by Chris Davis on July 25, 2011
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Today’s post is written by Registered Dietician, Allison Stowell, MS, RD, CDN on behalf of Guiding Stars.
I truly believe that the right snacks can make or break your day. Go too long between meals and you are probably going to overeat …choose a poor snack and you will likely have the same result (plus 100 calories or so).
But choose the right snack and you create a nutritious bridge from meal to meal that sustains you, controls hunger, appetite, fatigue and even mood. The Guiding Stars star-rated snack suggestions below are ideal because they include carbohydrate, protein and fat, which is a combination that will leave you satisfied. They are also great for your next summer trip as they fit into a small bag or drink cooler.
Here are 10 healthy snacks for summer travel that all earn Guiding Stars:
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by Lauren A. on July 18, 2011
We’ve got a special treat for you today.
We recently interviewed Allison J. Stowell MS, RD, CDN, who is a Registered Dietician and part of the Guiding Stars team. Guiding Stars is a new website that gives you an objective food-rating system which uses a scientific algorithm to show you which foods are most nutritious. From their About Page: "The more nutritional value a food has, the more Guiding Stars it receives. If a food doesn’t receive a star – it means it doesn’t meet our rigorous criteria."
We asked Allison to tell us about Guiding Stars and to give us a few insider tips for healthy snacks for the summer and for taking on long car rides with kids.
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO RECORDING OF THE INTERVIEW HERE:
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READ THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW HERE:
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by Lauren A. on July 6, 2011
When I was in fifth grade, my friend’s parents took me on vacation with them to Chincoteague, VA. We were eating snacks in the back of the car. I ripped open a bag of pretzels the wrong way, and they exploded all over the back seat. Crumbs and salt everywhere. Took a while to clean up that mess.
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by Chris Davis on July 1, 2011
We found a cool article today that we thought you’d enjoy…
It reveals the healthy snack choices of some of Hollywood’s hottest actresses, music’s biggest stars and of course, super models!
Here’s the quick wrap up:
Jennifer Aniston: low-salt, low-sugar and un-processed whole foods (she didn’t give any specific snacks, so that stinks!)
Jennifer Hudson: plain, non-fat Greek yogurt with frozen berries
Katy Perry: grilled chicken and soy milk, never any potato chips and never any fried foods
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by Lauren A. on July 27, 2009
I love popcorn, but I never really make it or buy it as a snack because I eat too much of it! (Yes, it’s low in calories for a single serving, but one of those microwave bag has three servings, and I usually eat the whole thing…) That’s why I was glad to hear that SmartFood started coming out with single-serving Popcorn Clusters, in three different flavors.
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by Lauren A. on July 22, 2009
In my post on the health benefit of nuts, I mentioned how the snack-sized bags of nuts you get at a deli always contain around three portions, more than you need. So sometimes I’d by big bags of nuts and divvy them out into single servings in ziplok bags.
Well, I don’t have to waste my time doing that anymore now that I’ve discovered the company Peeled. They make exactly what I’d been looking for—single-serving, one-ounce bags of nuts.
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by Lauren A. on July 12, 2009
My husband used to laugh at me for buying healthy cookies. “The whole point of eating cookies is to indulge,” he’d say. “They’re supposed to be rich and buttery.”
Then he tried a Nana’s chocolate chip cookie.
I shouldn’t say he tried one. He ate the whole cookie—my cookie, the one that I was just about to put in my mouth. I wasn’t very pleased.
“I thought you don’t like healthy cookies,” I said.
“These are good!” he replied. “Wow, I can’t believe how healthy these are for you,” he said over and over, reading the back panel.
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by Lauren A. on April 27, 2009
What to Eat to Help You Sleep Better
Bedtime snacks can help you sleep better? Conventional wisdom says you’re not supposed to eat right before you go to bed. That’s supposed to be the worst time to eat, the time it all goes to your waistline.
But lately I’ve been hearing that it can be good to snack before bed, especially if you have insomnia. My cousin tells me that Cream of Wheat before bed helps her child fall asleep. And a Tylenol PM commercial claims that adults should have a bowl of cereal before bed to improve their sleep.
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by Lauren A. on April 20, 2009
New, Flavorful Crackers You Can Munch on Without Guilt
Kellogg’s health-focused Special K brand has been expanding beyond breakfast foods lately. First, they came out with meal bars and protein water. Now, they’re moving into the savory snacks category with the launch of their new crackers, in two varieties, Multi-Grain and Italian Tomato & Herb. I like Special K products (I often eat the plain cereal or the bars), so I was excited to give these crackers a try.
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by Lauren A. on March 23, 2009
Many of us have been coupon-collecting lately in an effort to reduce our grocery bills. I recently learned about an excellent Web site that makes it easy to find coupons for your favorite products and stores. It’s called Coupon Cabin, and you should definitely check it out! Go to the site and click on “grocery coupons.” You’ll find coupons from a variety of healthy-snack makers, including Cascadian Farms, Nature Valley (which makes my favorite granola bars—I always eat one before a long run or race), Organic Valley, Quaker, SoyJoy, Stoneyfield Farm, and more.
Healthy snacks, especially organic ones, are often more expensive than processed snacks and junk food. And I know everyone is trying to save money these days. But hopefully these coupons will be helpful, and you won’t have to give up some of your favorite good-for-you treats.
(Thanks to DailyCandy, the e-mail newsletter I subscribe to, for tipping me off about Coupon Cabin!)
–Lauren
