Carbohydrates are often portrayed as the enemies of healthy eating, an idea that’s been reinforced by diets like paleo and keto, which rule these macronutrients largely off-limits.
“Carbs belong to a food group that people love and love to hate for so many reasons,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, the New York–based author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table. Because they are digested more quickly than protein and fat, carbs can have a more significant effect on blood sugar and hunger hormones, leaving you less satisfied if you eat them alone, she says.
It doesn’t help that on the whole, Americans tend to eat too many of the wrong kinds of carbohydrates. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), carbs should make up between 45 and 65 percent of your diet, primarily from high-quality nutritional sources such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. But one analysis of 18 years of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that 21 percent of the typical American diet comes from low-quality carbohydrates, such as refined carbs, fruit juice, and potatoes, and 14 percent comes from added sugars.
This is especially troubling given that evidence shows that diets high in refined carbohydrates (like those in white rice, white bread, and white pasta) have been linked to an increased risk for chronic diseases, including heart disease, per research from 2021.
Giving up carbs entirely isn’t the solution, says Taub-Dix, since these macronutrients are our bodies’ main source of energy. Research has also linked carbs to an increase in serotonin, a brain chemical responsible for mood. “When people want to lose weight, carbs tend to be the first nutrient they slash,” says Taub-Dix. “But there’s no need to avoid them. In fact, I encourage carbs at every meal and snack.”
How? Well, make sure you’re choosing the right ones for your snacks — complex carbs like whole grains that have nutrients like fiber — and pair them with some lean protein and healthy fat for maximum satisfaction. Here are 10 healthy carb snack suggestions to get you started.
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Pear Slices With Crunchy Almond Butter
“I like combining fruit with some sort of protein because you have the benefit of the carbohydrates, fiber, and phytonutrients from the fruit, plus the healthy fat, protein, and fiber in the nut butter,” Taub-Dix says. Pears are a good choice because they contain copper, an important nutrient, per the USDA. Low levels of copper may be linked to obesity, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, according to one report.
Whole-Grain Waffles With Peanut Butter
Stock your freezer with whole-grain waffles. They’re not just for breakfast — they can be a good anytime snack, especially when you pair them with peanut butter (look for natural or no-sugar-added varieties) instead of syrup. Taub-Dix says that ricotta or cottage cheese are also good toppings. Choosing whole grains in place of refined grains can help lower body weight and inflammation, according to a small, short-term study.
DIY Trail Mix With Dried Cranberries and Whole Almonds
Forget sugar-loaded, store-bought trail mix. When you make your own, you control the ingredients. Taub-Dix suggests a simple blend of dried cranberries without added sugar and almonds, which gives you fiber, natural sugar, calcium, iron, and other nutrients, per the USDA. Cranberries are good for your microbiome: Research suggests that cranberries could help maintain your digestive system.
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Whole-Grain Toast With Fresh Mozzarella and a Sprinkling of Cinnamon
This was Taub-Dix’s kids’ go-to breakfast before school, and it works just as well as a snack. “The cheese has the benefit of slowing the way the bread is digested, so it gives you longer-lasting energy,” she says. A sprinkle of cinnamon adds a tasty touch. Whole-grain bread contains fiber and B vitamins, per the USDA, and whole grains may help prevent breast cancer, according to research.
Whole-Grain Crackers With Cheddar Cheese
Whole grains top the list of healthy carbohydrates, and pairing them with cheese gives you that winning combination of carbs, protein, and fat. There is some evidence that eating whole-grain foods may be associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to one review.
Rice Cake With Cottage Cheese
While you can use whatever flavor base you prefer — a brown rice cake is a more nutritious option. Pair it with cottage cheese and you get a nice, high-protein snack. One cup of reduced-fat cottage cheese contains 24 g (g) of protein, per USDA data. Additionally, a study published in 2021 found that adding a serving of cottage cheese per week reduced the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
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Hummus With Fresh Veggie Sticks
Hummus with veggies gives you a one-two punch of healthy carbs. You get carbs in the chickpea base of the hummus as well as in the veggies. Taub-Dix recommends dipping baby carrots, sugar snap peas, zucchini strips, or cucumbers in your hummus. You could also spread hummus on whole-grain pita bread or whole-grain crackers. Along with protein, chickpeas contain antioxidants, can help lower high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, and can fight cancer, according to one report.
Instant Oatmeal With a Swirl of Almond Butter
Unflavored instant oatmeal is a portable snack you can take to work — just add boiling water and swirl in some no-sugar-added almond butter. That way you’ll add the protein and healthy fat that will keep you feeling full longer and help keep your blood sugar in check. Oats are a nutritional powerhouse. They may lower cholesterol levels, protect against diabetes, improve your microbiome, and help reduce the risk of cancer, according to a review published in 2021.
Whole-Grain Cereal With Greek Yogurt and Nuts
Taub-Dix recommends choosing a cereal with whole grains as the first ingredient and no more than 5 g of sugar per serving. If you prefer the taste of a sweeter cereal, her trick is to combine it with a very low-sugar cereal like Cheerios. Adding the Greek yogurt and nuts balances out the carbs in the cereal with protein and healthy fat. Reach for a cereal with oats or barley, since whole-grain oats and barley can reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to one report.
Grab-and-Go Snack Bar
If you want to have a healthy snack on hand when you’re out and about, a packaged snack like a Kind bar can do the trick. You can keep one in your bag or desk drawer, and it’s portion-controlled, so you don’t have to worry about overdoing it. Taub-Dix says to look for one that’s low in sugar (no more than 5 g per serving) and provides fiber (at least 7 g), protein, and healthy fat. Plus, a link between fiber intake and reduced symptoms of depression has been found in observational studies, according to one review.
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- Morrell A et al. The Role of Insufficient Copper in Lipid Synthesis and Fatty-Liver Disease. IUBMB Life. April 2017.
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- Nuts, Almonds. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
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- Bread, Whole-Wheat, Commercially Prepared. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
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- Cheese, Cottage, Lowfat, 2% Milkfat. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
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Reyna Franco, RDN
Medical Reviewer
Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.
In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.
Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.
She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.
