Sometimes snacking gets a bad rap.

And it’s understandable, given the poor quality of most of the “snack foods” piled onto grocery store shelves. With ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, refined white flour, and a rainbow of artificial colors and flavors, these items probably shouldn’t even be classified as food.

But snacking is actually an important tool and component of any healthy diet. A nutritious, appropriately-timed snack can help keep blood sugar and energy levels more constant, keep your metabolism stoked, and prevent you from becoming ravenous between meals (setting you up for over-eating later).

So if you’re going to snack, why not make it count? Here are 7 superfood snacks, packed with the good stuff, to help tide you over between meals.

1. Power Snacks/Chunks of Energy: Navitas Naturals makes 3 delicious varieties of their gluten-free, organic, raw, vegan Power Snacks – Cacao Goji, Blueberry Hemp, and Citrus Chia. Chunks of Energy also come in a couple of tasty vegan flavors, including Cha Cha Chia, Carob Banana, and Carob Super Greens. Both snacks are made from dried fruit and nuts, with no refined sweeteners.
2. Goji Berries: These little red berries have a mild sweetness and satisfying, chewy texture that make them great for snacking! A 1 oz. serving has just 100 calories, 3 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 140% of your daily value for Vitamin A! Try Navitas Naturals, Sunfood, or Himalania brands.
3. Goldenberries: Goldenberries are a great source of Vitamin A and fiber, and have just 80 calories per 1 oz. serving. With a soft, chewy texture and sweet/tart flavor, they’re perfect for snacking right out of the bag. Sunfood, Navitas Naturals, and Rich Nature are 3 popular and widely available brands.
4. Mulberries: Soft and chewy, with a fig-like crunch, mulberries are a good source of iron, calcium, vitamin C, protein, and fiber. Navitas Naturals and Kopali are both great brand options.
5. Nori Sheets: Nori sheets are a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth treat that’s perfect for those salty snack cravings. Sea’s Gift makes Sea Salt, Wasabi, and Sweet flavors, while Annie Chun’s makes Sesame and Wasabi varieties.
6. Pomegranate Seeds: Fresh, dried, or frozen, pomegranate seeds are one power-packed snack! They are high in vitamin C and potassium, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and have even been shown to reduce heart disease risk!
7. Kombucha: Although modern scientific evidence is lacking, ancient cultures have  regarded kombucha as a “health elixir” for centuries. It is thought to have detoxifying properties, improve digestion, boost energy and improve immune function. So drink up! This fizzy tea will surely help tide you over until mealtime.

Image Credit: theogeo/Flickr