Is it healthy to snack?

If your meals are not oversized and your snacks are usually healthy, you can enjoy snacking without feeling guilty. You may need to snack if you:

• Have increased energy demands from sports or jobs that require heavy labor
• Have diabetes and need to prevent low blood sugar
• Skip meals and run out of energy
• Want to manage hunger to prevent overeating at meal times

Be careful to limit high-calorie, high-fat foods such as candy bars, chips, and ice cream so you can avoid unwanted weight gain and increased health risks. The best choices for snacks are foods that are:

• Low in saturated fat, such as lean meats, or low or fat-free dairy products
• High in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, or whole grain foods

Snacks that are high in protein and fiber may satisfy hunger longer.

Examples of healthy snacks include:

• Flavored rice cakes or pretzels with cheese or a low fat dip
• Graham crackers with peanut butter
• Crunchy vegetables (carrots, celery, jicama, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers) with low fat dip
• Low calorie yogurt or cottage cheese with fruit
• Fresh or frozen fruits without added sugar
• Fat free string cheese
• Air popped unbuttered popcorn
• Zero calorie flavored water, mineral water, unsweetened teas, or drinks sweetened with Splenda or Stevia instead of sodas or energy drinks

Can I eat high-fat, high-calorie foods sometimes?

If you try to avoid all sweets and high-fat foods, you may start craving them and start overeating. It’s better to enjoy eating a high-fat, high-calorie snack now and then. If you feel guilty or you want to have this kind of snack more often, skip an extra serving of food at dinner or exercise a little longer. You can have a high-calorie snack sometimes, as long as you also stay active.