Don’t feel guilty about snacking. Eating small, frequent meals can help you control your weight. They can help you stay fueled all day long. Just make sure snacks for you and your kids are healthy. Find out more about healthy snacking by taking this quiz.
1. One way to limit the size of your snacks is to buy food in single-serve packs.
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Buying single serve packs makes it easy to watch how much you're eating. This is extra helpful with high-calorie snack foods like chips and soda. When you dip into a larger bag, you may eat more calories than you think. With multi-serving packs, look at the Nutrition Facts panel to find out the right portion size. Measure out just that amount and put the rest away.
2. You can snack more freely if your snacks are healthy.
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If you swap chips and soda with low-fat yogurt, fresh fruit, or whole-grain crackers, you get more nutrition and likely fewer calories. But remember that eating more calories--even nutritious calories--than you burn can lead to weight gain.
3. Snacking can affect not only your weight, but also your teeth.
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Sugary snacks can promote tooth decay, especially if you snack on them all day long. Sweet, chewy snacks are especially a problem because they stick to your teeth. They stay in your mouth longer than other snacks. Acids form in your mouth when you eat sugary foods. So the more often you eat sugary foods, the more your teeth are attacked by acid. Sweet, chewy snacks are an extra-big problem. This is because they stick to your teeth. They stay in your mouth longer.
4. Baby carrots and sugar snap peas are good snacks. And they help boost your daily veggie intake.
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Crunchy raw vegetables are fun for adults and kids. Serve them with a low-fat dressing or hummus for dipping. Add fun texture and flavor jicama strips and sliced red bell peppers.
5. Pudding is a healthy snack if you make it with low-fat or skim milk.
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Calcium-rich snacks are good for children and teens. But adults can benefit, too. Other healthy snacks that boost calcium intake include:
Fruit smoothie made with fruit, ice, and skim milk
Low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt
Low-fat or fat-free string cheese
Low-fat or skim milk flavored with chocolate or strawberry
6. Baked tortilla chips are a low-fat snack that also give you fiber.
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Fiber is vital! The USDA also suggests ready-to-eat whole-grain cereals and popcorn made with little or no added salt or butter. When baking cookies or snack cakes, add whole-grain flour or oatmeal to the mix.
7. Don't snack late at night. This causes weight gain.
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It doesn't matter when you snack, but what you snack on and how much you eat. For best weight control, space your meals and snacks about 3 to 4 hours apart. Any snacking you do between meals should be in small amounts. Think crackers and low-fat cheese or apple slices with peanut butter, for instance. A snack combo of carbohydrates and protein helps you feel satisfied.
8. A fun after-school snack for kids is a fruit kabob. This is a mix of fresh fruit and cheese on a stick.
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It’s bite-size healthy snacks on a stick! Try strawberries, melon, pineapple, and grapes. Add cubes of mozzarella, cheddar, or other favorite cheese. Make them ahead and store them in a bag in the fridge. Use skewers or toothpicks for older kids and toothpicks for younger children. Consider keeping 2 snack choices on hand—1 in the refrigerator and 1 in the cupboard. That way your kids can make their own choices.
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Author: Sinovic, Dianna
Online Medical Reviewer: Novick, Tara, BSN, MSN
Online Medical Reviewer: Poulson, Brittany, MDA RDN CD CDE
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