Snacking: Which foods are healthy,
which are not
By Susan
Woodward
The hunger pangs hit in the middle of
the afternoon. You reach for raw vegetables and dip, congratulating
yourself on your discipline. After all, you couldnt pick a
healthier snack, right?
Well, that depends. What exactly are you dunking your carrot and
celery sticks into?
Often a high-fat, high-sugar dressing or dip, according to
registered dietician and weight-loss coach Julie Beyer. Shift the
recipe, she advises. Dip your veggies in salsa instead. You can
eat oodles of that and never have to think twice.
Many of the snacks we believe are good for us contain ingredients
that are actually unhealthy, experts caution. Marketing is often to
blame, explains Rick Hall, who teaches nutrition at Arizona State
University. Theyre packaged to look healthy, sometimes almost in
a devious way, but it comes down to the consumers lack of
knowledge, too, Hall says.
To help raise your awareness, here are nine snacks we often
misconstrue, along with some truly healthy alternatives.
1. Snack bars
Marketed as breakfast bars, granola bars, low-carb bars, etc.
Frequently made from refined flours, most brands are also riddled
with fat (hydrogenated oils) and sugar (in its many forms). For a
real energy boost, look for snack bars made from complex
carbohydrates, such as oats, and minimal or eliminated fat and
sugar.
2. Bagels
Refined, white carbs are not OK, despite what you might have been
told about their fat-free properties, warns Hall. Oh, and one
bagel is roughly equal to six slices of white bread. Go for
wholegrain.
3. Pretzels
More refined carbohydrates. Pretzels have been stripped of fiber,
thats why you eat and eat and eat them and never feel full,
explains Beyer. Replace with low-sodium, wholegrain tortilla chips,
especially brands that use additional wholesome ingredients, such
as black beans.
4. Muffins
Surely a muffin is innocent, right? Only if you want to consume 600
to 900 calories every time you eat one. Margarine lots of it is
what makes muffins moist. Reap the benefits of healthy fats by
eating an avocado, or a handful of walnuts, which contain omega-3
oils.
5. Rice cakes
Yes, theyre low in calories. Thats because theyre puffed rice
no vitamins or minerals, mostly air! Youre much better off eating
a bowl of fiber-rich brown or wild rice.
6. Beef jerky
Jerky contains as much salt as the Dead Sea. If you love it that
much, make your own, or eat a soy substitute.
7. Popcorn
Again, almost always doused in unhealthy, hydrogenated oils. With
their good-fat properties, olives are a wonderful alternative. Or
try some protein-packed seeds and nuts.
8. Fruit
Of course, fruit is good for you, but first you have to debug them
of pesticides and germs, Hall reminds consumers. To avoid eating
risky chemicals and the germs passed on by dozens of human hands,
always wash your fruit before you cut into it with your teeth or a
knife. On the topic of fruit, Hall also recommends blueberries,
raspberries and cherries. Theyre some of the most potent
antioxidant foods you can get because of all the phytonutrients
that give the fruit their color, he says.
9. Fruit juice
Apparently manufactures dont think the naturally occurring sugars
found in fruit are sweet enough for consumer taste buds, because
they add a ton more refined sugar to most of their fruit juice
products. High fructose corn syrup is one of the most common ways
of labeling these sugar additives. Same goes for most of the
sports drink products. Squeeze your own fruit and drink plain old
water.
A good rule of thumb for ensuring youre eating nourishing snacks
instead of snacks with little or no nutritional value is to use
snack time to get your daily dose of fruit and vegetables. Go to
the outskirts of the supermarket, and buy from the produce
section, counsels Hall. Avoid processed foods, or if you do eat
them, learn how to read the food labels.
Susan
Woodward is a native Australian who traded netball and surfing for
Bikram yoga and snowboarding when she moved to the United States 10
years ago. As a journalist who specializes in health issues, Susan
has written exclusively for MSN, WebMD and the Los Angeles
Times.
