The Healthiest Junk Food

Nothing hits the spot like a bag of potato chips while watching TV. But before you know it, you’re raiding the pantry for something else to munch on while chasing it all down with a soda. We all know how quickly snacking can get out of hand. The good news is you don’t have to kick your snacking habit. Instead, consider these healthier junk food options the next time hunger strikes.

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Dark Chocolate

The average bar of milk chocolate has 25 grams of sugar, while a bar of dark chocolate has 20 grams. This may not seem like a huge difference, but because dark chocolate is made from 70% to 85% cocoa, it has various health benefits that milk chocolate — which is only 35% to 55% — doesn’t. Dark chocolate is rich in fiber to aid digestion and contains essential nutrients such as iron, magnesium, and potassium. It's also high in antioxidants, lowering cholesterol and making you a bit happier.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a great versatile snack for everything from an intimate movie night to game day with friends. And if you cut back on the butter and salt, popcorn is also relatively good for you. Plain air-popped popcorn is loaded with fiber, which helps maintain proper gut and bowel health. It’s also a whole grain, which lowers the risk of cardiovascular issues like heart disease. It is rich in folate, which aids blood cell production, and niacin, which suppresses inflammation.

Salsa

Guacamole and queso might be your favorites at taco night, but salsa is a much healthier dip for regular snacking. Salsa is not only loaded with vegetables but contains none of the oily and creamy elements that load other dips with empty calories and little nutritional value. Pair it with unsalted tortilla chips, which are less fatty and caloric than your standard potato chip, for the perfect snack.

Beef Jerky

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more protein-packed snack than beef jerky. Jerky is the perfect salty energy boost to get you through a workout or long road trip, and it comes in all sorts of flavors to keep things both exciting and delicious. It is also rich in zinc, which supports immune function, and iron. 

Meringue Cookies

Meringue cookies might seem too whimsical for everyday snacking, but you can enjoy this airy snack whether you’re at a fancy tea shop or in sweatpants on the couch. Meringue cookies are made with egg whites, giving you a slight protein boost that is hard to find in other desserts. They also contain very little fat and cholesterol.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal raisin cookies are one of the healthiest sweet treats you can keep in your pantry. Loaded with complex carbohydrates that energize you, oatmeal is an excellent option for people with low blood sugar since its glucose breaks down slowly, gradually raising your blood sugar instead of spiking and crashing it later.

Kale Chips

Kale chips retain all of the nutritional benefits that uncooked kale offers, including fiber, antioxidants, calcium, and other essentials like vitamin K. Plus, they are easy to make. Toss chopped kale in olive oil and spices of your choice, then bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes until brown and crisp.

Trail Mix

One of the greatest benefits of trail mix is that you can personalize it. If you’re into nuts, go nuts, but if you prefer dried fruit, sprinkle in the raisins and cranberries. The nuts in many popular trail mixes are excellent sources of protein, fiber, and healthy fat, which help prevent conditions like heart disease and diabetes. Dried fruits like cranberries and raisins help promote proper urinary function.

Fruit Popsicles

Everyone loves picking out their favorite treat when the ice cream truck rolls through the neighborhood. However, buy fresh fruit popsicles instead of a sugar-filled ice cream dessert for a healthier frozen treat. Fruit popsicles contain all the naturally occurring vitamins and minerals found in fruit, such as vitamin A, magnesium, and zinc. You can also easily make homemade popsicles by blending fruit and pouring it into a popsicle mold.

Sweet Potato Chips

Reach for these crispy treats the next time you find yourself in the snack aisle. Sweet potato chips are high in fiber and vitamin A, which maintains immune system function while encouraging vision health. Baked sweet potato chips are also lower in calories than most bags of standard potato chips, giving you a higher nutritional value per bag. Whip up a batch at home by thinly slicing a sweet potato and tossing the slices with olive oil and salt before baking for an hour and a half at 200 degrees Fahrenheit, flipping them halfway through.

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