Topic 1: How to use the nutrition facts label to determine if a snack item is a good choice.
Let’s face it, we are busy and on-the go, and we don’t always have a freshly prepared snack of fruits and vegetables and “healthy” options on hand. While it is a great idea and recommended to choose these as snacks more often, it takes time and preplanning to make sure you have them when you need them, and that’s not always possible.
So how can you practically make a healthy choice when your only options are ones that come in a package from a convenience store or a vending machine? The nutrition facts label on the product is a tool to help you make the best decision.
These are all nutrients that you want to limit when choosing a snack.
Other things to consider are does it contain any fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium or Iron? These are all nutrients that you want to try and get more of in your diet. A quick way to determine if the snack item is high or low in nutrients is to check out the Percent Daily Value column. This is the percentage of how much a serving of this item contributes to the recommended amounts of each nutrient set by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 5% or less is considered low and 20% or more is high. Aim for high amounts of fiber, vitamins and minerals and low amounts of calories, sugar, sodium, and fat.
Topic 2: Smart Snacking Strategies
There are lots of strategies you can utilize to help you when hunger strikes. First of all, with a little time and planning, you can prepare healthy snacks, so they are available and ready to go. Cut up vegetables for dip, pre-make salads, grate low fat cheese, cut up fruits like melon. Put the snacks in plastic containers or in Ziplock bags in the refrigerator so they are ready to go.
Secondly-take healthy snacks with you. Take 1-2 snacks with you in your purse or work bag. Good choices are fresh fruit, dried fruit, 100-calorie snack bags, small amounts of nuts, low fat crackers with low fat cheese, low fat yogurt, and boxes of low fat or skim milk.
Try to avoid the vending machines. This can be as simple as not carrying money for vending machines or taking a detour to avoid the hallway that has the vending machine. If you make it harder to get a high calorie snack, you will be less likely to eat one. If you do happen to pass by a vending machine or walk into a convenience store and find yourself drooling over the options, try to identify if this feeling is a hummer or a beckoner.
A Hummer is a craving that you have even when you don’t see the food and nothing else will satisfy you. Buy and enjoy those foods in ONE PORTION SIZE. A Beckoner is something you only eat because it is THERE! Not because you really want it. KEEP THOSE OUT OF YOUR ROOM, KITCHEN, APARTMENT,
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