Healthy snacks do not have to be limited to an apple or a banana, here are some tips for more interesting healthy snacks.

Make your own fill sandwich bags with chopped carrots, celery, peppers, or any other crunchy vegetables.

Invest in a set of small plastic boxes for chopped fresh fruit, strawberries, grapes or cherries.

Rice cakes and crispbreads can be spread with low fat cream cheese or try mashed banana and then pile sliced fruit on top.

It takes just a few minutes each morning to prepare healthy snacks for the day but don't worry if you are too busy. Just keep well stocked up on some of the suggestions below and you can just grab and go!

Sample the wide variety of dried fruit now available in many snack size packs.

Enjoy nuts as an excellent snack food, but avoid salted ones.

Small tins of fruit with ring pulls make refreshing snacks, but choose the ones in fruit juice rather than in syrup.

Bread items such as bagels and current teacakes are great snacks, eat with a hot drink and you don't need to use butter.

So remember when it comes to snack time you don't have to undo all the benefits of eating a healthy diet, just make your snack a healthy one. For more information and advice about healthy living, contact Heart Research on 0113 297 6205 or email lifestyle@heartresearch.org.uk.