Summer is just around the corner, bringing warm weather and pool-side lounging, and of course, the need for refreshing snacks.

But, in order to maintain our fit physiques during swim-wear season, these snacks need to be healthy. Here are some nutrient-dense options that leave out the sugar while still packing a particularly powerful flavor punch.

Freshman Lucienne Aziz-Mahoney loves using her extra time to experiment with new snacks. “I’m trying to be more healthy but make snacks that still taste good. It’s important that we don’t let ourselves eat large amounts of fat and sugar since the amount of exercise we get is a lot less than normal,” said Mahoney.

Mango Banana Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 banana
½ cup frozen or fresh mango
¼ cup strawberries
1 scoop protein powder (optional)
1 cup milk of your choice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Add all ingredients into a blender and mix to the preferred consistency. If needed, add some water. Enjoy right away or put in the freezer for an hour to make sorbet.

Frozen Grapes
1 bag of seedless grapes (either green or purple)
1 half lemon (for juice)
Rinse and cut each grape in half, then place them into a bowl. Juice the lemon on top of the cut grapes and place into the freezer for 2 hours. They taste just like bite-sized popsicles!

Yogurt Parfait
1 cup yogurt of your choice (can be Greek or regular)
Desired amount of toasted oats
Fruit of your choice (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc)
Fill a bowl with yogurt. Add the oats on top and mix in the berries. Either chill or eat immediately.

According to Mayo Clinic, “Antioxidants are substances that may protect your cells against free radicals, which may play a role in heart disease, cancer and other diseases.”

Luckily, fruits are an easy way to add antioxidants into your diet, and the best part is, they taste good. Mangoes produce a type of antioxidant called beta-carotene (which is responsible for the intake of Vitamin A) and grapes contain anthocyanins which is an anti-inflammatory antioxidant.

The recipes listed above fill our bodies with important vitamins that we need to keep ourselves healthy, especially during this time. Plus, they taste just like summer!