Advertisement But how healthy are the snacks?
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They may take the edge off hunger, but they also may add more calories and fat than you really want or need, said Linda Lee, nutrition manager for the La Crosse County Health Department.
Lee said people should think about four or five healthier snacks to help them get through the day.
“We often don’t think about what we’re putting in our mouths when we’re really hungry and then we turn to a big candy bar,” Lee said. “I’m a firm believer that you should be able have those treats like a candy bar once in a while, but it’s not something you should have every day.”
She suggests making plans for snacks and bringing them to work. “I think you need to build snacks into your day,” Lee said. “Snacks can keep you from eating too much at meals. If you’re starving by lunch or dinner, you tend to eat more than you should or your body needs.”
But, Lee said, the snacks should be portioned out ahead of time. “Don’t bring a big box or whole bag of something because you will tend to eat more than a healthy portion,” she said.
With summer vacation around the corner, parents should have prepackaged snacks and fresh fruit available for their children, Lee said.
Lee has compiled a guide for smart snacking. She says if you use one of these tips every two weeks, you’ll have a healthier year.
ABCs OF SMART SNACKING
A: Almonds. A handful of almonds makes a great snack. While nuts are high in calories, a handful won’t break the calorie bank and packs a nutritional punch. Their high fat content turns out to be over 66 percent monounsaturated fat (the kind that helps reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol) and they’re also high in calcium, vitamin E, and fiber.
B: Baked snack foods. Rather than regular chips, try the baked variety.
C: Contribution. Make sure your snacks contribute to your daily food needs. Need more calcium-rich foods because you’re not a big milk drinker? Try string cheese or yogurt for a healthy snack that’s packed with bone-building calcium.
D: Dried fruit. Use dried fruit for a grab-and-go healthy snack that soothes your sweet tooth. Try dried blueberries, cherries or apricots.
E: Evening snack attacks? Are you starved when you get home and munch all the way through early evening until you eat dinner? You may have just eaten the equivalent of two dinners instead of one. Keep some fresh veggies to snack on while you make dinner.
F: Fiber. Use snacks as a way to add fiber to your diet. Fiber-rich foods take longer to digest so you’re not hungry as quickly. Try whole grain crackers, whole grain bread sticks or veggies with refried beans as a dip.
G: Grab and go ideas: Put pre-portioned snacks in bags and store them in a cupboard, on the counter or on a shelf in the refrigerator for kids to grab and go after school. Try baby carrots, grapes or celery with individual containers of dip, whole grain crackers such as Triscuits or Animal Crackers.
H: Two hours. Leave two hours between your snack and your next meal to avoid spoiling your appetite.
I: Ice cream. While not an everyday snack, ice cream can be a healthy snack. Remember portion size is important here (a regular 6-ounce coffee cup works great as a container as it keeps your portion small), or try the light varieties or single servings of ice cream sandwiches made from ice milk.
J: Juice. Look for 100 percent juice on the label and keep your intake to eight ounces or less daily. Juice has lots of natural sugar so while good for you, too much can hurt your teeth and your waistline. For portion control, try juice boxes.
K: Keep candy and such off your desk. Desktop dining can be dangerous to your waistline because you can easily lose track of what you’re eating. Bring a snack to work each day rather than keeping a stash in or on your desk. This way you can plan your snacking and it has more chance to make a contribution to your daily intake.
L: Be a “label detective.” Look at the label of your favorite snack foods. What’s in them? What equals a portion?
M: Microwave popcorn can make a great snack. Share the larger bags with a friend or look for the new 100-calorie individual serving size.
N: Make your own nachos. Use baked chips as the base, top with black beans, your favorite salsa and sprinkle with low-fat shredded jack cheese.
O: One hundred or 200 calorie snacks so you don’t spoil your appetite for your upcoming meal.
P: Protein. The ideal snack combines protein and carbohydrate. The carbohydrate food gives you quick energy while the protein has staying power and keeps you full longer. Try fresh cut veggies (carbohydrate) with Hummus (protein) or a handful of nuts (protein) with a piece of fruit (carbohydrate).
Q: Quick snack. Think of these as the original fast food — fresh fruit, baby carrots and bottled ranch dressing, string cheese and whole-wheat crackers require no preparation.
R: Be a role model. Children copy what they see. If you want the next generation to eat well, the adults around them need to model healthy eating habits. If we snack well, they will too.
S: Sodium. Most of us eat far more sodium each day than we need. Try keeping the amount of sodium in the foods you eat equal to the number of calories in that food. So if your bag of pretzels is 140 calories, choose pretzels with a sodium content close to 140 milligrams.
T: Two food groups for a healthy snack provide a more nutritional punch.
U: Unwind without eating. Avoid mindless munching by being active to relieve stress. Take a brisk walk, listen to music or call a friend to fight off snacking because you’re bored.
V: Veggies and dip make a great, low-calorie snack that helps you meet your goal of four to six cups of fruits and veggies each day.
W: Water. Drink water for thirst rather than pop or highly sugared sports drinks.
X: Explore. Use snacks to try new foods you’ve not tried before. Try some of the more unusual fruits or a new item in the store that sounds interesting. Stick with the least processed as they will probably be lower in sodium and fat.
Y: Yogurt. Look for low-fat or fat-free varieties that provide you with 20 percent or more of your daily calcium requirement.
Z: Zone in on healthy vending options. More and more vending companies are giving their customers healthier options. Look for baked snack foods, flavored pretzels, granola bars, low-fat microwave popcorn, diet pop or calorie-free flavored waters or teas in our break room vending machines.
