Did You Know That…
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Munching on just one carrot will meet your vitamin A needs for the entire day?
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Eating snacks can help prevent overeating?
Why snack? Didn’t your mother tell you to eat three square meals a day?
Healthy snacks are the perfect way to regulate your metabolism, get the nutrients you need and sustain energy throughout the day.
Snacks help you get a balanced diet. People often get busy with work and exercise schedules. They may forget to eat or may not have time for regular meals. Healthy snacks can help supplement the nutrients you need in a day.
Many people find that exercise makes them less hungry at mealtime. This is another reason to eat snacks, instead of large meals, to get enough calories for activities. Keeping one or two healthy snack foods with you makes it easy to have enough energy for working out. Choosing the right snacks can make sure that you get good foods from all of the food groups each day.
Well-planned snacks can help most people reach their dietary goals. Picking snacks to complement your meals or your diet is the key to snacking. Make sure you eat food from all five food groups during the day. (grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy)
Athletes involved in sports or endurance training need to snack to meet their increased energy demands. Carbohydrates (stored as a substance called glycogen in the liver and muscles) are used up during exercise and must be replenished.
What kinds of snacks should I eat?
Eat energy-rich snacks instead of high fat, high calorie fast foods. The best snack foods are ones that you would usually pick as part of a healthy diet.
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If you are trying to control your weight, eat a healthy snack before you get hungry. This will help keep you from eating too much later in the day. Ask your dietitian to help you decide which snacks to eat, and when, so you get the right amount of calories each day.
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Your dietitian can also help you choose the right snacks if you are trying to gain weight.
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You may need a sweet snack, some juice, or a starchy food during exercise if your workout lasts longer than an hour. Your blood sugar (glucose) can get low if you exercise more than 60 minutes at a time. Eat lowfat energy bars, other light snacks, or sports drinks if needed to raise your blood sugar.
How do I pack a healthy snack to eat away from home?
When possible, choose snacks that can be at room temperature all day without spoiling. This is especially important if you are going to be away from home or a without a way to keep food cold.
Examples:
- Rice cakes
- Carrots/celery
- Apples, banana
- Protein bars (luna, pria, balance, etc)
- Handful of trail mix/nuts/seeds
Keep the following snacks cold or eat them within two hours of leaving home. Bacteria can grow in them which can make you sick if they are not chilled after being out of the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Milk and dairy products.
- Pudding and custard.
- Meat, fish, and poultry.
- Salads or sandwiches with mayonnaise or salad dressing.
- Fresh squeezed juice or fresh fruit smoothies.
The key is to develop habits of excellence. The fuel you put into your body has a lot to do with your energy during the day.
What snacks are good?
Well-planned snacks can help most people reach their dietary goals. Picking snacks to complement your meals or your diet is the key to snacking. Make sure you eat food from all five food groups during the day.
The five food groups are:
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meat, poultry, fish, dried beans, eggs
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grains
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fruits
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vegetables
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milk, cheese, yogurt.
Carbohydrates (grains, fruits, and vegetables) should make up at least half of your daily calories.
For example, if all you had for breakfast was a bowl of cereal with low-fat milk and you became hungry at 10:00 a.m., pick a snack from the food groups that you missed. Because you had only two of the five food groups for breakfast, you should pick a snack from one or more of the other three, like fruits, fruit juice, vegetables, peanut butter on celery, apples, or bagels. Because most Americans do not eat enough complex carbohydrates you are usually safe choosing snack foods like whole-grain breads, cereals, bagels, fruits, and vegetables.
Snacks You Can Eat Every Day
|
Snack |
Grams of fat |
Calories |
|
Nonfat, sugar-free yogurt |
|
|
|
with fruit (1 cup) |
0 |
100 |
|
Baby carrots (3 oz) |
0 |
40 |
|
Fresh fruit: |
|
|
|
Banana (small) |
0 |
100 |
|
Apple (medium) |
0 |
60 |
|
Pear (medium) |
0 |
60 |
|
Orange (medium) |
0 |
60 |
|
Kiwi (2) |
0 |
40 |
|
Bagel (1) |
1.4 |
165 |
|
Cold cereal |
1 |
110 |
|
Fig Newtons (2) |
2 |
100 |
|
Graham crackers (2) |
1.5 |
60 |
|
Instant oatmeal (1 oz) |
1.7 |
100 |
|
Rice cakes (2) |
0.2 |
70 |
|
Pretzels (1 oz) |
1 |
110 |
|
Skim milk (8 oz) |
1 |
110 |
Active athletes or growing children who sometimes need foods with more calories can add these items to the list of snack foods: peanut butter sandwiches, low-fat milkshakes (with skim milk and low-fat ice cream), dried fruit, cottage cheese, and pasta with sauce.
An extremely important part of training well is learning to follow a healthy diet. For athletes trying to practice and compete often, developing good habits with the snacks you choose can be critical to having the right kind of energy to draw upon.
Some healthy snacks to build into your routine…
For drinks:
We suggest water, sport drinks, or unsweetened fruit juice.
For sandwiches:
Use whole grain bread, pita bread, or bagels with the following ingredients (get creative): plain tuna; turkey; boiled ham; lean roast beef; lean meats(95-98% fat free); lowfat cheese. Top off with lettuce, tomatoes, mustard, catsup or very small amounts of lowfat mayonnaise. Regular mayo is very high in fat.
Getting into the habit of eating cut-up raw vegetables is also very healthy. Learn to eat them plain or with yogurt or other lowfat dips (avoid high fat dips).
Things to avoid:
Chips, snack cakes, candy, and soft drinks. If you have to eat cookies, try graham crackers, fig newtons, or ginger snaps.
The key is to develop habits of excellence. The fuel you put into your body has a lot to do with your ability to train, practice and compete well. Start today to develop good habits, and good luck. Don’t forget to share some of your favorite healthy recipes on the new recipe board.
Cold Cereal:
Choose dense cereals such as – granola, muesli, Grape-Nuts, Wheat Chex – top with nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, banana and other fruits
Hot Cereal:
Cooking with milk adds more calories; mix in powdered milk, peanut butter, walnuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ or dried fruit.
Legumes, beans:
Lentils, split pea soup, kidney bean chilli, limas, and dried beans are high in calories and are also high in proteins and carbohydrates.
Desserts:
Choose desserts with nutritional value, such as: oatmeal-raisin cookies, Fig Newtons, rice pudding, chocolate pudding, stewed fruit compotes, pumpkin pie, carrot cake, banana bread, muffins.
Snacks:
Fruit yogurt, cheese and crackers, peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, granola, pretzels, English muffins, bagels, muffins, peanut butter and crackers, milk shakes, dried fruit.
Sports performance
Whether you are an endurance athlete or a fair weather sports person, a high carbohydrate snack before the event will really help boost your energy levels and enhance endurance. And when it’s all over, high carbohydrate snacks and drinks are of crucial importance in helping the body rapidly replenish its energy reserves.
Healthy Snack Ideas
Cold Cereal:
Choose dense cereals such as granola, muesli, Grape-Nuts, Wheat Chex : top with nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, banana and other fruits
Hot Cereal:
Cooking with milk adds more calories; mix in powdered milk, peanut butter, walnuts, sunflower seeds, wheat germ or dried fruit.
Legumes, beans:
Lentils, split pea soup, kidney bean chilli, limas, and dried beans are high in calories and are also high in proteins and carbohydrates.
Desserts:
Choose desserts with nutritional value, such as: oatmeal-raisin cookies, Fig Newtons, rice pudding, chocolate pudding, stewed fruit compotes, pumpkin pie, carrot cake, banana bread, muffins.
Easy to Pack Snacks:
Fruit yogurt, cheese and crackers, peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, granola, pretzels, English muffins, bagels, muffins, peanut butter and crackers, milk shakes, dried fruit.
For sandwiches:
Use whole grain bread, pita bread, or bagels with the following ingredients (get creative): plain tuna; turkey; boiled ham; lean roast beef; lean meats (95-98% fat free); lowfat cheese. Top off with lettuce, tomatoes, and mustard. Regular mayo is very high in fat.
Getting into the habit of eating cut-up raw vegetables is also very healthy. Learn to eat them plain or with yogurt or other lowfat dips (avoid high fat dips).
Things to avoid:
Chips, snack cakes, candy, and soft drinks. If you have to eat cookies, try graham crackers, fig newtons, or ginger snaps.
Getting all food groups covered
Dairy Foods
- One ounce packages of string cheese or lowfat cheddar cheese
- Single serving lowfat puddings
- Single serving lowfat yogurts
Fruits
- Apple or banana slices with peanut butter
- Boxes of fruit juice
- Dried fruit, such as apricots, raisins, apples, pears, and pineapple
- Fresh fruits such as apples, oranges, grapes, nectarines
- Frozen bananas, grapes, mangoes
- Frozen juice or blended fruit bars
- Fruit smoothies
- Single serving canned applesauce
- Single serving canned fruit cups
Protein Foods
- Almonds, peanuts, and other nuts (These are high calorie so only eat a small handful each day and mix with other fat-free foods.)
- Cottage cheese with fresh or canned fruit
- Garbanzo bean dip (hummus) and lowfat crackers
- Lowfat cheese on whole wheat crackers
- Lowfat sports bars
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread
- Trail mix with nuts and dried fruits (no coconut)
- Tuna salad sandwich
- Turkey breast or lean roast beef sandwich
Starchy Foods
- Granola with low fat milk
- Granola, rolled oats, and dried fruit eaten dry without milk
- Lowfat cookies such as fig bars, vanilla wafers, animal crackers or ginger snaps
- Lowfat granola bars
- Lowfat tortilla chips with salsa or bean dip
- Low sugar cereals
- Nachos with lowfat tortilla chips and lowfat cheese
- Pretzels
- Rice cakes with peanut butter
- Rye crackers or other lowfat crackers
- Slice of leftover pizza
- Small bowl of hot soup
- Whole grain bagels with lowfat cream cheese
- Whole wheat cookies with oats, peanut butter, or dried fruit
Vegetables
- Baked potato with lowfat cheese melted on top
- Carrot & celery sticks with lowfat ranch dressing
- Celery sticks with lowfat cream cheese or peanut butter
- Fresh cut-up vegetables with lowfat dip
- Single servings of tomato or vegetable juice
Processed Food Healthier Alternatives
- Frozen french fries Sliced whole potatoes baked in oven
- Processed cheese spread Real block cheese
- Boxed snack foods Whole, shelled peanuts, unsalted, nuts/seeds
- Frozen breaded chicken patty Boneless, skinless chicken breast, baked
- Turkey lunchmeat Fresh turkey breast, sliced
- Flavored white rice Long grain brown rice mixed with homemade salsa
- White bread Whole grain bread
- Instant potatoes Whole potatoes mashed
- Boxed macaroni and cheese Homemade macaroni and cheese
- Potato chips and dip Hummus and baked tortilla chips
- Bottled salad dressing Oil and vinegar
- White flour Mix half white flour and half whole wheat flour
