THE SECRETS OF A HEALTHY SNACK

Snacking can get a bad rap. But when it's done well, it can be a helpful bridge between meals to manage blood glucose, support digestion and make sure you have the energy and focus you need to get through your day, nutrition experts say.

- ANNA MALTBY

Snacks can also help to close nutrient gaps by adding diversity to your diet, incorporating things you might not be getting enough of during your typical meals, said Emily Wilcox Gier, a dietitian and associate professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University.

"If we choose our snacks appropriately, we can help meet our goal for vegetables or whole grains," she said. Smart snacks can also help you increase your intake of fibre, protein and micronutrients.

With that in mind, New York Times Cooking, Well and five nutrition experts teamed up to create this guide to healthy snacking. Let's dig in.

What makes a good snack?