11 Healthy Snacks for Your Heart

Everybody likes a snack. And it's not just thatsource without saturated fat. Berries, grape juice
you're hungry between meals and you need aand pomegranate juice have a high concentration
bite to eat, but also because snacks can be aof antioxidants and are very good for you. 6.
treat for yourself. Treats help make you feelHomemade Soup - Start with a vegetable base in
better and raise your spirits. So here's a list oforder to load up on antioxidants and fiber. Make
snacks that can get your heart pumping, bothsure you don't buy something that's rich in sodium
literally and figuratively. They're deliciousbecause that's something you definitely don't want
alternatives to the traditional bag of chips orfor your heart. Add a bag of frozen vegetables
candy bar that are not part of a healthy diet. Soand mix in a couple of cups of beans. Canned
instead of dropping by the drive-through orbeans are rich in sodium, so make sure to rinse
heading straight for the candy aisle, you can andthem thoroughly before use. Season it with fresh
load up on some heart-healthy snacks. 1.herbs. 7. Pureed Prunes - Sneak Them into your
Vegetables Dipped in Hummus - Fresh vegetablesBrownies - Pureed fruit is an excellent addition to
are low in calories and have many antioxidants.chocolate brownies because it helps strengthen
Many of them have no fat whatsoever andthe taste of chocolate. Another good thing is that
instead give you plenty of fiber to make youryou've put in something that use less oil or less
stomach feel full. Hummus, made from chickbutter and you've also added antioxidants because
peas, is a great alternative protein withoutof the pureed fruit. Also fruit has fiber to lower
saturated fat. 2. Fruit Skewered on a Stick with ayour cholesterol. 8. Silken Tofu or Soy Milk -
Little Dark Chocolate for Dipping - Fruit has aSubstitute for Regular Milk in Recipes - Using tofu
variety of antioxidants to fight cancer and heartor soy milk instead of regular milk is a good way
disease. Dark chocolate has a high concentrationof adding heart healthy protein, while at the same
of flavinols, which is a type of antioxidant thattime cutting down on the heart-clogging calories of
helps fight heart disease, and is in factthe other oils you might have used. 9. Applesauce
recommended by doctors for this very purpose.or Apple Butter - Use in Place of Oil for Muffins -
3. Half of a Cantaloupe Filled with Fat FreeApple butter is one of best ingredients you can
Cottage Cheese, a Dash of Cinnamon and Someadd to moisture the mix and to give it that
Berries - The cantaloupe and berries are rich inpleasant fruit flavor that won't combat your other
antioxidants, and the fat-free cottage cheeseingredients. 10. Nuts and Small Chunks of Fruit -
counts as a serving of dairy, while avoiding theSprinkle on Top of Muffins - If you substitute
saturated fat. 4. Fat-free Yogurt with Fruit and aapplesauce for the oil, you'll be making a muffin
Sprinkle of Nuts - Here's a chance of gettinglow in fat, chock-full of antioxidants from fruit,
another serving of dairy that contains nofiber from nuts, and heart-healthy protein from
saturated fat, but plenty of antioxidants fromthe nuts. 11. Meatloaf - Use Tofu and Chopped
fruit and, on top of that, a bit of healthy,White Chicken Meat Instead of Red Meat - This
unsaturated fat from the nuts. 5. Smoothies withcombination is absolutely great. The result will feel
Silken Tofu and Berries plus a Dash of Grapeand taste just like meatloaf, but without the
Juice or Pomegranate Juice As most dietersdownside of eating red meat.
know, tofu is an excellent alternative protein