something that is rich in sodium, because it's something you definitely do not want your heart. Add a bag of frozen vegetables and mix in a couple of cups of beans. Canned beans are high in sodium, so be sure to rinse well before using. Season with fresh herbs.
7. Strained Prunes - Sneak them in your brownies - fruit puree is a great addition to chocolate brownies, because it enhances the taste of chocolate. Another good thing is that you put in something that uses less oil or butter and you've also added antioxidants due to the fruit puree. Also fruit has fiber to lower your cholesterol.
8. Silken tofu or soy milk - replace regular milk in recipes - Use of tofu or soy milk instead of regular milk is a good way to add protein healthy heart, while simultaneously reducing the number of calories heart clogging oils that you may be used.
9. Applesauce or apple butter - use instead of oil for muffins - apple butter is one of the best ingredients, you can add moisture to the mixture and give it that nice fruit flavor that will not compete against the other ingredients.
10. Nuts and small pieces of fruit - sprinkle over muffins - If you are replacing applesauce for oil, you will make a low fat muffin, full of antioxidants from fruit, nuts, fiber, protein and healthy for the heart of the nuts.
11. Meatloaf - Using tofu and minced chicken white meat instead of red meat - This combination is absolutely awesome. The result will feel and taste, like the meatloaf, but without the inconvenience of eating red meat.
