Thread: 7 Stress-Busting Snacks

A Fresh Banana
These fruit favorites are the perfect choice when you're feeling stressed. That's because they contain potassium and vitamin B6, both stress-fighting substances. What's more, "bananas are easy on a stressed-out system, filling, and sweet," says Tanner. Because our bodies naturally crave sugar when we're under stress, that sweet taste is a healthy bonus!
Recommended serving size: 1 medium banana
Calories: 105

Baked Tortilla Chips and Salsa
When you're stressed, you want to feel soothed, and nothing soothes a system like carbohydrates. Baked tortilla chips combat stress because they're a great source of low-fat carbs. What's more, your body needs more vitamin C when it's stressed, so adding a half-cup of vitamin-C-packed salsa makes perfect sense.
Recommended serving size: 1 ounce of baked chips and a half-cup of salsa
Calories: about 135

Breakfast Cereal Bar
These packaged bars were made for breakfast, but they're a great snack when you're feeling overwhelmed, too! Made with fruity fillings and whole grains, cereal bars give you the carbohydrate-loaded sweet sensations you crave when stressed. But because they're fortified with vitamins and minerals, they're a nutrition boost, too, providing extra calcium and iron -- which your body needs when it's stressed.
Recommended serving size: 1 bar
Calories: about 140

Black Bean Soup
Stress does a number on the minerals in your body, depleting things like magnesium, iron, and zinc, says Tanner. Black bean soup is an excellent source of all of these important minerals. Even better, a warm bowl of soup takes a while to eat, so enjoying it forces you to sit down, breathe, and become calm.
Recommended serving size: 1 cup of canned, fat-free soup
Calories: 110

Decaf Nonfat Latte
"A latte has the package of nutrients your body needs for energy and to combat stress," says Tanner, referring to the calcium and protein in the milk. Choose a decaf version, since caffeine can make you feel anxious and interfere with sleep, which is crucial to get when you're under stress. And go fat free, as some studies have shown that a high-fat diet suppresses the immune system (something that stress already does to your body).
Recommended serving size: 1 16-ounce decaf nonfat latte
Calories: 160

Baby Carrots with Nonfat Sour Cream Dip
Ever notice how you want something crunchy to eat when you're feeling tense? The crunch we usually get from unhealthy snacks like potato chips is cathartic and it relieves tension, says Tanner. To get the same crunch in a healthy way, try baby carrots. They're packed with beta-carotene, too, which becomes depleted in your body when you're stressed. You can add some nonfat sour cream dip for extra tension-taming calcium.
Recommended serving size: 1 cup baby carrots with 2 tbsp. nonfat sour cream dip
Calories: about 75

Raisin Bread with Fat-Free Cream Cheese
This snack has got it all: Carbs, in the form of grains and dried fruit, to calm your mood; calcium to build your stress-depleted stores; and a sweet, satisfying taste to make your taste buds happy. What more could you ask for?
Recommended serving size: 1 slice of raisin bread with 1 tbsp. fat-free cream cheese
Calories: 95

I am such a fan of sour cream dip and I love them with baby carrots. I didn't actually know that this is a stress reducing snack. Good for me then . And who would ever thought that raisin bread with fat free cream cheese is also on of these healthy snacks to fight stress! Great post. Thanks for sharing this and doing the research

These are really not so bad at all. If we are stressed and we want to eat during the period, we can choose to it the right foods that does not only fight off stress but are also healthy. Avoiding junk foods is one of the best way to stay fit and not gain the unnecessary weight

Your all snaks tips are too good.

thaaaaank you! this list is sooo helpful. i eat so many snacks...adding these will give me a nice variety. thanks

You can also eat foods that are high in vitamins and nutrients which can all help fight stress. Some of them are:

almonds (high in zinc and vitamins B and E)
blueberries (high in vitamin C)
melons (also high in vitamin C)

Thanks for adding these foods on the list viktoria. These are good alternatives in case you don't have time to prepare the snacks that I posted.