Today there are healthier options when making snacking decisions. Healthy, flavorful snack foods like dried fruits, snack mixes, granola and seeds are beneficial choices. Additional health snack options include Garden Chips instead of potato chips. No time for dessert? A Banana Split Grabeez Snack Cup instead of ice cream is a great snack on the fly. For a dual meal snack assist, try some dried fruit at breakfast and dinner. Add some dried fruit to oatmeal in the morning and add dried fruit for a sweet, low calorie dessert at dinner.

Snack options are not limited to a single aisle in stores anymore. Granola bars, dried fruit, nuts and snack mixes give unique snacking options that are convenient and satisfy. When looking for healthy foods Tropical’s Nut House has snacks and specialty foods to include for the grocery list.

Veggie chips are thin slices of real vegetables that are prepared and seasoned for snacking. Vegetable chips are usually vacuum fried, and they are also lightly seasoned with salt and other flavorings. Vegetable chips are tasty enough to eat alone. They also go well with various dipping sauces, such as hummus and yogurt spreads.

Veggie chips are generally healthier than regular potato chips, but they are not necessarily lower in fat or calories. Garden Chips are an exception. This snack product from North Carolina-based Tropical’s Nut House offers crunchy snacks made from sweet potatoes, taro root, squash, carrots and green beans. The company also sells okra and green bean snacks.

When compared with regular potato chips, all of the Garden Chips snack foods have the upper hand. A one-ounce serving of potato chips contains a little over 150 calories and 10 grams of fat. The same size serving of Garden Chips contains 120-130 calories and 2.5-6 grams of fat.

Garden Chips varieties are lower in calories and fat that other vegetable chip brands. Low in sodium, Garden Chips are also free of saturated fat, trans-fat and cholesterol. Vegetable chips do not provide the same health benefits as fresh vegetables and fruits. However, they are a delicious way to partially meet daily nutrition requirements. Veggie chips are hands-down the healthier alternative to potato chips for people who snack between meals.

Making the switch from potato chips to vegetable chips is a smart move for people who want healthier snack foods for themselves and their families. For those watching their calorie intake, salsa and low-fat dressings are better alternatives to sour cream dips and creamy snack spreads, and they enhance the flavor of veggie chips.

Tropical’s Nut House is the retail outlet for Tropical Foods, a food manufacturer, importer and distributor of bulk nuts, bulk packaged snacks, bulk foods, dipping chocolates, Garden Chips & specialty foods.

Wasabi is a staple condiment in Japan, and commonly referred to as Japanese horseradish. It’s so common there’s wasabi ice cream; probably on the menu at the local ice cream shop. The wasabi plant is difficult to find unless you’re in Japan, one of the only places it is grown and harvested. It has a hot and spicy flavor but without the long term burning sensation that other spicy flavors hold.

For those of us not in Japan, most wasabi is a mixture of horseradish, mustard, cornstarch and green food coloring. The horseradish and mustard combination provide a close flavor profile to the wasabi plant. If you’ve never experienced wasabi, try our Wasabi Explosion snack. This snack mix is a perfect place to get a feel for the wasabi flavor.

Today, dried fruit is produced around the world.Californiaproduces the largest percentage the world’s dried fruit crop. Dried fruits retain most of the nutritional value of fresh fruits; are resistant to spoilage and easy to store and transport. So don’t forget to add some dried fruit to you snacks for your next road trip.

Tropical’s Nut House has two great dried fruit mixes available, Diced Fruit Medley for all of your baking needs and Imperial Mixed Fruit, big pieces for snacking!

Walnuts for breakfast? Try some Walnut Breakfast Cereal. Simple to prepare recipes, five to seven minutes in the oven, cool and you have cereal that can be stored up to one month. Serve warm or cold, add your favorite fruit and breakfast is served. Lunch or dinner could include a Cheesy Walnut Burger, Chick-Pea Walnut Burger or Lentil Walnut Burger. Don’t forget dessert. A plethora of walnut dessert options include: cookies, breads, brownies and even walnut pie. This nut is a great addition to any meal!

Find Walnuts at Tropical’s Nut House

Almonds are often used for various rice dishes and curry preparations. Sliced almonds will enhance flavors when added to a saute of curried vegetables, chicken salad, or rice with vegetables. Almonds are a popular addition when sprinkled over desserts, especially sundaes. They are also a frequent addition to cookies, cakes and chocolates.

Find Almonds on Tropical’s Nut House HERE

Sprinkle them over your morning cereal or lunchtime salad adding additional nutrition. Cook them in cookies, muffins or Sunday pancakes. Try mixing them with granola, almonds, or mixed nuts for a healthy snack anytime of the day.

Dried Cranberries

A serving size of dried cranberries, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is 1/3 cup, or 40 grams. This is approximately 123 calories. However, some dried cranberry products have more sugar added than others. Some sweetened products can have as much as 26 grams of sugar So, the calorie and carbohydrate count can vary. If sugar is a problem for you, choose a non-sweetened, or low sugar, dried cranberry product.

Dried Cranberries are a good source of essential minerals and vitamins, including magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, copper and vitamins A, B6, B12, C and K. some common benefits of eating dried cranberries are:

• Immune system strengthening
• Helps battle viral and bacterial infections
• Strengthens cardiovascular system
• Dried, non-sweetened cranberries, or powdered cranberries can lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes patients
• Ease or prevent urinary tract infections

Dried Cherries

Cherries are known as the “super fruits” for their nutrition and antioxidants. A serving size of dried cherries is ¼ of a cup, or 40 grams. This is approximately 140 calories and is a great source of dietary fiber providing low saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. One cup of dried cherries equals a complete serving of fruit.

Dried Cherries are a great source of providing vitamin A and each serving offers you with 30% of the daily value for vitamin A. By consuming a serving also provides about 2% of the daily value for iron. Some common benefits of eating dried cherries are:

• Improve sleep
• Reduce pain and inflammation
• Regulating our biorhythms
• Ease joint pains
• Significant decrease in instances of arthritis, gout and rheumatism
• May reduce LDL cholesterol

Dried Blueberries

A 1-cup serving of dried blueberries offers a full 5 grams of fiber. It has been found that blueberries are high in antioxidants. Antioxidants reduce oxidative damage in the body, such as free radicals. It is believed that a diet high in antioxidants may reduce cancer risk and macular degeneration that comes on with age. In fact, blueberries are one of the highest dried fruit containing the most antioxidants. Although dried blueberries are highly nutritious, you must be cautions of the amount of added sugar by the manufacturer of the product. This dried fruit is high in vitamin C, fiber and beta-carotene which turns into vitamin A in the body. Medical studies have shown that regular consumption of blueberries are beneficial in the following ways:

• Strengthened eyesight
• Reduced aging
• Improved memory
• May reduce LDL cholesterol
• Reduced infection risk
• Promoted urinary tract health

Dried fruit and mixes may be a great way to get your children to eat fruit, when they would not otherwise. It is naturally delicious and sweet, with a lot of nutrition packed into every bite. You can buy nuts online, and purchase a variety of bulk dried fruit including cherries and berries mix at The Nut House.

Walnuts

Per 1-ounce serving, walnuts pack a fairly large amount of calories, approximately 185 calories. However, they are the only nut that are filled with omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA’s help to decrease plaque buildup in arteries. Omega-3s are also linked to heart health and stronger bones. Because walnuts contain 91% of the daily recommended value of omega-3s, walnuts are perfect for individuals who can’t stomach eating fish and are unable to consume the daily recommended value.

Almonds

Almonds have always been praised as the ultimate healthy snack, which isn’t an undeserved title. Almonds contain 162 calories in a 1-ounce serving. They are a great source of vitamin E, calcium, fiber and some folate. They also contains monounsaturated fats and can help to lower blood sugar when eaten with a meal. There are certain foods that help to fight free radicals, but for those who don’t like broccoli or green tea, an ounce of almonds contain the same amount of flavanoids and carry the same amount of benefits.

Pecans

Pecans are another golden nut that help to reduce the damaging effects of free radicals. In fact, they rank the highest among all nuts for their high levels of antioxidants. Some studies even show a correlation between pecans and a decrease in developing cancer. They have a rich, buttery taste and are an excellent source for a number of different vitamins and minerals, such as zinc. However, just 19 halves contain 193 calories, so, moderation is key.

Pistachios

For those looking to maintain their eyesight, Pistachios are the recommended nut. They are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, which have been linked to improved vision. These nuts have been praised for their health benefits since ancient times, which hasn’t decreased over the years. A 1-ounce serving contains 156 calories.

When eating these healthy nuts, moderation is key. But, caloric intake aside, nuts should certainly be the go-to snack, especially for those on a diet. Studies show that those who eat nuts in place of complex carbs have experienced better weight-loss success than those who did not.

Buy nuts online today as the Nut House offers variety bulk nuts, dried fruit, snack mixes all offering healthy benefits.

Or maybe you’ve got a “too good not to share” dipping chocolate idea. Whatever it is, tell us your favorite foods to dip in chocolate.

Enter the Tropical Foods “Dipping Chocolate Deliciousness” Blogger Contest, and you could receive a prize of:

• One of ten (10) dipping chocolate gift baskets from Tropical Foods
• A $100 Visa gift card

To enter, write a 200-250 word blog post about your five favorite snacks for dipping in chocolate. Be sure to mention the Tropical Foods “Dipping Chocolates” Contest and include a link to www.dippingchocolates.com.

Go to www.dippingchocolates.com to enter!

Recipe courtesy of eatingwell.com

Most of us are aware that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. To eliminate the idea of skipping breakfast, create an easy-to-go power bar. This Almond Honey Power Bar is full of roasted nuts, oats, and dried fruit to ensure a burst of flavor and energy to tackle the morning rush or as a snack for anytime of the day.

Servings: About 8 bars
Prep and Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 tablespoon flaxseeds, preferably golden
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 cup unsweetened whole-grain puffed cereal
• 1/3 cup currants
• 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/3 cup chopped golden raisins
• 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar or light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt