Do you fight food cravings but feel guilty for snacking? Snacking doesn’t have to be off-limits when you’re trying to eat healthy or lose weight. In fact, snacking can be an important part of your diet if you know how to make the right choices.

Better Bites

When you get a snack craving, it’s all right to give in — if you know how to make the most of your snack options. Look for snacks that pack a big nutrient bang. Not only are they better for you, but they may help you feel more full than your normal snack would. Here are a few ideas:

Take-a-Break Snack Mix All materials courtesy of American Heart Association Advertisement

Crunchy Snacks

—Apples and breadsticks

—Carrot, celery or green pepper sticks

—Zucchini circles

—Broccoli or cauliflower spears

—Unsalted rice cakes

Munchy Snacks

—Unsalted sunflower seeds

—Whole-grain breads or toast

—Cherry tomatoes

—Yogurt — plain, low-fat or no-fat

—Unsalted nuts

Sweet Bites

—Thin slice of angel food cake

—Baked apple

—Frozen bananas or grapes

—Fresh fruit

—Raisins

Thirst Quenchers

—Fat-free milk

—Unsweetened juices

—Low-sodium mixed vegetable juices

—Water

Sneaky Sugars

Many snack foods and drinks have added sugar. While they taste good, they tend to be low in vitamins and minerals and higher in calories. And they probably won’t make you feel full, so you could be tempted to overeat.

You might not recognize some of the hidden sugars listed on food labels. Here are some other names that sugar goes by: sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, corn syrups, high-fructose corn syrup, concentrated fruit juice and honey.

When to Eat

Three regular meals a day? Five smaller ones? Which is better — and where do snacks fit in?

Choose what works best for you. The main goal is to not overeat. Some people find it easier to control the amount they eat with four or five small meals. Eating just once or twice a day may lead to overeating because you are hungry. Most people do just fine with three daily meals with a healthy snack in between, if they feel hungry.

Healthy snacking doesn’t have to mean boring, tasteless food. There are plenty of good-for-you choices with loads of flavor. The American Heart Association can help. Visit heartcheckmark. org to build your free, personalized, heart-healthy grocery list. The list includes various categories — including snacks.

Snack attacks don’t have to control you — if you make the right choices, you can enjoy a snack — guilt-free.

Whole-Grain Goodness

The fiber found in unrefined whole-grain foods can help lower your blood cholesterol, which is important in preventing heart disease and stroke. When looking for a whole-grain snack:

—Choose foods such as whole wheat, oats and oatmeal, rye, barley and corn. Also include popcorn, brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, bulgur (cracked wheat), millet, quinoa and sorghum.

—Choose breads and other foods that list whole grains as the first item in the ingredient list.

—Aim for about 25 grams of fiber a day.

To make shopping easier, look for the American Heart Association’s heart-check mark. The mark identifies products that meet the association’s criteria for being high in whole grains and fiber and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Shop smart. Live well. Look for the heart-check mark!

Products bearing the heart-check mark meet the American Heart Association’s nutrition criteria per standard serving size to be:

—Low in fat (3 grams or less)

—Low in saturated fat (1 gram or less)

—Limited in trans fat (less than .5 grams)

—Low in cholesterol (20 milligrams or less)

—Moderate in sodium, with 480 milligrams or less for individual foods and

—Contain at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of one or more of these naturally occurring nutrients: protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron or dietary fiber

Additionally:

—Seafood, game meat, meat and poultry, as well as whole-grain products, main dishes and meals must meet additional nutritional requirements.

Take-a-Break Snack Mix

Whether your schedule is go-go-go or hurry-up-and-wait, you’ll be glad you packed these tasty tidbits for healthy snacking.

        Cooking spray

1/4cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

2 teaspoons water

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups whole-grain oat cereal with yogurt-flavored coating

2 cups whole-grain wheat and bran flakes with raisins

1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

1/2 cup dried unsweetened blueberries

Put a piece of aluminum foil about 12 inches square on a platter or baking sheet. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

In small nonstick skillet, dry-roast almonds over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Stir in brown sugar, water, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until liquid has evaporated and almonds are coated with mixture, stirring constantly. Transfer to foil. Let cool completely, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients.

Add cooled almonds to cereal mixture, stirring to combine. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Cook’s Tip: For variety, substitute different nutrient-dense dried fruits, such as cherries, apricots and plums, for the cranberries and blueberries. Cut them into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces before adding them to the cereal mixture.

Serves 10, 1/2 cup per serving

Nutrition Analysis (per serving): Calories, 139; Total Fat, 2.0 g; Saturated Fat, 0.5 g; Trans Fat, 0.0 g; Polyunsaturated Fat, 0.5 g; Monounsaturated Fat, 1.0 g; Cholesterol, 0 mg; Sodium, 124 mg; Carbohydrates, 28 g; Fiber, 4 g; Sugars, 15 g; Protein, 2 g; Dietary Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 starch