Healthy Snacks: How to Choose Them for Work, School and Evenings
A healthy snack is one that helps you bridge a long gap between meals with foods that add something useful to your day, such as fruit, vegetables, plain yoghurt, nuts, seeds or wholegrains, rather than mostly sugar, salt and refined fat.
Snacking is neither good nor bad in itself. It can help if you go many hours between meals, have a busy or active day, or tend to overeat when you finally sit down to eat. It can work against you when snacks are mostly sweets, crisps and sweetened drinks, or when you snack out of habit, boredom or stress rather than hunger.
When do snacks help, and when do they work against you?
Snacks may be useful when:
- There is a long gap between meals, for example a long school or working day.
- You are physically active and need some extra energy.
- Being very hungry leads you to overeat at the next meal.
- Children need regular, smaller eating occasions through the day.
Snacks may work against you when:
- They are high in free sugars, salt or fat and low in fibre.
- They are eaten while distracted, such as in front of a screen, so it is easy to eat more than intended.
- You snack out of boredom, tiredness or stress rather than hunger.
- Sugary drinks are counted as "just a drink" rather than part of what you eat.
What makes a snack healthy?
A useful approach is to choose snacks that combine fibre and some protein, with little added sugar and salt. These tend to be more satisfying than snacks made mostly of refined flour and sugar.
WHO recommends limiting free sugars to below 10% of total energy intake, about 50 g a day for an adult, and keeping salt below 5 g a day. Packaged snacks can be a hidden source of both, which is why it helps to check labels.
Healthy snack ideas
For work
- A piece of fruit with a small handful of unsalted nuts.
- Plain yoghurt or laban with fruit.
- Vegetable sticks such as carrot, cucumber and pepper with hummus.
- A few dates with a glass of milk or a handful of nuts, in modest portions.
- Wholegrain crackers with a little cheese or labneh.
For school
- Cut fruit or a whole piece of fruit that is easy to eat.
- Cheese cubes with wholegrain crackers.
- Homemade popcorn without added sugar or a lot of salt.
- A small wholegrain sandwich with a healthy filling.
- Water instead of juice or sweetened drinks.
Our article on healthy school lunchbox ideas has more suggestions for children.
For evenings
- A small bowl of plain yoghurt or a glass of milk.
- Fruit, fresh or cut and ready in the fridge.
- A handful of unsalted nuts or seeds.
- Vegetable sticks with a yoghurt-based dip.
Are fruit juices a healthy snack?
Whole fruit is a better choice than juice. The sugars naturally present in fruit juices are counted as free sugars by WHO, and juice lacks much of the fibre of whole fruit, so it is easy to consume a lot of sugar quickly. Water, plain milk or unsweetened drinks are better everyday choices.
How to compare packaged snacks quickly
When choosing between two packaged snacks, a quick label check helps:
- Look at the serving size and compare products on the same basis, such as the same weight or volume.
- Check sugars, salt and saturated fat. Some labels use colour coding to show whether these are high, medium or low; choose more greens and ambers and fewer reds.
- Look for fibre, which is often higher in wholegrain products.
- Read the ingredients list. Ingredients are listed in order of weight, so if sugar or a type of sugar appears near the top, the product is likely to be high in sugar.
Our step-by-step guide on how to read a nutrition label explains this in more detail, and our article on hidden sugars shows where sugar often appears under different names.
Simple snacking habits
- Plan snacks ahead and keep healthy options ready, so you are not relying on vending machines or shop counters.
- Serve a portion into a bowl rather than eating straight from the packet.
- Pause before snacking and ask whether you are hungry, thirsty, tired or bored.
- Drink water regularly, especially in hot weather.
- Keep sweets and crisps as occasional treats rather than everyday snacks.
When to see a specialist
Personal advice can help if:
- You find it hard to control snacking, especially in the evening.
- You are trying to manage your weight and want a plan that fits your routine.
- You have diabetes or another health condition and want to know how snacks fit in.
- You are concerned about your child's eating habits.
Our nutrition team offers support for healthy nutrition and lifestyle and individual nutrition consultations.
You can book an appointment online or contact us if you are not sure which service you need.
Frequently asked questions
Is snacking bad for weight management?
Not necessarily. Planned snacks that are rich in fibre and protein can help some people avoid becoming very hungry and overeating at meals. Problems tend to arise when snacks are frequent, high in sugar, salt or fat, or eaten out of habit rather than hunger. A nutritionist can help you find a pattern that works for you.
Are fruit juices a healthy snack?
Whole fruit is a better choice. WHO counts the sugars in fruit juices as free sugars, which it recommends limiting, and juice has less fibre than whole fruit. Water or plain milk are better everyday drinks.
What is a good evening snack?
If you are genuinely hungry, a small portion of something simple, such as plain yoghurt, a glass of milk, a piece of fruit or a few unsalted nuts, is a reasonable choice. If you are often hungry late at night, it may be worth looking at the balance of your dinner and earlier meals.
Related reading
- Healthy Breakfast Ideas: Building a Balanced Morning Meal
- How to Read a Nutrition Label in Five Steps
- Hidden Sugars: Where They Hide and How to Spot Them
- Healthy School Lunchbox Ideas Children Will Actually Eat
Sources
This article is general information and does not replace advice from a qualified professional.