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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

How to: pick a better 100-calorie snack

By: Alison Johnson

Posted: 01/30/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

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Deen�s Lady Brunch Burger consists of a hamburger topped with a fried egg and bacon and instead of a bun, it is sandwiched between two Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts.

Many companies now package snacks in 100-calorie portions, but they often don't contain the nutrients your body needs. "I love the concept of those, but the majority of them aren't the best options," says Chrissy Wellington, a nutritionist at Canyon Ranch health resort in Lenox, Mass. Some advice:

Read package labels. Plenty of unhealthy ingredients can go into a 100-calorie snack. Ideally, a serving should contain less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat and less than 10 to 12 grams of sugar -- the lower the better -- along with some fibre and protein. Pretzels, air-popped popcorn and nuts tend to be among the healthier packages.

Avoid the least healthy packages. Chocolate chip cookies, candy, biscuits and crackers such as Ritz land on Wellington's "worst" list because they're high in sugar and/or artery-clogging fats.

Think outside the bag. Stay close to 100 calories with four to six ounces of low-fat yogurt, a hardboiled egg and a small piece of fruit, an ounce of cheese -- look for one with less than two grams of fat per serving -- or a third of a cup of edamame beans.

Get milk. Drink a cup of low-fat chocolate milk, which is rich in protein, or warm a cup of skim milk with sprinkles of cinnamon and vanilla extract.

Load up on fruits. A small banana or medium-sized pear or apple should run about 100 calories, as would a cup of berries, half a large grapefruit or two plums or apricots. Or pair half a fruit serving with two teaspoons of peanut butter or a few dry-roasted nuts.

Cut up vegetables. Raw leafy veggies such as broccoli and cauliflower only contain about 30 calories per two cups; other easy snacks such as carrots, celery and cherry tomatoes have roughly 30 calories per half cup. Hummus, at roughly 80 calories for a quarter-cup, can be a smart dip.

-- Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 30, 2012 D1

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