Eating Healthy Snacks

Is it healthy to snack?

Americans say they are very concerned about nutrition. Most people understand that too much fat in their food can cause health problems. However, many admit that their diets are not balanced and are too high in fat and sugar. When you are rushed and hungry between meals, it is often easiest to grab a candy bar or chips and a soda. Sometimes you may even eat these types of foods for meals because they don’t require the time it takes to sit down and eat a healthy meal.

We are now seeing the consequences of poor eating habits. More and more children and adults are becoming obese. We can see that we need to choose our foods more wisely and take time to plan our meals and snacks. Snacking can be healthy and often more desirable then eating just 3 meals a day if it is done the right way.

Do some people need to snack more than others?

If your meals are not oversized and your snacks are usually healthy, you can enjoy snacking without feeling guilty. In fact, some people need to snack in order to get enough calories.

• Infants and toddlers need to snack because they have such high energy demands and small stomachs.
• Teenagers who are growing fast also need to snack because they need more calories and nutrients for their growth spurts.
• Athletes need to snack to meet their increased energy demands. Carbohydrates (stored as a substance called glycogen in the liver and muscles) are used up during exercise and must be replenished.
• People with very strenuous professions may perform better if they eat more often throughout the day to maintain a high energy level.
• People who may not have time to sit down for a meal should snack so they don't have an energy letdown in the late afternoon.
• People who don't eat breakfast should carry a snack with them so they will have the energy to focus on their work or other activities.

If you do not fit into one of these categories, it is still OK to snack on healthy foods and an occasional treat. Just be careful to limit high-calorie, high-fat foods such as candy bars and ice cream so you can avoid unwanted weight gain and increased health risks.

What kinds of snacks are healthy?

You can use snacks to help you reach the goal of eating foods from all food groups every day.

The 6 food groups are:

• meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts, eggs
• grains
• fruits
• vegetables
• milk, cheese, yogurt
• fats (avoid saturated and trans fats).

For example, if all you had for breakfast was a bowl of cereal with low-fat milk and you get hungry at 10 AM, pick a snack from the food groups that you missed. Because you had only 2 of the 6 food groups for breakfast, you should pick a snack from 1 or more of the other 4, like fruits, fruit juice, vegetables, peanut butter on celery, almonds, or hard-boiled eggs.

Listed below are healthy snacks that are low in saturated fat and contain about 100 to 120 calories:

• 1 medium apple or any round fresh fruit
• 18 small pretzel twists
• 10 multigrain honey graham mini rice cakes
• 18 white cheddar soy crisps
• 2 whole-grain white cheddar or butter popcorn rice cakes (natural flavor, light salt)
• 1/2 small (2 ounces) whole-wheat bagel with fat-free cream cheese
• 3 cups of air-popped or low-fat microwave popcorn
• baby carrots or broccoli and cauliflower tops with low-fat or nonfat dressings for dipping (2 cups raw vegetables and 1/2 cup nonfat creamy dressing)
• celery with nonfat cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of raisins or dried cranberries
• 1 cup (8 ounces) of 1% or nonfat (skim) milk
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
• 6 to 8 oz carton of light yogurt (sweetened with NutraSweet or Splenda)
• 4 to 5 vanilla wafers
• 5 to 6 saltine crackers (also available with low sodium)
• 1 and 1/2 graham crackers
• 1/2 cup of low-fat ice cream
• 2 tablespoons of raisins
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce
• 1 fruit roll-up
• 1 fruit juice bar.

Below are healthy snacks also low in saturated fat and containing about 160 and 220 calories:

• 1 large banana or 2 medium servings of fresh fruit
• 1 cup of multigrain Cheerios with 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 1 small whole-wheat bagel (4 ounces) with fat-free cream cheese
• 1 mozzarella cheese stick (part-skim) with 1 cup of fruit chunks and 6 to 8 low-fat, whole-wheat crackers
• 1/2 turkey and low-fat Swiss cheese sandwich with mustard
• about 6 homemade breaded and baked chicken breast nuggets
• 1 low-fat granola bar
• 4-oz fruit cup and 1 cup of nonfat milk
• 1 cup of sugar-free pudding
• 1/4 cup dried fruit
• 2 caramel corn rice cakes
• 1 cereal bar
• 1 oz of baked tortilla chips with 1/4 cup salsa
• 15 baked potato chips
• 14 animal crackers and 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 2 fig cookies and 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 1 cup (8 ounces) of low-fat or nonfat chocolate milk (regular sugar sweetened).

Can I eat high-fat, high-calorie foods sometimes?

Indulging once in a while is normal and healthy. If you swear off all sweets and high-fat foods, you may start craving them and start overeating. Instead, sit down and enjoy the taste and pleasure of eating a high-fat, high-calorie snack now and then. If guilt overcomes you or you want to enjoy this kind of snack more often, prepare for the extra calories and fat by skipping an extra serving of food at dinner or by exercising a little longer. The fear of having to give up a favorite snack is one of the reasons many Americans exercise. You can have your cake and eat it, too, as long as you also stay active.