How to Make Better Snack Choices and Eat Healthy

Snacking is a way of life for many of us. It can help tide us over to the next meal if we're running late, give kids a boost after school, or supplement meals for those who, for health reasons, need to eat frequently. But not all of us make the best choices in our snacking habits.

It has been recommended snacks be included in a healthy eating plan. Snacking reduces the time between meals, and helps reduce the size of those main meals. It can help maintain a feeling of fullness throughout the day, reduce overeating by avoiding extreme hunger, and help maintain consistent blood sugar levels and metabolism.

But there are pitfalls in snacking if we blindly reach for the nearest vending machine offering. This article offers some steps on choosing better snacks for a healthy eating plan.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Plan ahead. Make snacking a routine part of your day so you're not blindsided by hunger and grabbing the first thing the vending machine offers. Pack what you need in individual serving sizes and keep a stash in your desk drawer.

2. Stick to natural. Stock up on fruits and vegetables that you like. Most of these are portable, and have the benefit of providing fiber and vitamins, plus fantastic flavor.
   
   Add variety by using yogurt or hummus as a dip, or spreading a tablespoon of peanut butter on a slice of apple or celery.

3. Look for the least amount of processing in your snacks. Try whole grain crackers with peanut butter, hummus on whole wheat pita, or a handful of raisins or dried fruit.
   
   Avoid snacks made with white flour, white bread, or highly processed snacks, such as those containing processed cheese spreads. You'll get far more sodium, calories and preservatives than if you had whole wheat crackers and a slice of real cheese.

4. Read the labels on pre-packaged snacks. If you do get the crackers or chips from the vending machine, read the serving size. Many snacks that appear to be single serving sized are actually two or more servings. If you eat the entire package, you'll be getting two to three times the amount of calories, fat or carbs you think you are.

5. Add the right drink to your snacks. It's tempting to grab a soda or juice with your snack. Stick with water, or tea, to avoid adding extra calories to your daily intake. Juice can be very high in sugar, adding basically empty extra calories.
   
   If you really crave juice, look for unsweetened brands, or mix your juice with water or seltzer to reduce extra calories.

Tips & Warnings

• The best advice is to keep snacks around 200 to 250 calories and make sure your next meal is that many less calories, to avoid over-eating.
• Check the sodium content of crackers. Many are high in sodium and preservatives. Avoid those and stick to lower sodium varieties.
• Green tea is a good drink for a healthy eating plan. It's good for you, comes in flavored varieties and has tons of antioxidants. It can help add to a feeling of fullness too. Just don't go overboard with sweetening it. It also can help reduce bad breath over time, another reason to give it a try.
• If you have a chronic health condition such as diabetes, check with your health care provider, or a dietitian before you make any significant changes to your eating plan.

[sbarry77]

on 10/27/2009 Great tips on healthy snacking! 5*

[rickmac]

on 10/12/2009 Good sound advice. I find if I'm still hungry after a small meal, a tasty low calorie snack quells my hunger.

[nanamusicgirl]

on 10/3/2009 Very good writing!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
5 stars.