--- title: 9 Healthy Predinner Snacks description: Dinner's at eight, but you just can't wait. A healthy snack will tide you over canonical: https://time.com/3485212/9-healthy-predinner-snacks/ author: Real Simple article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-10-20T12:10:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:44:27.199Z og:title: 9 Healthy Predinner Snacks og:description: Dinner's at eight, but you just can't wait. A healthy snack will tide you over og:url: https://time.com/3485212/9-healthy-predinner-snacks/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 9 Healthy Predinner Snacks twitter:description: Dinner's at eight, but you just can't wait. A healthy snack will tide you over twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # 9 Healthy Predinner Snacks > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Worth Your Time: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Worth Your Time is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more. Worth Your Time is a curated guide to the culture worth knowing, from the biggest conversations of the moment to the books, shows, ideas and discoveries worth your attention. Culture editor Eliza Berman taps TIME's collective taste and perspective to surface what is worth watching, reading, talking about and sharing, and why. 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All five of our experts give red wine a purple-stained smile._ by [Real Simple](https://time.com/author/real-simple/) ## Real Simple Oct 20, 2014 12:10 PM UTC by [Real Simple](https://time.com/author/real-simple/) ## Real Simple Oct 20, 2014 12:10 PM UTC _This_ [_article_](http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/9-healthy-predinner-snacks?xid=rs-time-090914) _originally appeared on_ [_RealSimple.com_](http://www.realsimple.com)_._  1\. Cashew-Strawberry Crunch Think of this as a gourmet cook's PB & J. Spread 1 tablespoon of cashew butter on a slice of Ryvita Fruit Crunch. (Or substitute peanut butter and Triscuits.) Drizzle with ½ tablespoon honey and top with sliced strawberries. Health bonus: Nut butters are full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Ann Stratton  2\. One-Minute Antipasto Plate Roll a thin slice of prosciutto or ham around a part-skim mozzarella string cheese. Eat with a few olives and grapes, or add roasted bell peppers (from a jar) drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Health bonus: Contains almost a quarter of a woman's 1,000-milligram recommended daily allowance for calcium. (MORE: 3 Gourmet Sandwich Recipes) Ann Stratton  3\. Pineapple and Pistachios Combine about ¼ cup dried pineapple pieces with about 25 pistachio nuts. (For a treat, use chile-lime pistachio nuts, available at specialty stores.) Other winning dried-fruit-and-nut combos: raisins and peanuts, apricots and almonds, cherries and hazelnuts. Health bonus: Pineapple and nuts are both good sources of antioxidants. Ann Stratton  4\. Cottage Cheese and Apples Slice an apple, such as Fuji or Granny Smith, and top with ½ cup of low-fat cottage cheese (look for 4-ounce four-packs from Breakstone). Or replace the fresh apple with two drained cinnamon-spiced apple rings, such as Musselman's (which can be found in the canned-fruit aisle). Health bonus: Provides protein, calcium, and fiber. (MORE: 3 Easy Halloween Cupcakes) Ann Stratton  5\. Cheese Melt Spread ½ teaspoon of spicy mustard on a cocktail-size slice of thin whole-grain rye bread. Add a thin square of sharp Cheddar (about the same size as the bread) and broil until the cheese melts, then top with a slice of tomato and a sprinkling of caraway seeds. Health bonus: Rich in calcium. Ann Stratton  6\. Parmesan Pita Crisps Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan evenly over a 4-inch whole-wheat pita. Dust pita with ¼ teaspoon dried oregano and broil until the cheese browns. Cut into quarters. Health bonus: Good balance of protein, fat, and fiber. (MORE: 12 Easy Snacks for Kids) Ann Stratton  7\. Creamy Feta-Walnut Dip Place 2 cups plain nonfat yogurt in a sieve lined with a coffee filter. Let stand in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight. Discard the liquid and spoon the thickened yogurt into a small bowl. Add ¾ cup (3 ounces) crumbled Feta cheese, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted walnuts, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon hot sauce. Mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Makes 1½ cups. Pair Feta-Walnut Dip with cherry tomatoes, a whole-wheat pita, or baby carrots. Health bonus: An easy way to get calcium, protein, and monounsaturated fat. Ann Stratton  8\. Edamame Grab a handful of frozen shelled soybeans and run them under steaming-hot water for a quick thaw. For a tangy twist, add a spritz of lemon. Health bonus: Contains 8 grams of fiber and lots of cholesterol-lowering soy protein. (MORE: 10 Easy Kale Recipes) Ann Stratton  9\. Fresh Vegetables With Dressing Slice a cucumber into strips and place on a plate with baby carrots or baby corn. Dip in a lower-fat dressing, such as Annie's Naturals Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette or Trader Joe's Carrot-Ginger. Health bonus: Fiber-rich and very low-calorie. (MORE: Which Halloween Candy Is Healthier?) Ann Stratton ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Should you drink red wine? It's your lucky day. All five of our experts give red wine a purple stained smile. A standard pour has 125 calories, so it's lighter than beer and mixed drinks, says Julia Zunpano. And of course it's packed with antioxidants. Alcohol is actually good for you if you drink it moderately. Drinking alcohol is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality compared to drinking too much or drinking not at all says Luigi Ferrucci. Ferrucci. Red wine might be particularly beneficial, but some recent studies suggest that we shouldn't give the famous compound resveratrol all the credit. There's likely not enough of it to make a difference, says resveratrol researcher Juan Carlos Espin. But we do know is that David Katz. Is that drinking habitually but moderately is part of the Mediterranean diet and linked to a long life. Just ask cardiologist James O'Keefe who loves red wine for its ability to lower the risk of coronary artery disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure and stroke. His grandmother Dorothy lived to be be 103, and she enjoyed the happy hour drink every night. The key to a long healthy life, Dorothy O'Keefe used to say, is to not drink too much. But then again, don't drink too little either. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3485212/9-healthy-predinner-snacks/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3485212/9-healthy-predinner-snacks/"},"headline":"9 Healthy Predinner Snacks","datePublished":"2014-10-20T12:10:20.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:44:27.199Z","description":"Dinner's at eight, but you just can't wait. 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