Be a Smart Snacker

From Cooking Light Magazine

Snacking can be a dietary disadvantage; or a nutritional edge. Here's how to make it work in your favor.

Many nutrition experts often recommend munching between meals to maintain your energy and prevent you from devouring too much at lunch or dinner. But snacking could thwart your ability to manage the size of your middle -- unless, that is, you learn to snack smart.

"Nutrition experts are not wrong about the healthfulness of snacking, but perhaps we haven't been clear that you should have a snack only when your stomach wants it," states Connie Roberts, R.D., a nutritionist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

If you're one of those folks who visit the vending machine, pantry, or convenience store for reasons other than hunger, work on identifying why. Are you bored? Join a book group or call a friend. Tense? Take a lavender bath. Mad? Go out to the driving range and see how far you can hit your boss, er, ball.

Once you learn to snack only when your stomach calls, chances are you will eat less at subsequent meals, Roberts adds. Why? She explains that it takes the food you eat about 20 minutes to start making a dent in your hunger. If you begin a meal ravenous, you may eat so quickly that you've polished off a second helping before you feel even the slightest bit full. In this case, a modest pre-meal snack could keep you from stuffing yourself. Which brings us to this question: When your stomach sounds like a symphony, what should you snack on?

Use the following advice to make healthy snack selections.

• Check out the calories. Opt for 50- or 100-calorie snacks if your next meal is within an hour or two, 150 to 200 if it's going to be longer than that.
• Think outside the bag. Sure, it's easy to grab a bag of chips. "But look beyond the usual choices -- pretzels, popcorn and chips; and focus on fruits, vegetables and dairy products," says Leslie Bonci, R.D., a Pittsburgh-based spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "You probably don't get too few potato chips in your diet, but chances are you're coming up short on these other foods."
• Focus on fiber and protein. A snack containing at least a little protein will keep you fuller longer. Snacks that are high in fiber are also more filling than low-fiber snacks. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are fiber-rich; low-fat dairy products, legumes, nuts and lean meat are packed with protein. Whenever you can, combine the two -- spread a little peanut butter on your banana, or top your whole-wheat crackers with tuna salad or hummus.
• Don't forsake your favorites. Sweet snacks are unlikely to contain enough protein or fiber to fill you up until mealtime. But you needn't -- and shouldn't -- banish them completely. "You just can't say, 'I'll never eat another Oreo again.' It's a surefire way to devour the whole bag," Bowers says. Try to build small portions of your favorite snack foods -- no matter how vitamin-vacant they are -- into your regular meals when you're hungry.
• Avoid a snack-food rut. "Have different kinds of snacks every day so you get a variety of nutrients," Bonci advises.

Click here for a coupon to help you save money on fitness equipment!