March 6, 2003

Prairie Fare: Snack Your Way to a Healthier Diet

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

"Snacking" often conjures up images of guzzling soda pop, crunching on chips and munching on candy bars while cruising down the highway or lounging in front of a TV. Snack foods are big sellers. About 75 percent of us have some type of snack every day.

Snacking on more nutritious foods, however, can be good for your health. Well-chosen snacks can fill in nutrition gaps and add variety to your diet. Nutritious snacks also can help with weight control and improve work or school performance by providing an energy boost. Smaller, more frequent meals can even help prevent heartburn.

Snacks can help you meet current nutrition recommendations, too. March, National Nutrition Month, is a good time to examine your diet.

Are you eating "5 a day?" That’s the recommended number of total daily fruit and vegetable servings. Snacking on a crunchy apple or a handful of baby carrots will each add about a serving to your total.

Are you meeting your "3 a day of dairy?" Snacking on a cup of low-fat yogurt or an ounce and a half of cheese will each add a serving to your day’s total.

Are you remembering "3 are key?" Aim for three daily servings of whole grain foods. Three to four whole grain crackers, one small whole grain muffin or an ounce of whole grain cereal each count as a serving.

Too much of almost any food, however, can lead to weight gain. To help with weight management, it’s best to keep snacks at about 100 or 200 calories per snack and to eat smaller portions at main meals.

How much is 100 or 200 calories’ worth of food? The American Dietetic Association provided this listing of nutritious snacks with calorie, fat and fiber content. For more information, visit their Web site: www.eatright.com

• 1 medium banana and one tablespoon of peanut butter: 200 calories, 8.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber.
• 1 medium apple with skin and one-ounce string cheese: 190 calories, 6.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber
• One-quarter cup of raisins and one half cup plain yogurt: 170 calories, 0 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of fiber
• Two-cups of popcorn, unbuttered sprinkled with cayenne pepper: 80 calories, 1 gram of fat, 2 grams of fiber
• One-half cup of pretzels and mustard: 93 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0.5 grams of fiber
• 10 regular tortilla chips and one-quarter cup salsa: 188 calories, 10 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber
• One-cup of dry whole grain cereal and one cup of one percent milk: 200 calories, 3 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of fiber
• Six-ounces of skim milk, one-half tablespoon cocoa, one half tablespoon sugar, dash cinnamon and vanilla extract: 102 calories, 5 grams of fat, 0 grams of fiber.
• One small corn tortilla, one-half ounce grated reduced fat cheddar cheese, 1 chopped tomato, 1 tablespoon jalapeno pepper slices: 109 calories, 2 grams of fat, 2.7 grams of fiber
• One slice of angel food cake with one-third cup of fresh berries: 100 calories, 0.2 grams of fat, 1.6 grams of fiber

Here’s a tasty snack that’s easy to make.

Easy Bean Dip

1 16-ounce can refried beans
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder

In a small saucepan, mix all three ingredients. Heat and stir until smooth. Store in refrigerator. Serve hot or cold with carrot sticks, celery sticks, cauliflower, broccoli, whole grain crackers or baked tortilla chips.

Makes 2 cups (8 servings). Each serving contains 85 calories, 0.6 g fat, 10.7 g carbohydrate, 0.5 g fiber and 175 mg sodium.

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Source: Julie Garden-Robinson, (701) 231-7187, jgardenr@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu