Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 0 Comments
By Shawn McKee
Staff Writer
Snacking is an essential element of healthy eating. Not only can properly timed snacks or mini-meals keep your metabolism stoked and your energy levels up all day, but they can also prevent the ravenous hunger that leads to overeating.
Making snacking a part of weight loss is as simple as adding two or three snacks to your normal 3-squares-a-day. Spreading your calories out over the day keeps your metabolism actively burning calories, which will lead to greater weight loss and easier weight management.
You will snack -- so make sure you do it right.
"The key to snacking is balancing out protein, carbohydrates and good fats (don't forget fiber) to help keep blood sugar levels stable and satisfy your hunger," says eDiets Director of Nutrition Services Pamela Ofstein.
Depending on your activity level, you're probably going to want to keep snacks between 100-200 calories and -- if you have a particularly large snack -- compensate with a slightly smaller meal.
Remember: You're not simply adding snacks to your meals. Stay in your weight-loss calorie range, but spread the calories over five or six meals throughout the day.
Since I've done numerous articles on healthy snacking, I've decided this list will be specifically for things I've been craving this summer.
Something Salty and Crunchy
I tend to crave the crunch! And with slogans like, "Once you pop, you can't stop" and "Betcha can’t eat just one," the captains of the snack industry know this. If a single serving contains around 150 calories, and you crack open a bag and down several servings, chips can become huge calorie bombs.
I often opt for pretzels, which tend to have less fat and fewer calories. Snyder's sent me their new Sourdough Specials, which are delicious and have 110 calories and 3 grams of protein per 1-ounce serving.
Another snack classic for anyone who loves Mexican food is chips and salsa. In college, we would sit down with a bag of chips and a jar of salsa, devouring them both in a matter of minutes. Ah, memories.
Guiltless Gourmet sent me samples of their All Natural Tortilla Chips, which have 120 calories, 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per 1-0unce serving (about 18 chips). Pair that with a couple tablespoons of salsa (10-20 calories), and you've got a south of the border snack that hits the spot.
Plus, the folks at Guiltless Gourmet are giving away a trip Las Vegas, the guiltiest place on earth. They are really covering the bases on my favorite college memories!
A Lil' Somethin' Sweet
Who doesn't want a little sugar every now and then? Cereal is one of my favorite snacks, but I've long since graduated from the cartoon cereals of my youth. However, I haven't had to completely give up the flavor.
Kashi GOLEAN Crunch: Honey Almond Flax is my new favorite cereal. It tastes like the cereal that I used to eat growing up with the cartoon frog on it -- anyone remember when they were called Sugar Smacks?
But of course, my grown-up replacement is packed with 9 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber and heart-healthy Omega-3s. With milk, it comes in at about 240 calories, so you can eat it at breakfast or eat a little less for a snack. Now, that's something we can all dig.
OK, so the last snack was a little higher in calories, but I'm going to make up for it with this one: Yoplait Fiber One's new 50-calorie yogurt. It's tasty, low in calories and high in fiber (5 grams). They didn't send me any samples, but they did hook it up with a coupon that you can print here.
Finally, it wouldn't be a "Summer Snackdown" without something to cool off with. Instead of breaking out a carton of ice cream, which can quickly turn into a single serving, I like Edy's Strawberry Fruit Bars. They're only 80 calories with 1 gram of fiber and real strawberry chunks! While it's not the healthiest snack, for ice cream you could do much worse.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and keep on snackin'!
You can eat great and still lose weight! Join eDiets for more tips to make slimming down simple.
Staff Writer
Snacking is an essential element of healthy eating. Not only can properly timed snacks or mini-meals keep your metabolism stoked and your energy levels up all day, but they can also prevent the ravenous hunger that leads to overeating.
Making snacking a part of weight loss is as simple as adding two or three snacks to your normal 3-squares-a-day. Spreading your calories out over the day keeps your metabolism actively burning calories, which will lead to greater weight loss and easier weight management.
You will snack -- so make sure you do it right.
"The key to snacking is balancing out protein, carbohydrates and good fats (don't forget fiber) to help keep blood sugar levels stable and satisfy your hunger," says eDiets Director of Nutrition Services Pamela Ofstein.
Depending on your activity level, you're probably going to want to keep snacks between 100-200 calories and -- if you have a particularly large snack -- compensate with a slightly smaller meal.
Remember: You're not simply adding snacks to your meals. Stay in your weight-loss calorie range, but spread the calories over five or six meals throughout the day.
Since I've done numerous articles on healthy snacking, I've decided this list will be specifically for things I've been craving this summer.
Something Salty and Crunchy
I tend to crave the crunch! And with slogans like, "Once you pop, you can't stop" and "Betcha can’t eat just one," the captains of the snack industry know this. If a single serving contains around 150 calories, and you crack open a bag and down several servings, chips can become huge calorie bombs.
I often opt for pretzels, which tend to have less fat and fewer calories. Snyder's sent me their new Sourdough Specials, which are delicious and have 110 calories and 3 grams of protein per 1-ounce serving.Another snack classic for anyone who loves Mexican food is chips and salsa. In college, we would sit down with a bag of chips and a jar of salsa, devouring them both in a matter of minutes. Ah, memories.
Guiltless Gourmet sent me samples of their All Natural Tortilla Chips, which have 120 calories, 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per 1-0unce serving (about 18 chips). Pair that with a couple tablespoons of salsa (10-20 calories), and you've got a south of the border snack that hits the spot.
Plus, the folks at Guiltless Gourmet are giving away a trip Las Vegas, the guiltiest place on earth. They are really covering the bases on my favorite college memories!
A Lil' Somethin' Sweet
Who doesn't want a little sugar every now and then? Cereal is one of my favorite snacks, but I've long since graduated from the cartoon cereals of my youth. However, I haven't had to completely give up the flavor.
Kashi GOLEAN Crunch: Honey Almond Flax is my new favorite cereal. It tastes like the cereal that I used to eat growing up with the cartoon frog on it -- anyone remember when they were called Sugar Smacks?
But of course, my grown-up replacement is packed with 9 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber and heart-healthy Omega-3s. With milk, it comes in at about 240 calories, so you can eat it at breakfast or eat a little less for a snack. Now, that's something we can all dig.
OK, so the last snack was a little higher in calories, but I'm going to make up for it with this one: Yoplait Fiber One's new 50-calorie yogurt. It's tasty, low in calories and high in fiber (5 grams). They didn't send me any samples, but they did hook it up with a coupon that you can print here.
Finally, it wouldn't be a "Summer Snackdown" without something to cool off with. Instead of breaking out a carton of ice cream, which can quickly turn into a single serving, I like Edy's Strawberry Fruit Bars. They're only 80 calories with 1 gram of fiber and real strawberry chunks! While it's not the healthiest snack, for ice cream you could do much worse.
Enjoy the rest of your summer and keep on snackin'!
You can eat great and still lose weight! Join eDiets for more tips to make slimming down simple.
Labels: diet, food, mckee, snack, snacks. chips, weight-loss
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