This morning, The Today Show with Hoda and Kathy Lee had an interesting segment on losing weight by snacking. Nutritionist Lisa Dryer said that many people cut out snacking to lose weight, but that this is not a good idea, because your blood sugar gets low and then you may overeat during meals. But that doesn’t mean you should snack on just anything. Dryer gave some tips on choosing the right snacks that will keep you satisfied and healthy between meals. For example, she recommended munching on pistachios, because they can actually help reduce stress (better than reaching for the Ben and Jerry’s when you’re tense…). She also said that choosing puffier foods helps you feel full without ingesting as many calories, and she explained that oils with healthy fats can reduce cravings. Click the picture above or click here to watch the full segment and also read the accompanying article, "Pig out! Drop 10 Pounds by Snacking." The article gets into more detail about eating puffy foods, and also mentions the health benefits of thick foods (like yogurt and pudding) and spicy snacks.
Need some suggestions for puffy snacks? Write me a comment letting me know you’d like to see more about them on the blog, and I’ll add them to my lineup!
I have to be honest here–I really debated whether or not to post about healthy chocolate snacks for Valentine’s Day. This is The Healthy Snacks Blog, and Saturday is V-Day, so it makes sense… but here’s the problem: I don’t believe in healthy snacks for Valentine’s Day. I think you’re allowed to splurge on holidays and other occasions! (Especially on a holiday in which chocolate plays such a big role…) Still, I realize that some people have dietary restrictions and always need healthier options. So here are two brands I recommend for those of you who are addicted to chocolate but want or need to stay on your health kick come February14th.
Gayle’s Miracles Dark Chocolate Truffles. These are tasty, soft chocolate truffles created by a nutritionist. Each one has only 30 calories and 1 gram of fat. Two truffles equal 1 Weight Watcher point. Many other truffles by companies like Lindt have over twice that number of calories and three times as much fat. So how does Gayle’s manage to make chocolate that tastes good but is low in calories? Remember my post about chocolate bars, where I explain that some companies use dates to make chocolate products healthier? Gayle’s Miracles does something similar, but they use figs instead of dates. I noticed figs on their ingredient list, and I think that’s the secret ingredient that helps them achieve a soft center without all the butter and fat.
The strange maple-syrup smell that has been drifting over New York City recently has left me with a craving for mapley foods. Yes, there’s the obvious way to eat maple syrup (pancakes! or, if you’re Buddy in Elf—on spaghetti), but I’m trying to have lighter meals and snacks these days, so instead, I’m going to make a recipe I found on the Food Network for maple glazed walnuts. I love all kinds of flavored nuts, and these are particularly good because they are sweet and salty, which is my favorite combination. And they’re healthy, too! (Unless you eat a pound at once, of course… and we all know that nuts can be hard to put down…)
Trying to cut expenses this winter? Here are five easy ways to save money on snacks and other groceries.
1. Don’t buy organic snacks when you don’t need to. Organic produce is usually more expensive, and not always necessary. For example, you don’t need to buy organic bananas, because you don’t eat the skin anyway. However, health experts do recommend buying organic apples and strawberries, because the pesticides on the non-organic varieties are hard to get off, even with a thorough washing. For a complete list on what to buy organic, check out the Consumer Reports article on 1) items you should buy organic, 2) items you should buy organic if money isn’t a factor, and 3) items you never need to buy organic.
2. Make your produce last longer. Are you always wasting money on fruit that rots before you get a chance to eat it? I’m guilty of that with bananas. I buy a bunch, and half of them turn brown before I eat them… and I always intend to use the brown ones to make banana bread, but I never get to it… Luckily, Real Simple gives tons of great tips for making your produce last longer. The magazine explains the best ways to store avocados, tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries, bananas, and more. In addition, Real Simple has an interesting article about separating certain fruits and vegetables in the fridge. Apparently, certain kinds of produce emit a gas called ethylene that can affect other foods and make them rot faster; you’re not supposed to store ethylene-sensitive and non-ethylene-sensitive foods close to one another. Who knew!
Attending a Super Bowl party doesn’t mean you have to blow your diet or go off of your health-kick. Here are some ways to eat well during the big game.
1.Avoid mindless munching. Enjoy each chip and take smaller handfuls, that way you get to reach into the bowl more times.
2.Go spicy! Add curry, chili powder, or whatever other spice you choose to your dips, salsas, and guacamole. Or try The Food Network/Eating Well’s recipe for spicy blue cheese dip. Some nutritionists say that when you add spices to your food, you get full faster and don’t eat as much. Also, because spices add so much flavor, you can get away with using a low-fat or reduced fat base (like mayo or sour cream), and your final product won’t be bland at all.
3. Add more protein to your snacks. Toss some pinto beans into your salsa. Make a black bean dip or a mixed-bean chili. Beans are a good source of fiber and protein, and protein helps fill you up faster so you don’t eat as many chips or as much greasy food and dessert. (Maybe you shouldn’t follow this bean suggestion if you’ll be attending a Super Bowl party with some new friends…)
Sticking to your New Year’s resolutions doesn’t mean you have to give up chocolate. (How depressing would that be?) Plenty of companies make healthy chocolatey snacks. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, you can munch on chocolate-covered pepitas or a vitamin-packed chocolate muffin. And here’s a new idea: try an all-natural chocolate-nut energy bar. Three different brands now make chocolate-nut bars that are simple and contain six ingredients or fewer. (That’s a nice change from Atkins and Balance Bars that have tons of unpronounceable ingredients!) Here’s some quick info on each bar.
Did you notice that each bar includes dates? You can’t really taste them (at least I couldn’t); dates are just a good food substitute to use with chocolate (instead of butter, oil, or eggs) since they create a chewy texture and natural sweetness, and pick up the cocoa flavor nicely. Plus, dates provide fiber, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
I’ve tried all three brands and there’s practically no difference between them (coincidence, or are these companies copying each other??), except that the Clif and Dr. Weil bars contain only one kind of nut, walnuts, whereas the Larabar one has almonds, walnuts, and cashews. (And the Dr. Weil one has coconut, but you can’t really taste it.) Each bar will give you plenty of health benefits—the nutrients I mentioned from the dates and antioxidants from cocoa, as well as fiber, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids from nuts. By the way, don’t be alarmed that the fat content seems high–nuts have a lot of fat, but it’s the good kind, monounsaturated fat.
Because these three bars taste so similar and have practically the same nutrients, calories, and fat, I can’t recommend one brand over another. Go with whichever is easiest to find in your supermarket or health food store!
I’m a mid-morning snacker. I always get hungry right around 11 A.M., and I need a snack to hold me over until lunch. When do you get the munchies? Vote now! In later posts, I’ll write about the best times to eat certain kinds of snacks (for example, snacks that give you morning energy, snacks that are helpful before and after a workout, and snacks that help calm you before you go to sleep).
Just a quick warning to our readers that many snack foods containing peanut butter have been recalled due to the recent salmonella outbreak.
Clif and Luna bars containing peanut butter have been recalled, as well as Nutrisystem’s Peanut Butter Granola Bars, Nature’s Path’s Peanut Butter Optimum Energy Bars, ZonePerfect Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars and Peanut Toffee Bars, NutriPals Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars, Little Debbie’s Peanut Butter Toast and Peanut Butter Cheese Sandwich Crackers, and Kellogg’s Austin and Keebler Peanut Butter Cookies, along with many, many other peanut butter products.
Go to FDA.gov for a complete list of peanut butter product recalls, and more info on each one.
Looking to shake things up a bit in the New Year? Abandon your bland rice cakes for a more fun and flavorful snack. I particularly like the curry cashew trail mix from Grizzlie’s Granolas. It’s a delicious medley of all-natural ingredients: curry cashews, roasted almonds, walnuts, raisins, fruit-juice sweetened cranberries, apples, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds. The curry not only gives the cashews a nice kick, but also adds certain health benefits. For example, according to some studies, curry may help prevent cancer and Alzheimer’s, and may treat inflammation. Also, I’ve heard that when you eat spicy food, it fills you up faster so you don’t overeat. I can always use help in that department!
Happy 09!
Lauren
PS Do you like it hot? Write me a comment and tell me about your favorite spicy snacks!
I love buying granola and having it for breakfast or as a snack, but the problem is that no matter which kind I try, there’s often something in the mix that I could do without. For example, I like Feed’s cranberry coconut granola, but I’m not a huge fan of the coconut flakes. (Their blueberry granola, on the other hand, is perfect.) I also like Bear Naked’s Continental Divide mix—chocolate granola plus nuts and banana chips—but I hate how the banana chips sometimes overpower everything else. Well, to all of you who are as picky as me, I have good news—finally, there’s a company that lets you put what you want into your granolas and cereals.
nies like Lindt have over twice that number of calories and three times as much fat. So how does Gayle’s manage to make chocolate that tastes good but is low in calories? 
Larabar’s Jocalat Chocolate
Clif’s Nectar’s Dark Chocolate Walnut
Dr. Weil/Nature’s Path’s Chocolada Walnut
