Most of us like snack foods. Unfortunately all processed snacks are unhealthy. Any that are fried, refined, and sugary will have unwanted effects on your cholesterol metabolism. But there are some that are downright healthy.
Many nuts and seeds contain large amounts of plant compounds called phytosterols. These can reduce cholesterol and improve the health of your arteries.
A study analyzed the content of the 27 nuts and seeds most commonly consumed in the U.S. Sesame seeds and wheat germ were the richest source of phytosterols (400-413 mg/100gm product). Brazil nuts and walnuts ranked the lowest in the study. The very commonly consumed snacks pistachios and sunflower kernels were quite rich (270-289mg/100gm).
You can snack and enjoy health benefits at the same time. Whole nuts and seeds, preferably organic, raw, and soaked overnight, beat chips by light years. However, keep fat calories to 10% or less of total calories a day.
Ref: Phillips, K.M., D.M. Ruggio, and M. Ashraf-Khorassani. Phytosterol composition of nuts and seeds commonly consumed in the United States, J Agric Food Chem., 2005; 53(24): 9436-45