Snack Smart

A walk down the aisles of a grocery store can tell you a lot about the way Americans eat. There’s been a boom in snack foods, whose sales are three times what they were 10 years ago. And it’s no wonder. With our on-the-go lifestyles and easy access to tasty food, Americans snack more than anyone else in the world. Three-quarters of us eat at least one snack a day, and a third of us nosh four or more times a day. But is this a healthy way to eat?Snacking’s StrengthsResearch studies that look at the timing of food intake show that people who spread their calories throughout the day instead of eating three square meals derive many health benefits. Their triglyceride levels are lower, their cholesterol levels – especially their “bad” LDL cholesterol levels – are reduced, their blood sugar levels are steadier, and they experience less hunger. These benefits come just from changing when you eat, not what or how much you eat. Having mini-meals seems to be good for you.Stumbling BlocksUnfortunately, most people don’t replace breakfast, lunch and dinner with nutritious mini-meals. Instead, they eat their regular meals and they nibble, too – usually on heavily processed snack foods that are low in nutrients and high in saturated fat, trans fat, sugar, salt and calories. Even those who skip a meal fill up later on less nutritious food. No wonder obesity rates are climbing!It can be hard to adjust our lives to accommodate mini-meals. Lunch hour and dinner hour are well established in our work schedules – and so are the donuts for coffeebreaks. We sleep late on the weekend and go out for a brunch with more calories than breakfast and lunch put together. Dieters exercise their will power by eating lightly all day only to have twice as much at dinner. And when we’re hungry or bored, it’s so easy to grab a handful of snack food or a pre-packaged treat. We need some workable strategies to maintain our weight.Savvy StrategiesIf you can have a series of healthful mini-meals every day, great! Most of us can’t rearrange our lives that much, but we can learn to make more healthful choices. Here are some tips for getting started:• Check your portion sizes. You may be eating healthful foods, but eating too much. If you are snacking, your meals need to be smaller.• Keep a record of what you eat and when you eat it. This will give you a better idea of how much you are actually eating and what time of day you need to have some planned snacks.• Stock up on nutritious foods that you like. Be realistic about it. People eat for taste far more than they eat for nutrition, so choose the most nutritious foods that you will actually eat for a snack. You will probably never snack on broccoli, but you might munch on a fresh apple or baked potato.• Keep nutritious snacks easy to grab. Prepackage homemade snacks, freeze leftovers in small portions to microwave for a mini-meal, divide a package of nuts or crackers into single-serving snackbags. The time it takes to do this will save time later.• Keep meals and snacks simple. People eat more when there is more variety present. It’s fine to fill up on six kinds of vegetables, but don’t offer several tempting high-calorie foods for a single meal or snack.• Stick a list of healthful snacks on the fridge. When you are in a hurry, it will help remind you of good choices.• Young children need to eat frequently because their stomachs are small. Their snacks truly should be mini-meals of highly nutritious food.Super SnacksDon’t let the food industry tell you what a snack is! Mealtime foods tend to be more nutritious, so avoid packaged snack foods, and think mini-meals when you snack.• Soup – Go for noncreamy soups. They are good for you, fill you up, and take a while to eat because they are hot. They’re wonderful sipped from a mug!• Yogurt – High in calcium and protein, yogurt is a satisfying snack. Choose fat-free or lowfat yogurt and mix in your own fruit. Read labels, as some yogurts have a lot of sugar added.• Leftovers – If you serve nutritious dinners, plan on leftovers for a snack.• Half a sandwich – Top a slice of whole grain bread or half pita pocket with lean fixings and munch away.• Baked potato or sweet potato – These are easy to prepare in the office or home.• Oatmeal – This doesn’t have to be a breakfast-only food. Jazz it up with spices and dried fruit.By Cheryl Sullivan, MA, RD.

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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