I'm a dietitian and these are four healthy snacks I love at Trader Joe's

Cassandra Lepore, a registered dietitian from New York, opts for the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Popcorn and Dark Chocolate Bamba snacks

Cassandra Lepore, a registered dietitian from New York, shared four of her favorite healthy snacks from the popular grocery store Trader Joe's.

Ms Lepore frequently posts videos on TikTok to her 43,000 followers offering nutritional and lifestyle advice.

In one, the dietitian highlighted products at Trader Joe's that ranged from quinoa chips to dark chocolate snacks for when you need to satisfy your sweet tooth without feeling too guilty.

In a video posted in December, she selected her top picks and encouraged viewers to screenshot and save the video for their next trip to the store.

The first snack Ms Lepore highlighted was Extra Virgin Olive Oil Popcorn. 

She said: 'Popcorn is a decent source of fiber and it's hard to find a popcorn that's made with extra virgin olive oil.'

For a 28g serving, the popcorn offers three grams of fiber, which is 13 percent of the advised daily value.

The recommended amount of fiber per day is 25 to 30g and the ingredient is particularly important for digestion and quelling hunger.  

'Popcorn is a decent source of fiber,' said Ms Lepore, 'and it's hard to find a popcorn that's made with extra virgin olive oil'

As for the extra virgin olive oil, this version is the least processed type of olive oil, meaning it has retained the most natural antioxidants and vitamins, which are usually lost during processing.

Ms Lepore recommended pairing the popcorn with nuts, dried fruit or dark chocolate chips for a balanced snack.

In addition to its fiber content, popcorn is a good source of polyphenols - antioxidants that have been linked to improved blood circulation and digestive health. 

They have also been linked to a lower risk of certain cancers, according to the American Heart Association.

Next in her shopping cart are Organic Dark Chocolate Half-Coated Rice Cake Thins.

Ms Lepore said: 'These are a pretty great balanced sweet treat on their own because they contain a good portion of both carbs and fat.

'I gravitate towards these whenever I need a midday chocolate fix.'

'These are also a great sweet treat to have either during the day or when you need a little sweetness after dinner,' Ms Lepore said

Per a serving of two rice cakes, the snack offers 14 grams of carbs - five percent of the daily recommendation - and two grams of dietary fiber, seven percent of the daily advised amount.

The rice cake is also made of organic brown rice, which is a whole grain.

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Researchers from the US have created the Food Compass, which, they say, is the most comprehensive system ever devised to assess the nutrition content of what we eat. 

Whole-grains are considered superior to other types of carbohydrates due to their high quantity of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients.

For another healthy chocolate fix, Ms Lepore suggested the Dark Chocolate Bamba snacks - puffed peanuts and corn dipped on one side in dark chocolate.

They contain just five ingredients: peanut butter, corn grits, sunflower oil, salt and dark chocolate.

'These are also a great sweet treat to have either during the day or when you need a little sweetness after dinner,' Ms Lepore said.

Similarly to the rice cakes, the Bamba snacks have 15 grams of carbohydrates and two grams of dietary fiber.

Dark chocolate is considered the healthiest version of the candy - over milk and white chocolate - as it is rich in plant chemicals called flavanols, which are antioxidants linked to a lower risk of heart disease. 

Lastly, Ms Lepore picked out Quinoa and Black Bean Tortilla Chips.

She said: 'I'm always hyping these up on my page.

'They're a decent source of fiber and they pair well with dips, melted cheese or avocado for a balanced snack.'

Like the popcorn, the chips are another smart choice for a healthy serving of fiber, containing three grams - or 13 percent - per 28g serving. 

The fiber in quinoa helps maintain healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Quinoa is considered a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids that the body can't produce on its own.

It is rich in antioxidants, which can prevent damage to your heart and other organs, and the grain has also been associated with reducing the risk of some cancers, preventing anemia and reducing inflammation.