Does this sound familiar? There you are in the middle of 3^rd period and you’re stomach starts growling! Your on your way home from school and you’re feeling so hungry you really think you could pass out if your don’t get something to eat NOW! You’re at home studying or playing your favorite video games when hunger starts knocking on your stomach hard! What do you do? What can you eat that’s fast, quick, easy and filling?

Favorite snacks often include chips, soft drinks, cookies, candy bars, pizza, burgers and fries, and ice cream. Yet all of these high-calorie snacks can cause weight gain and feeling sluggish. If you find that you do start gaining weight what do you usually do? Often times we’ll stop snacking altogether and begin to “fast” for hours at a time.

Now, what’s the problem with trying to lose those extra pounds by eliminating your snacks you may ask? The problem is that you set yourself up for overeating when you go for five or six hours without eating. Many nutritionists believe that we should eat smaller meals every three to four hours (instead of three large meals per day). This may help your body’s blood sugar levels stay stable. Providing a steady supply of glucose to your brain helps keep you from having mood swings and getting cranky. It also helps to reduce the chances of binging.

Good News and Bad News about Snacking

Here’s the good news: the best way to maintain a normal weight (and be smarter, faster, stronger and happier) is to stop depriving yourself. Go ahead and eat a healthy snack between meals, and enjoy it! Snacking between meals ensures that your body will not run out of fuel. And common sense tells you that it’s hard to make wise choices at dinnertime if your stomach is growling.

The bad news is that if you make poor choices or eat too many calories at snack time, you’ll probably gain weight. If your snack choices are determined by how you feel at the moment or by the not-so-nutritious selections in the vending machine, you’re likely to overeat and miss out on important nutrients.

That’s why it’s good to plan ahead. Below, find a list of Smart Snack Suggestions, or come up with your own healthy favorites. Then, post this list on your refrigerator door. Make sure you or your parents buy these foods from the supermarket, so you have a variety to choose from each afternoon.

Smart Snack Suggestions

The following snacks will help fill you up and keep you going until your next meal. Many can be pre-packaged the night before:

• Apple slices spread with peanut butter and sprinkled with raisins.
• Banana sliced in half and spread lightly with peanut butter.
• Bean burger on a whole-grain bun with lettuce and tomato.
• Bean burrito.
• Black bean dip with whole-grain crackers.
• Cheese toast (whole grain bread with low-fat cheese).
• Cut-up vegetables with low-fat ranch dressing.
• Edamame (steamed Japanese soybeans).
• Hummus on a whole-wheat pita.
• Low-fat yogurt with a tablespoon of chopped walnuts.
• Oatmeal made with low-fat milk with strawberries.
• Peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole-grain bread. (Use half a banana and spread the peanut butter lightly.)
• Popcorn without butter (sprinkle with Parmesan cheese).
• Red grapes and string cheese.
• Rice cakes spread lightly peanut butter (spread lightly).
• Serving of almonds and dried cranberries or blueberries.
• Slice of cheese or veggie pizza.
• Small bagel with low-fat cream cheese.
• Soy nuts and string cheese.
• Soymilk smoothie.
• String cheese and whole-grain crackers.
• Trail mix (measure one serving).
• Tuna sandwich on whole-grain bread.
• Turkey and low-fat cheese sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato.
• Vegetable soup with whole-grain crackers.
• Whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk.
• Whole-grain English muffin spread lightly with peanut butter. (webmd.com)

Smart Mini-Meal Snack Suggestions

1. Make a fruit pizza by spreading 2 tablespoons of nonfat cream cheese on a toasted English muffin. Top with ¼ cup of sliced strawberries, handful of grapes, or ¼ cup of any fruit canned in its own juice. Or top with broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes for a veggie twist.

2. Eat a small bag or handful of baked chips, pretzels, or single-serving bag of air-popped popcorn.

3. Create a homemade fruit smoothie by combining ½ cup frozen vanilla yogurt, ½ cup 100 percent orange juice, and one peeled orange in a blender.

4. Have two rice cakes, six whole-grain crackers, or one slice of whole-grain bread served with low-fat cheese, fruit spread, hummus, or peanut butter.

5. Opt for an individual serving size of sugar-free, nonfat pudding instead of regular ice cream.

6. Choose a small tortilla with one or two slices of low-fat cheese or turkey, or a small bowl of vegetable soup and a few crackers.

7. Snack on 1 cup of whole-grain cereal with nonfat or low-fat milk and add ¼ cup of blueberries, strawberries, or peaches.

8. Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on a tortilla and then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of whole-grain cereal on top. Peel and place one banana on the tortilla and then roll the tortilla for a crunchy treat.

9. Try an apple, banana, or plum with one or two reduced-fat or low-fat string cheese sticks.

10. Combine ⅛ cup of almonds and ⅛ cup of dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins with ½ cup of whole-grain cereal for a fun trail mix.

So next time the hunger gremlin starts knocking on your stomach looking for food, try one or several of the above snack options, make sure to eat plenty of fruits, veggies and drink plenty of water.

Fitfully yours,

Lisa