HealthyLife Articles

Tag: Healthy Snacking

  • Kid-Friendly, Healthy Snacks

    HEALTHY EATING

    Kids hands cutting out star shaped watermelon.

    A simple way to encourage your kids to eat healthy is to have healthy foods on hand and easily available to them.

    *  Put fruits and vegetables within reach on the counter or in the refrigerator.

    *  Save cookies and sweets as occasional treats, not everyday snacks.

    *  Avoid buying chips, crackers and other high-calorie, high-sugar packed foods. Or buy less of them and keep them in a less convenient location. Out of sight, out of mind.

    *  Purchase easy but healthy “packaged” snacks like no sugar added fruit cups, raisin packs, cheese sticks, Greek yogurt and popcorn (choose “light” popcorn without too much added butter or salt).

    Popcorn treats

    Ingredients

    2 tablespoons soft margarine or butter (melted)

    5 cups popped popcorn

    3/4 cup raisins

    1 cup shredded wheat cereal (bite-size)

    1 tablespoon sugar  (brown or white)

    1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

    Directions

    1.  Pop popcorn. You can use microwave or stovetop, but choose one without added butter, sugar or salt.

    2.  Mix popped corn, raisins, and cereal in a large bowl.

    3.  Mix sugar and cinnamon in small dish.

    4.  Drizzle melted margarine or butter over mixture.

    5.  Add sugar and cinnamon mixture.

    6.  Shake or stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

    Nutrition per serving: Servings 4. Calories 265; Total Fat 10 g; Saturated Fat 2 g; Sodium 118 mg; Total Carbohydrate 46 g; Dietary Fiber 5 g; Protein 4 g

    Source: USDA ChooseMyPlate

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Popcorn: A Healthy Corn Option

    HEALTHY EATING

    Popcorn in a bowl on a yellow background.

    Fresh corn is healthy, but there’s another great way to enjoy corn: popcorn.

    When you think of popcorn, you might think of movie theatres and lots of butter. But popcorn is a naturally healthy food without all the extra butter, oil and salt.

    Popcorn is whole grain corn. It’s made from a specific type of corn that pops open when it’s heated. It can be a healthy alternative to higher-calorie snacks like potato chips and crackers. One cup of air-popped corn has just 31 calories and over one gram of fiber.

    To keep it healthy, go light on the butter, oil and salt.

    Source: United States Department of Agriculture

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Easy Ways To Tolerate Milk

    Nutrition

    For millions of people, drinking milk isn’t so easy. People with lactose intolerance can’t digest lactose (the sugar in milk), so they can’t drink milk or eat milk products without suffering some or all of the following symptoms.

    *  Gas in the lower intestine.

    *  Abdominal pain and cramps.

    *  Bloating.

    *  Diarrhea.

    *  Nausea.

    Intestinal distress may occur within minutes of consuming a food containing lactose and sometimes lasts for hours. The cause is a deficiency of lactase, the enzyme responsible for digesting lactose. The only “cure” for lactose intolerance is a milk-free diet. But because milk and milk products are important sources of calcium, avoiding these foods can deprive you of that essential mineral.

    To have your milk and digest it, too, try these maneuvers.

    *  Learn which foods are the most difficult for you to digest and avoid them. Some people with lactose intolerance can tolerate certain dairy products if they eat small portions at a time.

    *  Read food labels carefully. Avoid products containing milk, milk solids, or whey solids. Items marked “parve” are milk free.

    *  Pretreat milk with the enzyme lactase, available over-the-counter in powder or capsule form as Lactaid. Added to milk 24 hours before you drink it, lactase predigests most of the lactose so you don’t have to. Lactase tablets, taken as a digestive aid, are also available.

    *  Purchase Lactaid brand milk, ice cream, and cheese products, which have been treated with lactase, and are available in many supermarkets. Or use soy milks, yogurts, etc.

    Page from A Year of Health Hints book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Getting Your Kids To Eat Right

    Children’s Health

    Image of young girl eating watermelon.

    Persuading your child to develop good eating habits can be a challenge. Here are some pointers.

    *  Start your child’s day with a good breakfast. Hot cereal is a better choice than over-sweetened breakfast foods that are heavily advertised to kids.

    *  Buy snacks that are low in fat, sugar, and salt. Fresh fruit, unbuttered popcorn, whole-grain muffins, juice, milk, and yogurt are tasty, nutritious foods that appeal to kids. Crackers with small amounts of peanut butter or cheese are also acceptable between-meal treats.

    *  Limit fast-food meals. A steady diet of fast-food menu items tends to be high in fat and generally doesn’t provide all the essential nutrients a child needs.

    *  Don’t punish or reward behavior with food. Punishing children by withholding food can deprive them of required nutrients. Rewarding them with food can encourage overeating and weight gain.

    *  Set a good example. Children can’t be expected to adopt good eating habits if parents don’t.

    For nutrition-packed school lunches:

    *  Try sandwiches, using turkey, chicken, peanut butter with no added oil or sugar, and low-fat cheese or tuna fish instead of processed lunch meats.

    *  Pack finger foods like grapes, carrot sticks, celery stalks, and other fruit or crunchy vegetables instead of potato chips. Single-serving cans of fruit or applesauce are also handy ways to round out a lunch.

    Beware of convenience foods that claim to be nutritious.

    Here are some of the traps to look out for.

    *  Fruit drinks. Some contain only a small amount of fruit juice, but a lot of added sugar.

    *  Breakfast bars. These usually contain lots of sugar and very little in  the way of nutrition.

    *  Pre-popped popcorn. Some popcorn products have a lot of oil, salt, and contain artificial coloring.

    Teach Teens to Snack Wisely

    Once kids reach their teens, they tend to eat what they want, when they want it. But these years of rapid growth and change call for added nutrients which might be lacking in diets that are hit-or-miss. And as their bones grow rapidly, teens need plenty of calcium. Adolescent girls need plenty of iron to offset iron lost due to menstrual flow. If the right foods are available, between-meal snacking can actually boost a teen’s intake of those critical nutrients.

    *  Leftovers, like chicken drumsticks, are high in iron and make good late-night snacks.

    *  Low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese can provide needed calcium.

    *  Keep the kitchen stocked with whole wheat crackers, sliced watermelon, fruit salad, and other ready-to-eat alternatives to junk food.

    *  Encourage teens to invent their own, easy-to-eat snacks, like “ants on a log”-celery stalks stuffed with peanut butter and dotted with raisins.

    Resources

    ChooseMyPlate.gov

    www.choosemyplate.gov/kids/index.html

    Page from A Year of Health Hints book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Best Snacks To Eat Before And After Exercise

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of a whole grain bagel with a peanut butter spread.

    Pick the right foods that give the most energy regardless of your activity level. Carbohydrates are the first responders to the body’s need for energy during exercise. Protein and fat are not nearly as efficient.

    Hit the trail or the gym with the following healthy food ideas before and after your workout, suggests Anita Kobuszewski, RD, author of Food: Field to Fork, How to Grow Sustainably, Shop Wisely, Cook Nutritiously, and Eat Deliciously:

    *  Whole-grain bagel with peanut butter and yogurt

    *  Thin-crust pizza with green peppers

    *  Granola with low-fat milk and banana

    *  Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit (see Walk the Trail Mix recipe)

    *  Instant oatmeal made with low-fat milk

    *  Bran or corn muffin with egg whites and salsa

    *  Fig bars with peanut butter and juice

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Easy Protein Snacks

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of roasted pumpkin seeds.

    A great way to get healthy protein throughout the day is to make snacks with protein. The protein can help you feel fuller, holding you over until your next meal. These snacks may also help avoid a blood sugar crash that leaves you feeling sluggish and even hungrier than before. Try these ideas for tasty and easy-to-pack snacks:

    *  Hummus with sliced peppers, carrots, celery or cucumbers

    *  Peanut butter or almond butter with a banana

    *  ¼ cup of nuts, such as almonds, walnuts or pistachios with fresh fruit

    *  Roasted pumpkin seeds (buy them roasted or bake on a cookie sheet at 300º for 20 minutes)

    *  Tortilla with black beans, salsa and a sprinkle of low-fat cheese

    *  Roasted soy nuts (available at many supermarkets)

    *  A hard-boiled egg with leafy greens

    *  Low-fat string cheese with an apple or pistachios

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Easy Snack Substitutions

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of popcorn in a bowl.

    Skip the vending machine and processed foods when you need to fill up between meals. Try these alternatives to everyday unhealthy snacks:

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Easy Snacks For High Energy

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of greek yogurt and fresh berries.

    One way to keep your energy up is to choose snacks that have fiber and protein. These foods are digested more slowly. That way you won’t “crash” like you do after eating sugar-filled and low-fiber foods. Some healthy choices include:

    *  An apple with a small handful of nuts

    *  Carrots and celery with string cheese

    *  Greek yogurt and fresh berries

    Source: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Top 10 Fruit Snacks For Kids

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of child eating yogurt with strawberries and blue berries.

    Forget cookies. Fruit is now the number-one snack item parents give to children under the age of 6. That’s because leading researchers believe that parents are taking childhood nutrition more seriously.

    The Produce for Better Health Foundation suggests these top 10 fruit snacks for kids:

    *  Popsicles (freeze fruit juice to make your own)

    *  Fruit sandwiches (slices of apples or pears and low-fat cheese)

    *  Peanut butter and fresh fruit

    *  Fresh fruit dipped in low-fat yogurt

    *  Fruit smoothies

    *  Canned fruit or single-serve fruit cups

    *  Applesauce as a dip for fresh fruit slices

    *  Dried fruit packs such as raisins

    *  Fresh fruit dipped in poppyseed dressing

    *  Frozen fruit chunks such as bananas and grapes

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Yes, You Can Eat Chocolate

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of chocolate pieces stacked on top of each other.

    Although actual health benefits of eating chocolate are still being studied, the NIH News in Health reports that you can eat some types of chocolate in moderation:

    *  Eat as dark a chocolate as you can. Darker chocolate may help lower blood pressure.

    *  Choose dark chocolate instead of less healthy treats such as ice cream or candy.

    *  Avoid white and milk chocolates. Also avoid filled chocolate, such as truffles.

    *  Make hot chocolate with unsweetened cocoa, water, or nonfat milk, and a little added sugar.

    *  Watch your total calories because chocolate has a lot of them.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine