HOMEMAKER’S COLUMN
BY: CHRISTINE PATRICK
COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT
HEALTHY SNACKING
Planned snacks help you stay committed to a healthy diet. If you made a New Year’s resolution to improve your health by losing weight, then you should plan nutrient-rich snacks that balance out your daily menus and provide the most nutrition from calories consumed.
What is a snack? A snack is any food or drinks consumed between meals. It should be smaller than a regular meal but satisfying enough to “tide” you over until the next meal without spoiling your appetite. A snack should be low in fat, sodium, cholesterol, added sugars, and alcohol yet tasty and eye-appealing. Being convenient, quick, and easy to make are added bonuses.
Solid Versus Liquid Snacks: Choose a solid snack over a liquid snack because it satisfies you longer. Research shows that people eat less food at mealtime if they consume a solid snack rather than a liquid snack with the same amount of calories.
When to Snack: To satisfy hunger without spoiling your appetite, eat or drink a small portion two to three hours before a meal. Appropriate portion size is four to six crackers or a piece of fruit. Slice the fruit to make it seem like more food.
Avoid “mindless” snacking when you are bored, frustrated, stressed, or just watching TV. A good alternative is taking a walk, playing with your child, or doing some housework or gardening.
Stock Up on Healthy Snacks: Keep a variety of tasty, nutritious snacks in your pantry, refrigerator, freezer, office desk drawer, car, and anywhere else you need to take the edge off hunger. Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on your kitchen counter. If you have a child, show them where snack foods are kept, and put items on lower shelves within easy reach to help themselves. Having ready-to-eat foods on hand reduces the temptation to eat unhealthy things from vending machines, convenience stores, and fast-food restaurants.
Vegetables and fruits are good snack choices. They are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals yet low in calories. Keep ready-to-eat items, such as fruits and cut-up, raw vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots) easily available. Limit the amount of juice you drink and always choose 100% vegetable juice and 100% unsweetened fruit juice. Most fruit “drinks,” punches, and ades contain only a little juice and lots of added sugar.
Other good snack choices include:
- Low-fat ready-to-eat meats.
- Low-fat cheeses and puddings.
- String cheese.
- Yogurt.
- Pretzels and graham crackers.
Avoid Tempting, High-Calorie Snacks: Do not buy tempting, high-calorie foods filled with fat and calories. If you occasionally must splurge on a “sometimes” snack food (e.g., cookies, candy, chips, or ice cream), then store the food out of sight on a high shelf, in the back of the freezer, or some other inconvenient place.
When a vending machine snack is your only option, choose a single-serving item that is either low in fat or sugar. If you must eat something sweet, skip the candy bar and go for a small bag of peanut M&M’s because the peanuts provide a little protein.
Nutritious Snack Ideas: Here are some healthy snacks that are low in calories, added sugar, and fat. All of them are smart choices from the five food groups in MyPyramid, USDA’s latest food guide pyramid. These food groups include grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meats, and beans.
- peanut butter spread thinly on apple or banana slices
- carrot sticks or other ready-to-eat raw veggies with low-fat dressing or tofu dip
- a small bowl of cereal with low-fat or fat-free milk
- a glass of regular fat-free milk or chocolate milk
- a fruit and yogurt smoothie
- a fortified cereal bar
- a frozen fruit bar
- a cup of canned fruit packed in unsweetened juice
- whole-wheat crackers with bean dip
- hummus (chickpea dip) and pita bread
- salsa and baked tortilla chips
- an ounce of lean deli meat
- a hard-cooked egg
- ¼ cup of nuts
For more healthy snacking tips, visit the Clemson University Home and Garden Information Center on the web at http://hgic.clemson.edu and refer to HGIC 4203, Planning for Snacks.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer
