A healthy diet is one of the key factors in living a long, happy life. It keeps us energetic, keeps our moods up and helps all our organs run optimally. Most people have diets which are not optimal to living a long, healthy life, partially because of the junk food which surrounds us. Listed below are some suggestions for what to switch to when you want a healthy snack.

Switching out higher fat snacks for healthier options can all contribute toward a healthier diet.

• With your next salad, throw on some pizza croutons. These are simple to make, as all you do is take a slice of pizza and cut them up into small bits. Home-made pizza tends to use whole wheat crust which has more fiber. Sprinkle the bits on your salad and you’re ready to go. By eating one slice of pizza instead of two, you’re ingesting half the fat and calories.

• Veggie fries can be made from a variety of squash, carrots, parsnips, turnips, zucchini or asparagus. Many of these treats save a person around 200 calories a serving. They can be seasoned with herbs and spices and baked in an over or air fryer.

• Energy bites are made with nuts and dried fruit and rolled into a ball. Very similar to cookie dough balls, they can be packed with food like pumpkin and flax seeds. Additionally, you can add whatever you want including coconut flakes. They can be bought or made at home.

• Chickpeas and lentils are another great alternative. Containing protein and fiber, they are much healthier than potato chips. Making your own batch of crispy, roasted chickpeas is easy and you can even toss on ranch or barbecue seasoning. These can also be purchased pre-made.

• Chocolate covered nuts are also very easy to make and can be found in just about any supermarket. These are much more filling as nuts have healthy fats and fiber. Additionally, they have healthy doses of vitamin E and far less sugar than candies.

• Frozen yogurt or nice cream are great alternate deserts. Nice cream is yogurt with fruit blended in until it’s smooth. But, if you want a more traditional feel to your yogurt, freeze it. You can also mix honey and granola in and make them into popsicles. Adding protein is a great way to make it healthier.

Keeping these simple switched-out substitutes in mind can revolutionize your health this new year. So be sure to try some out the next time you’re putting together your grocery shopping list. What’s your favorite healthy snack? Let us know in the comments.