Choose healthy snacks

Select foods that can satisfy your hunger, supply your body with energy and provide important nutrients. Choose a wide variety of these foods to ensure that you get all the necessary nutrients and to make your snacks more interesting. Here are some of your best snack picks:

Whole grains. Whole-grain snacks are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates, which give you energy that has some staying power. Look for items such as low-fat whole-grain crackers, whole-grain pretzels and whole-grain crispbreads.

Fruits and vegetables. Eating fruits and vegetables provides a feeling of fullness with no fat and only a small number of calories. They also provide vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients.

Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds provide protein, which helps keep you feeling fuller longer. Nuts and seeds contain mostly monounsaturated fat, a healthy kind of fat. Nuts and seeds are high in calories, however, so don't eat them in large quantities.

Low-fat dairy products. Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein, plus a variety of other vitamins and minerals. Dairy products can be high in fat, so choose the low-fat versions. Some yogurts have a lot of added sugar, so consider "light" yogurt if you want to limit your calorie intake.

Though snacks can contribute to a healthy diet, they can also be a source of excess calories if not eaten in moderation. For example, a single serving of almonds (about 23 kernels or a handful) contains 164 calories. But if you eat handful after handful until it totals a cup of almonds, the calorie count jumps to 800-plus calories.