April 26, 2001

Prairie Fare: Snack Attack

By Julie Garden-Robinson, Food and Nutrition Specialist
NDSU Extension Service

Has anyone ever told you that you eat like a horse? That's actually a compliment in some ways. Horses graze, and research has shown that grazing, or snacking on mini-meals throughout the day, makes a lot of sense nutritionally. Several well-chosen snacks paced throughout the day can be just as nutritious as three square meals.

One research study found that dividing the food intake for one day into 17 mini-meals can lower blood cholesterol, particularly the LDL, or Abad cholesterol," levels. Even the most faithful eaters, however, would have trouble eating 17 times daily. Other researchers have found that grazing on six small meals daily offers some benefits in weight control. Each time food is eaten, there's an increase in our metabolic activity, which may burn some additional calories if a full day’s food is divided into six parts.

Diabetics, in particular, need to eat regularly, so the pattern of six smaller meals daily can help with blood glucose control. Children need snacks to meet their nutritional needs as they grow. Elderly people also benefit from smaller meals, because some experience a reduction in appetite. Smaller meals are often better tolerated than larger ones.

With today's faster pace of life, many people find themselves eating on the run. The snack food industry offers all sorts of tempting products that aren't necessarily high in nutrients, but many are high in fat, sugar and sodium. Healthy snacking takes a little planning. Keep your refrigerator and cupboard stocked with healthy foods, and use snacks as a way to fill in nutrient gaps.

Here are some healthy snack ideas based on the Food Guide Pyramid. From the bread group, try snacking on whole grain crackers, cereal, bagels, soft or crisp pretzels or popcorn. To make getting your 5 A Day (that's five servings of fruits and vegetables daily) a little easier, put some fresh fruits and vegetables in a plastic bag to munch in the car or at your desk. Go beyond baby carrots, and snack on broccoli, cauliflower, jicama, zucchini, bell peppers, snow peas and other veggies. Many types of fruits and vegetables provide vitamins A and C, as well as needed fluids. Dried fruit has less fluid, but it is easily portable and can be stored much longer.

To help meet your calcium needs, consume at least two to three servings from the milk group daily. How about snacking on lower fat cheeses like mozzarella or farmer cheese cut into cubes? Retailers have made yogurt very portable these days by repackaging the same item in easy-to-eat plastic tubes. From the meat group, try hummus, a dip made from chickpeas and available in many delis. Nuts are high protein, portable snacks, but, if weight loss is a goal, remember they also are fairly high in calories. Beef jerky is a portable snack that’s a good source of iron, but pay attention to the sodium content.

If vegetables lack popularity in your home, try serving them with lowfat ranch dip or make your own high-calcium dip by combining 1 cup cottage cheese, about 3 tablespoons lowfat milk and about 2 tsp. dill weed or other seasoning to taste. For after-school or evening snacks, try making mini-pizzas with English muffins or pita rounds. Top with a thin layer of pizza sauce, vegetables or other toppings and some mozzarella cheese. Warm under the broiler a couple minutes.

Or try making a pocket salad with pita bread stuffed with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and dressing. You can even make lowfat frozen dessert by mixing 2 cups frozen fruit (like strawberries or blueberries) with 1 cup skim milk and 3 Tbsp. sugar. Place in a blender and serve right away or freeze. Make your beverages count, too, by choosing 100 percent fruit juices, lowfat milk (plain or flavored), or make smoothies by combining fruit, milk and ice and blending in a blender.

Here’s a snack that is quick to fix and very nutritious. A serving of Homemade Chips and Fresh Salsa (one-fourth of the recipe) contains 120 calories, 1.2 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 27 percent of the daily recommendation for vitamin C. For more information about food and nutrition or past issues of Prairie Fare, visit http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/food.htm .

Homemade Chips and Fresh Salsa

Ingredients:
6 corn tortillas
Salt (optional)

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tortillas into small wedges, similar to cutting up a pie. Place on baking sheet. If salt is desired, spray tortillas lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Ingredients:
2 large ripe tomatoes
2 tsp. chili peppers, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. onions, chopped
1/4 tsp ground coriander (or two tsp chopped cilantro)
1 Tbsp. sugar

Procedure:
You can alter the Aheat@ in your salsa based on your choice of pepper. Chop ingredients by hand or use a food processor. Chill or serve immediately.

###

Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Gary Moran, (701) 231-7865, gmoran@ndsuext.nodak.edu