Gretchen Scalpi, RDN

I am often asked what kind of snacks can be part of a healthy diet.  Ideally, a snack should have some nutritional value without an excess of calories.  Chosen carefully, snacks can help keep blood sugar stable throughout the day, control appetite, and  prevent excessive hunger.

I’ve noticed that many people rely on the 100 Calorie packs of crackers, cookies or salty snacks.    The prepackaged snacks may be useful for calorie control: that is, if you stick to one pack!  In many cases what you are getting is a refined flour product that’s short on nutrition or satisfaction.

A better plan might be to make your own snack.  Here’s a few easy ideas:

4 oz. carrots with 2 Tb. hummus = 95 calories

A medium apple and low fat cheese stick = 120 calories

Two clementines = 80 calories

You get the idea.  If you are looking for a crunchy snack like the 100 calorie packs, trying making your own, using a variety of whole grain cereal, dried fruit and nuts. Experiment with different combinations until you find a mix that you like. Here’s a high fiber  snack mix that’s only 145 calories per 1/2 cup. Ten minutes of your time and you have 9 portions ready to go!

Cereal Snack Mix: Makes 9 servings

1 cup Fiber One- Original
1 cup Kashi Go Lean – Original
1 cup Cheerios – Original
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix well and measure 1/2 cup portions into sandwich bags.

145 Calories, 4 gm Protein, 22 gm Carbohydrate, 4 gm Fiber

Tags: snacks