Smart Snacking!

Make snacks work for you by choosing nutrient-rich foods from the grains, fruit, vegetable, dairy and protein food groups. Snacks can boost your energy between meals and supply essential vitamins and minerals. There is a place for snacks in a healthy eating plan. Just choose wisely:

• Think of snacks as mini-meals that contribute nutrient-rich foods. You can fit snack calories into your personal healthy eating plan without over-spending your day’s calorie budget.
• Snack only when you’re hungry. Skip the urge to nibble when you’re bored, frustrated or stressed. Feed the urge to do something by walking the dog or working in the garden.
• Keep portion control in mind. Have a single-serve container of yogurt or put a small serving of nuts in a bowl. Eating directly from a multiple-serving package can lead to overeating.
• Plan snacks ahead of time. Keep a variety of nutritious ready-to-eat supplies on hand, such as whole-grain crackers and low-fat cheese.

Get creative with the following snack suggestions by swapping out different fruits, vegetables and grains to keep your snacking exciting!

 Snacks with 200 calories or less: 

• One tablespoon peanut butter spread on slices of a medium apple
• One cup tomato soup with five whole-grain crackers
• Three cups air-popped popcorn sprinkled with three tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• Small baked potato topped with salsa and1 ounce low-fat cheese
• Toaster waffle topped with ½ cup blueberries and 2 tablespoons low-fat yogurt
• Six whole-wheat crackers and one slice low-fat Colby cheese
• Fruit smoothie: Blend 1 cup fat-free milk ½ cup frozen strawberries and ½ banana
• One 6-inch flour tortilla with ¼ cup black beans and 2 tablespoons fresh salsa
• Quick-to-fix salad: 2 cups mixed greens with ½ cup mandarin oranges, 1 tablespoon sliced almonds and 2 tablespoons reduced-fat dressing
• Mini-sandwich: Whole-grain dinner roll with 1 slice deli turkey, 1 slice low-fat cheese and mustard
• Snacks with 200 to 300 calories for
• Tri-color veggie snack: 6 baby carrots, 10 sugar snap peas (or green pepper strips), 6 cherry tomatoes and 2 tablespoons reduced-fat ranch dressing for dipping

Snacks with 200 to 300 calories for active adults, teens and athletes:
Refuel between meals or after a work-out with these higher-calorie snacks. Watch serving sizes to stay within the range of 200 to 300 calories.

• Whole wheat pita cut into wedges with 2 tablespoons hummus for a dip
• Yogurt parfait: Layer 6 ounces fat-free yogurt, ½ cup berries and ¼ cup granola
• Trail mix: Mix 20 almonds, miniature box of raisins, and ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• Instant oatmeal made with fat-free milk with 1 tablespoon honey, ½ cup sliced peaches and dash of cinnamon
• One 4-ounce fat-free, ready-to-eat vanilla pudding with ½ cup fresh fruit and 5 vanilla wafers
• Veggie pizzas: Split whole wheat English muffin. Top with 2 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese, ½ cup diced fresh veggies and one ounce low-fat mozzarella cheese
• Cinnamon-raisin mini-bagel spread with one tablespoon peanut butter
• Hot chocolate made with low-fat or fat-free milk and a small oatmeal cookie
• Whole-grain toaster waffle with 1 ½ tablespoons chocolate-flavored hazelnut spread
• Banana split: banana sliced length-wise topped with ½ cup frozen yogurt and a tablespoon of chopped nuts

Information from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association). The Academy is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals and is committed to improving the nation's health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org.

Fats: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

Fats get a bad rap, but your body actually needs certain fats to survive. In the body, fats provide energy, encourage cell growth, help protect your organs, keep your body warm, absorb some nutrients and produce hormones (2). 

Fats are perceived in a negative light because they are often to blame for weight gain. At 9 calories per gram, fats are the most concentrated source of energy (carbohydrates and proteins both provide  4 calories per gram). 

Fats are divided into three groups: unsaturated fats (the good), saturated fats (the bad), and trans fats (the ugly).

• The Good: The unsaturated fat group contains monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. These types of fats can actually help decrease your risk of heart disease (1). They help lower cholesterol levels and can be found in avocados, olive oil, and nuts. Fats are measured in your blood by cholesterol levels and triglycerides, which is usually a direct reflection of your dietary intake. Keeping your cholesterol  levels within the normal range is important to prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. These fats are often termed “heart healthy” because they help to raise good cholesterol levels (HDL) and decrease bad cholesterol levels (LDL). Researchers found that an increase of 5% in polyunsaturated fat to replace saturated fat intake, resulted in a 10% decreased risk of developing coronary heart disease (3).
• The Bad & The Ugly: Saturated and trans fats, raise “bad” cholesterol and decrease “good” cholesterol levels (1).  These types of fats can be found in meat, fried foods, cakes, butter, biscuits, muffins, and some processed food. How do you know if a food has trans fat? Look for "partially hydrogenated oil" in the ingredients on the food label.

Because fats are a concentrated source of calories, they should be limited, but certainly not avoided.  About 30% of your total calories for the day should come from fats, which equates to about 6-8 teaspoons per day.  For a 2,000 calorie diet, that is about 600 calories or about 65-70 grams. 

So how do you ensure you’re eating enough of the good fats and not too much of the bad fats?  Of course sticking to whole grains, lean protein sources, low fat dairy, and plenty of fruits and vegetables will help you keep your fat intake on tract. 

 

 

Take Home Messages:

• Make most of your fat intake from “good” fat sources such as salmon, olive oil, canola oil, nuts
• Choose low-fat dairy: drink fat-free or 1% milk, choose low-fat cheeses, yogurt and cream
• Choose lean cuts of protein such as turkey, chicken, pork loin, beef tenderloin, lean ground beef, fish and legumes choose meat that is baked, broiled or grilled and not fried
• Switch to low-fat condiments such as low-fat or fat-free salad dressings and mayonnaise
• Limit cream based foods such as alfredo sauce and cream based soups
• Decrease your portion of fried foods; choose baked or grilled varieties instead
• Switch from cooking with butter to cooking with oil, specifically olive, canola oil or peanut oil
• Look at nutrition labels- if most of the fat source is saturated fat, limit your portion.

 

Sources:

1. American Diabetes Association, American Dietetic Association.  Choose your foods: Exchange list for diabetes. ADA 2008.

2. American Heart Association.  Fats 101. Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/Fats-101_UCM_304494_Article.jsp.  Accessed on June 26, 2012.

3. Mozaffarian, D, Micha, R, Wallace, S.  Saturated Fat: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.  Plos Medline. 2010: 7(3).