For most people, wanting a snack at least once during the day is inevitable. Even if you eat a hearty breakfast and lunch, it will definitely happen. Sometimes we crave snacks because we are really hungry. Other times, we may be bored, stressed or just want something to connect.
It’s definitely not bad to have a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, even if it’s something you do every day. In fact, an article published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition he says that having one or two snacks a day can be even more nutritious than having three meals a day and no snacks. This is because having a snack or two during the day can prevent overeating during meals, which puts less stress on the digestive and metabolic systems.
Of course, it all comes down to what you decide to snack on. We asked three gastroenterologists for their recommendations on what snacks to eat—and what snacks to avoid—when it comes to snacking for gut health. Read on to find out what they said.
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The One Meal a Gastroenterologist Wants Everyone to Avoid
“As a gastroenterologist, the only snack I want people to get away from is ultra-processed chips, [specifically] fried chips that come in misleading bags with a long list of ingredients that includes refined starches, industrial oils, artificial flavors, ‘cheese powder’ and preservatives,” she says Dr. Jason Korenblit, MD, gastroenterologist and digestive expert with Just Answer.
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Dr. Korenblit explains that chips are a textbook example of ultra-processed food, which he says can have a negative impact on gut health. “Diets high in ultra-processed foods are consistently linked to worse gut health, inflammatory bowel disease, IBS and colorectal cancer as well as obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” he says.
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He explains that if someone eats chips once in a while, it’s not such a big deal. But if someone eats chips every day, it will have a negative impact on the gut in a few ways.
“Your gut bacteria live on fiber and resistant starch, the parts of plant food that we don’t fully digest. When you mostly snack on chips, which are almost fiber-free, you’re breastfeeding you but no of them. High-fiber diets, in contrast, support a diverse and resilient microbiota and production of short-chain fatty acids like butyrate, which reduce inflammation and strengthen the gut barrier,” says Dr. Korenblit, adding that snacking on nutrient-empty chips over time can lead to less gut benefit and increase inflammation (caused by high-inflammatory bacteria that create a temperature of high inflammation).
“Emerging data suggest that some emulsifiers and additives can disrupt the mucus layer that protects the intestinal wall and alter the microbiome in ways that promote inflammation and increased gut permeability,” he continues, adding that this is associated with IBS. “This doesn’t mean that one serving of chips will ‘destroy your gut,’ but regular exposure can nudge the system toward low-grade inflammation over the years,” he says.
Another Common ‘Cure’ To Avoid For Gut Health
Pairing your chips with soda can negatively impact your gut even more. “I wish we could eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages,” she says Dr. Trisha Pasricha, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, director of the Institute for Gut-Brain Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and author of the following book, You’ve Been Pooping All Wrongsaid they have been identified as a risk factor for early-onset colorectal cancer.
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Gut Healthy Snacks To Eat Instead
If you want to support your gut, clearly having a daily snack of chips and soda is out. What should you snack on instead? Dr. Paul Feuerstadt, MD, FACG, AGAF, gastroenterologist, member of the board of directors at the Peggy Lillis Foundation and associate clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine, recommends choosing unprocessed foods that have a lot of fiber.
For example, some snacks Dr. Feuerstadt recommends are nuts, berries and legume-based snacks, such as hummus or crunchy chickpeas. He explains that these snacks support gut health in their own unique ways, including by increasing the amount of diverse and beneficial bacteria in the gut.
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“Personally, I keep a jar of almonds in my office. Nuts are high in protein and fiber, so they keep you satisfied and nourished,” says Dr. Pasricha.
Dr. Feuerstadt and Dr. Korenblit agree that yogurt is a great snack for gut health as well, due to its high probiotic content.
“Yogurt with live, active cultures provides beneficial bacteria, also known as probiotics, which can help support a healthy microbiome and can reduce inflammation and dysbiosis [imbalance]. Regular intake of yogurt has been associated with favorable changes in gut microbes and a lower risk of certain colorectal cancers,” says Dr. Korenblit, explaining that pairing your yogurt with nuts and berries provides additional gut-supporting benefits. He also adds that it makes yogurt more satiating, due to unsaturated fats, fiber and proteins.
Supporting your gut health through your snack choices doesn’t mean eating “perfectly” or never enjoying chips, soda, or other ultra-processed foods and drinks.
“Don’t aim for perfection. Aim to build a healthier eating model. Your health will see greater gains if you make changes that you actually enjoy and can stick with for years, rather than changes that you hate and stop after two intense and horrible weeks,” says Dr. Pasicha.
To make healthy snacking easier, stock your kitchen with nutrient-dense, grab-and-go options that experts have shared before, like yogurt, berries, nuts, crunchy chickpeas or hummus and veggies. Not only will you be supporting your gut, but you’ll feel fuller than if you ate a few chips.
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Sources:
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Dr. Jason Korenblit, MD, gastroenterologist and digestive expert with Just Answer
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Dr. Paul Feuerstadt, MD, FACG, AGAF, a gastroenterologist who is a member of the board of directors at the Peggy Lillis Foundation and an associate clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine
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Marangoni, F., Martini, D., Scaglioni, S., et al. (2019). Snacking in nutrition and health.International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 70(8): 909-923
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Rondinella, D., Raoul, PC, Valeriani, E., et al. (2025). The Detrimental Impact of Ultra-Processed Foods on the Human Gut Microbiome and the Gut Barrier. Nutrients. 17(5):859
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Juul, F., Vaidean, G., and Parekh, N. (2021). Ultra-processed Foods and Cardiovascular Disease: Potential Mechanisms of Action. Advances in Nutrition. 12(5):1673-1680
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Zhang, X., Albanes, D., Beeson, WL, et al. (2010). Colon Cancer Risk and Coffee, Tea, and Sugar-Sweetened Soft Drink Consumption: A Pooled Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 102(11):771-783
This story was originally published by Parade on 20 December 2025, where it first appeared in the Health and Wellness section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.