Extension Family Files

Put Health Into Your Snacks

 by Beverly Peters, Franklin County Extension Education Director

With busy schedules and hurried lifestyles, snacking has become an important part of the American Diet. Many of us find ourselves snacking on “mini-meals” throughout the day in between meetings or other activities to get the food energy we need. But snacking does not have to consist of a doughnut, a bag of potato chips or a piece of cake. Snacking actually can contribute significantly to your nutrition and health when the foods you choose provide the nutrients you might otherwise miss by skipping or rushing through regular meals. That is why it is important to pay attention to the type of snacks you prepare for yourself and your family.

Include snacks as part of your overall nutrition plan by making sure they provide not only calories, but vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and other essential nutrients. Also, try to anticipate the times and places most likely to bring on a snack attack. Then, you can plan ahead to prepare nutritious snacks.

The way you snack can be as important as when and what you eat. Consider the following ideas:

· Keep snacks small. If your meal is going to be delayed, prepare a more substantial snack, like half a sandwich or a small salad, to help curb your hunger.

· Serve your snacks on a plate to control the amount you eat. Do not eat straight out of the package.

·Snack only when you are physically hungry. If you are bored, or “down in the dumps,” cheer yourself up with a constructive activity.

·Complement your meals with good snacking habits. For example, if you find that you have to eat several fast-food meals one week, make sure to snack on fruits or vegetables which you have missed.  Or, if you skip breakfast, eat a midmorning snack which supplies protein and other important nutrients to keep your body going. Remember, do not think of snacks as “extras,” but as important components of your diet.

Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like: Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880 Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Long Branch Supper Club – 641-458-8027 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

picture by anyjazz at flickr.com