MAKING SNACKS COUNT Healthy Living: Lesson 5

Welcome!  Beverly Utt, MS, MPH, RD  Registered Dietitian  Wellness Coach and Smoking Cessation Coordinator with the MultiCare Center for Healthy Living   Phone:

Today’s Class  Making Snacks Count  What we will cover:  Choosing Healthy Snacks  The Case of the Missing Money  What’s a Serving of Snacks?  Snack Ideas

What do you typically snack on?

Where do you typically buy snacks?

What is a “snack”?  Between meals boost  Typically calories  Comfort food  Helps maintain metabolism  Increases brain power

How We Choose Snacks  Factors that influence snack choices:  Taste  Cost  Convenience  Nutrition

Chew the Fat  Snacks contribute to our daily calorie and fat intake  Be watchful of hidden fats in snacks  Eat higher fat, less healthy snacks less often or in moderation  More often choose snacks that are lower in total fat

When Shopping  To choose low-fat snacks watch for:  “Light”  “Reduced-fat”  “Low-fat”  Is the low-fat version overall healthier?

Snack Comparison  Instead of potato chips (or other high-fat snacks) choose:  Pretzels  Cereal  Crackers  Baked chips  Popcorn

On the Lookout for Sugar  Foods with added sugar often are high in calories and low in important nutrients  If we fill up on sweets we may be less likely to get the nutrients we need from other foods  Sugar promotes tooth decay

Oh Sugar, Sugar  For a healthy balanced diet save sugary snacks for sweet treats and enjoy them in moderation

Snack Comparison  Instead of high sugar snacks like cookies, candies, or other treats choose:  Fresh fruit  Vanilla wafers  Graham crackers  Smoothies

What’s a Serving of Snacks?  To be part of a healthy balanced diet, a snack should be between calories  Be sure to read labels and check portion sizes when determining how much of one snack to eat

Watching Our Portions  Tips to keep from overeating at snack time:  Don’t snack in front of the TV  Avoid eating straight from the package if it contains multiple servings  Plan specific snack times

Missing Money?  Snacks have a way of creeping into our food budget  Do you have a habit of buying something to snack on like a bag of chips or soda?  Have you ever wondered how much snacks are costing each week, month or year?

Cost Saving Snack Ideas  Buy in bulk and make pre-packaged servings  Healthy  Portion control  Time-saving  Cost-saving

Cost Savings Ideas  Fruits and vegetables make healthy snacks but can be expensive  How can we make fruits and vegetables a more affordable snack?  Buy in-season produce  Shop at Farmer’s Markets  Compare costs between fresh, frozen, and canned

Healthy Snack Ideas

 A healthy snack should include:  Protein  Fiber  Carbohydrate  Fruit and/or vegetable Healthy Snack Ideas

 Tuna & Crackers  1/3 can tuna  10 whole wheat crackers  Optional  Tomato  Celery  Avocado  Low-fat cheese Healthy Snack Ideas

 Fruit and Vegetable Kabobs  Cheese cubes  Fresh fruit of your choice  Wooden skewers (cut the sharp ends off) Healthy Snack Ideas

 Banana Tortilla Wraps  Whole grain tortilla  Peanut Butter  Banana Healthy Snack Ideas

 Make Your Own Trail Mix  Goldfish  Cereal  Dried fruit  Nuts  Pretzels Healthy Snack Ideas

 Ants on a Log  Celery  Peanut butter or light cream cheese  Raisins Healthy Snack Ideas

 Veggies and Dip  Any veggie  Dip Ideas Hummus Yogurt Light dressing Peanut butter Healthy Snack Ideas

 Fruit and Dip  Any fruit  Low-fat yogurt Healthy Snack Ideas

 Pinwheel Sandwiches  Whole grain tortilla  Lunch meat  Guacamole  Lettuce or tomato  Optional: Cheese Healthy Snack Ideas

Grab and Go Snacks

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