Cassandra Lepore, a New York dietitian, opts for Bamba popcorn snacks with extra virgin olive oil and dark chocolate.
Cassandra Lepore, a dietitian from New York City, shared four of her favorite healthy snacks from popular grocery store Trader Joe’s.
Ms. Lepore frequently posts videos on TikTok to her 43,000 followers, offering nutrition and lifestyle advice.
In one, the dietitian highlighted Trader Joe’s products, from quinoa chips to dark chocolate snacks, to satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling too guilty.
In a video posted in December, she selected her top picks and encouraged viewers to screenshot and save the video for their next trip to the store.
The first snack Ms. Lepore highlighted was popcorn with extra virgin olive oil.
She said: “Popcorn is a good source of fiber and it’s hard to find a popcorn made with extra virgin olive oil.”
For a 28 g serving, popcorn offers three grams of fiber, or 13% of the recommended daily value.
The recommended amount of fiber per day is 25 to 30 g and this ingredient is particularly important for digestion and to satisfy hunger.
“Popcorn is a good source of fiber,” Ms. Lepore said, “and it’s hard to find popcorn made with extra virgin olive oil.”
As for extra virgin olive oil, this version is the least processed type of olive oil, meaning it has retained most of the natural antioxidants and vitamins, which are usually lost during processing .
Ms. Lepore recommended pairing popcorn with nuts, dried fruit or dark chocolate chips for a balanced snack.
In addition to its fiber content, popcorn is a good source of polyphenols, antioxidants associated with better blood circulation and digestive health.
They have also been linked to a lower risk of certain cancers, according to the American Heart Association.
Next in her basket are thin rice cakes semi-coated in organic dark chocolate.
Ms Lepore said: “This is a very balanced sweet treat as it contains a good portion of carbohydrates and fats.”
“I gravitate towards these whenever I need a midday chocolate fix.”
“It’s also a great treat to enjoy during the day or when you need a little sweetness after dinner,” Ms. Lepore said.
For a serving of two rice cakes, the snack contains 14 grams of carbohydrates, or five percent of the daily recommendation, and two grams of dietary fiber, or seven percent of the daily recommended amount.
The rice cake is also made with organic brown rice, which is a whole grain.
Whole grains are considered superior to other types of carbohydrates due to their high amount of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients.
For another healthy chocolate fix, Ms. Lepore suggested Dark Chocolate Bamba Snacks — puffed peanuts and corn dipped on one side in dark chocolate.
They only contain five ingredients: peanut butter, corn grits, sunflower oil, salt and dark chocolate.
“It’s also a great treat to enjoy during the day or when you need a little sweetness after dinner,” Ms. Lepore said.
Like rice cakes, Bamba snacks contain 15 grams of carbohydrates and two grams of dietary fiber.
Dark chocolate is considered the healthiest version of the candy – compared to milk chocolate and white chocolate – because it is rich in plant chemicals called flavanols, which are antioxidants linked to a lower risk of heart disease.
Finally, Ms. Lepore chose the quinoa and black bean tortilla chips.
She said: “I always promote this on my page.
“They are a good source of fiber and pair well with dips, melted cheese or avocado for a balanced snack.”
Like popcorn, chips are another good choice for a healthy serving of fiber, containing three grams – or 13 percent – per 28g serving.
The fiber in quinoa helps maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Quinoa is considered a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own.
It is rich in antioxidants, which can prevent damage to the heart and other organs, and this grain has also been linked to reducing the risk of certain cancers, preventing anemia, and reducing the inflammation.