Healthy Snacks for Students

There's nothing that will keep your students happier than a "midday" pick-me-up, such as a healthy snack. However, many meals, such as protein bars or veggie chips that people think are "healthy" are still packed with excessive calories and sugar.

The good news is that if you want to find healthy snacks, then you can do just that. The following are some great choices to start:

Making Your Banana Bread Healthier

A healthy banana bread recipe is a great start when you want a healthier snack. Healthy and easy to make, this snack will last a while, tastes amazing, and will satisfy any cravings you may have. Recipes like this get made out of better ingredients, such as 100 percent whole wheat flour, honey, maple syrup, coconut/vegetable/olive oil (rather than whole sticks of butter), and two whole bananas. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better for you than the regular banana bread you find mixes for in the grocery store.

Seeds

Seeds can prove to be a vital source of protein, and are easily storable at your desk whether you're in school or at work. Whether you like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or other seeds, like chia seeds mixed into other snacks, you are getting a dose of filling protein that can keep you full and energized for hours to come. Seeds are a great snack, and are quick and easy as well.

Low-Sodium Jerky

Whether you like chicken, beef, or turkey jerky, low-sodium jerky helps you keep the salt levels down while enjoying a filling dose of protein. Otherwise, the extra sodium might offset the benefit of the dose of protein that you do receive from the jerky.

Air-Popped Popcorn

Avoid the Extra Butter bags of popcorn you can buy at the supermarket, get your own kernels, and invest in an air popper, which can run as little as $25 to $50 in many home-goods stores. Then pop 1/4 cup of kernels and add butter or other oils sparingly to cut down on calories! Adding low-calorie spices like cinnamon, red pepper flakes, or turmeric can help make the popcorn a flavor you will love! It's very few calories for a satisfying, filling, and long-lasting snack.

Cut Up Vegetables

Cutting up veggies like cucumber, carrots, peppers (all colors), broccoli, cauliflower, or other favorites, and adding hummus or salsa (itself essentially cut up vegetables) for a dipping sauce can make a great snack. You replace fatty ranch (or other flavored dressings) for something lower calorie, which continues to help you fill up with vegetables which provide vitamins and nutrients to your diet as well.

Tuna Pouches

Tuna pouches provide a great source of protein in our diets. They filled with Omega-3 fatty acids and other health benefits. Whether you eat the tuna directly out of the pouch (or can) or put it on whole wheat crackers, you are getting a health benefit of additional protein and whole grains that get added to your diet.

Dark Chocolate

Limiting yourself to a few squares (one to two oz) is recommended. If it has a 70 percent or higher cacao ratios, then it's a great source of magnesium that can be added to your diet. It's also great to be paired with nuts or yogurt to create a healthy, satisfying snack that also keeps your sweet tooth at bay.

Roasted Chickpeas

Roasted Chickpeas can either be made at home or purchased in pre-made quantities. Just be sure to check the sugar content to ensure that they are not overly seasoned, which ruins the benefit of these healthier snacks in the first place.

These are some great healthy snacks that can help keep your students going throughout the day, allowing students to eat healthy snacks throughout the day can help boost their brain power and help them do better in class!