Fill the Gaps with Snacks

PDF of Factsheet Fill the Gaps with Snacks

This page was reviewed or revised on Thursday, April 19, 2007.

Everyone snacks! People young and old need to eat between meals for various reasons. So, if you are going to snack, or need to snack, make snacks fun and healthy by choosing foods from the 4 food groups in Canada’s Food Guide. 

Think of healthy snacks as mini-meals and eat less at the next meal. Vary the snacks eaten each day. Choose snacks that pack a lot of nutrition

There are many old favourites like veggie sticks, fresh fruit, cheese cubes, crackers and yogurt that make wonderful, economical snacks. Here are other healthy snacks that are pre-packaged and easy to carry.

Grain Products

• Breakfast bars

• Mini rice cakes

• Non-sugar coated cereals (Corn Bran, Shreddies, Mini Wheats)

• Mini bagels

• Pretzels

• Bread sticks

• Mini muffins

• Popcorn (little or no butter)

• Homemade nuts and bolts

• Cookies (graham wafers, Newton bars, Animal Crackers, oatmeal, social teas, Arrowroot)

• Whole grain crackers

Meat and Alternatives

• Sunflower/pumpkin seeds

• Trail mix

• Peanut butter

• Hummus

Vegetables and Fruit

• Mini carrots with dip

• Vegetable juice boxes

• Salsa

• Fresh fruit kebabs

• Individual fruit cups

• Individual applesauce

• 100% fruit juice boxes

• Raisins or other dried fruit

Milk Products

• Cheese strings

• Milk/milkshakes in drink boxes

• Individual puddings and yogurt cups/tubes

• Yogurt drinks

Limit your daily snacks

Too much of a good thing leads to poor eating habits.  Snacks are for times when hungry or thirsty.  Snacks that are used to entertain children or relieve boredom in adults can lead to poor eating habits.  Two or three snacks a day is a healthy snacking pattern.

Dental snacks

The link between a good diet and good health is very important. Everyone knows sugar causes tooth decay.  However, it is not just how much sugar is eaten but also how sticky, how often and when it is eaten.

Sugar eaten between meals is most destructive.  Read labels for words that mean sugar: honey, brown sugar, corn syrup, molasses, sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, lactose, galatose and dextrose.

Additional Information

For more information on healthy eating, refer to our Nutrition pages or call Community Health Services Department at 519 383-8331 or 1-800-667-1839.