The Anti-Aging Benefits of Snacking

Boost energy, stay stronger, and even help prevent illness with these tips

By Rachel Meltzer Warren

November 3, 2025

overhead view of white rectangular bowls with various snacks (grapes, blueberries, golden raspberries, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, olives, crackers) and bowls of hummus and yogurt with berries

Baby boomers tend to view snacking as a treat and are less likely to see it as a source of energy than younger generations, according to a recent survey from the International Food Information Council. If you’re grabbing a pastry or a bag of chips, that may be the case. But snacks can be part of a healthy diet if you plan well, says Gretchen Dueñas-Tanbonliong, RDN, associate director of health and wellness at the National Council on Aging.

A Dietary Dilemma

Snacking can help counter a quandary of aging: It’s important to eat enough protein, vitamins, and minerals, but your appetite may decrease.

“Levels of hormones that regulate appetite change as we get older,” Dueñas-Tanbonliong says. For example, cholecystokinin, which sends signals of fullness to the brain, increases, while ghrelin, which triggers hunger, drops.

Some people experience declines in smell or taste. Certain medications—such as some used to treat high blood pressure or cholesterol—can affect taste and smell as well. Digestion also slows down as we age. This can lead to symptoms like acid reflux, bloating, and constipation.

All of these changes may make eating less enjoyable and lead to difficulty in consuming enough nutrient-dense food if you stick to just three squares a day. “Adding healthy snacks can make up for shortfalls in meals,” Dueñas-Tanbonliong says.

6 Smart Snacking Strategies

The key, though, is to practice strategic snacking, not mindless munching. Most of the calories you take in should work hard for your body, says Sandra Arévalo, RDN, director of community health and wellness at Montefiore Nyack Hospital in New York. “Think of a snack as a nutritional supplement to meals,” she says. Use these tips to help you fill nutrition gaps and stay energized.

Add healthy foods you might not get at mealtime. “Fruit with meals is not the norm, for instance,” Arévalo says. So consider a snack as an opportunity to work the vitamins, minerals, and fiber from fruit into your diet. Not getting much dairy in your meals? “Having a yogurt or string cheese will add some calcium.”

Aim for protein and fiber. Both nutrients help give snacks staying power, keeping your blood sugar stable and making you feel satisfied for longer. Fiber also helps with digestion. Men and women older than 50 should aim for 30 grams and 21 grams per day, respectively. A snack with 3 grams or more makes a good contribution.

Muscle mass naturally declines with age. “The only ways to slow its progression are eating adequate protein and strength training,” Dueñas-Tanbonliong says. Experts recommend 25 to 30 grams per meal; aim for at least 5 grams per snack.

For a good protein-fiber pairing, try whole-grain toast with ricotta cheese and pear slices, black bean dip with bell peppers, or Greek yogurt with mango and shredded unsweetened coconut.

Include fruit or vegetables. Most older adults don’t get the daily recommended 1½ to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of veggies. The antioxidants in produce help prevent cell damage linked to conditions like heart disease and cancer, according to Dueñas-Tanbonliong. Produce also offers fiber. When you can, incorporate foods like vitamin C-rich berries, oranges, and bell peppers; lycopene-packed watermelon, pink grapefruit, and strawberries; and beta-carotene-filled mango, spinach, and papaya.

Focus on key nutrients. It can be a challenge to get enough vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D, in particular. Stomach acid production declines with age, and that can affect B12 intake. “As many as 30 percent of adults over the age of 50 have trouble absorbing enough vitamin B12 from food,” Dueñas-Tanbonliong says. A deficiency can lead to fatigue, irritability, and cognitive problems. You can’t increase absorption, but eating more B12-rich foods gives you more chances to boost your intake of the vitamin.

Calcium and vitamin D are important for bone health. Eating too little can contribute to the development of osteoporosis, weak and fragile bones that can make you more susceptible to fractures and falls. Dairy foods like low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, and kefir can pack vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D. Fortified cereal with soy milk, or flaked salmon (tossed with dill and lemon juice for flavor, and served on whole-grain crackers) also provides all three.

Eat hydrating foods. “Not a lot of people know this, but 20 percent of our water intake comes not from beverages but from food,” Dueñas-Tanbonliong says. Try water-rich produce like melon and cucumbers, or snacks you can sip or slurp, like minestrone or tofu miso soup, a blueberry-banana smoothie, or yogurt layered with fruit.

Indulge a little. “It doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach,” Dueñas-Tanbonliong says. Just make a treat healthier by pairing a small serving with a more nutrient-dense food. Try ice cream and berries to boost fiber and antioxidants. Dip a handful of tortilla chips into a blend of salsa and cottage cheese for protein. Or crumble a chocolate chip cookie on yogurt.

Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the October 2025 issue of Consumer Reports On Health.

Rachel Meltzer Warren

Rachel Meltzer Warren, MS, RD, is a freelance writer based in the New York area who contributes to Consumer Reports on food and nutrition topics.