But a snack attack doesn’t have to ruin your diet — if you think twice before reaching for that bowl of chips.
Here are 5 traps to avoid and some tricks for smarter snacking.
—Elisa Zied, R.D."; Health_snacktraps[i++] = new Array("","Stressed-out scarfing","","http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/ArtAndPhoto-Fronts/HEALTH/080221/g-080221-hlth-stuffingface2-1p.standard.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "", "", "298", "225", "", "", "", "", ""); Health_snacktraps[i-1].body = "Stressed spelled backward is desserts. Both men and women consume more high-fat, high-sugar snacks when they’re feeling overwhelmed by daily hassles, especially those related to work, according to a recent study in Health Psychology. Women, people on a diet and the obese were most likely to snack when stressed.
What to do: Pop a strong mint or breath strip in your mouth or rinse with mouthwash to help yourself resist the urge to snack. When you’re feeling tense, do something that does not involve food. Take a 5- or 10-minute walk outside, call a friend, do some gentle stretches, or listen to your favorite music to decompress and help you avoid seeking comfort in food.
";
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Health_snacktraps[i-1].body = "Whether you nibble while watching TV, while working, or cooking a meal, mindless noshing means you’re not paying attention to what or how much you’re eating.
This can cause you to pack in more food — and pack on more calories.
What to do: Eat snacks only when you’re sitting at a table. Turn off the TV and computer monitor, and don’t talk on the phone while eating. Eliminating distractions will help you feel more satisfied more quickly and curb your intake.
";
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Health_snacktraps[i-1].body = "You’ve always heard it’s better to eat small frequent meals to stave off hunger, as a way to include foods from different key food groups, and to steady blood sugar and energy levels throughout the day.
But if you snack when you’re not really hungry, your body is apt to store some of those excess calories as body fat.
What to do: While it’s never a good idea to wait until you’re ravenous to eat, make sure you snack only when you’re hungry — not when you’re bored, or lured by the sight and smell of tempting food. This is especially important if you are overweight and if your snack choices are high in calories, sugar or fat. ";
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Health_snacktraps[i-1].body = "Your little bowl of chips, cookies or candy may look too small to do much damage to your diet, but beware: Typical snack foods are energy dense — they pack in a lot of calories, fat and/or sugar in a small portion.
These foods may taste great, but they won’t fill you up and may leave you feeling sluggish, especially if they’re quickly digested because they’re high in sugar and low in protein and fiber.
What to do: Before you dive into that snack bag, read the nutrition label for calorie load. Portion out one serving into a small baggie or on a small plate. If there’s a type of goodie that you tend to overeat, don’t keep it in the house. Buy a single serving if possible and make it a once-in-a-while treat.
The popular 100-calorie snack packs (which rake in an estimated $200 million per year) can satisfy your sweet tooth or craving, but stick to only one pack a day to keep calories down and leave room in your diet for more nutritious foods.";
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Health_snacktraps[i-1].body = "
Americans consume about 20 percent of their daily calories from beverages. Skim milk and 100 percent fruit juice offer several key nutrients, but sports drinks, energy drinks, coffee beverages and fruit drinks with added sugar contain a lot of calories and don’t satiate you the way solid foods do.
What to do: Even if you’re not watching your weight, it’s important to count most caloric beverages as extra calories. Most people can only afford about 100 and 200 discretionary calories each day.
If you have one can of sugary soda, that counts as 150 calories, the same amount you’d find in three small cookies or six Hershey kisses. Try substituting flavored sparkling water for soda. And when you choose caloric beverages, stick to the smallest cup, can and bottle size to limit how much you consume. ";
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Health_snacktraps[i-1].body = "The key to healthy between-meal noshing is to choose foods with protein and fiber that contain 200 calories or less. When you're feeling hungry, try these healthy snacks:
• One whole wheat pita, toasted and cut into triangles; 12 grape tomatoes dipped into 1/4 cup (4 level tablespoons) hummus
• 2 tablespoons low-fat granola mixed with 10 peanuts, dry roasted and 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) dried cranberries
• 1 cup plain, nonfat yogurt mixed with 1 cup unsweetened applesauce or with 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 3/4 ounce baked tortilla chips topped with 1 ounce melted reduced-fat cheddar cheese and 2 tablespoons salsa
• 1/2 whole wheat English muffin topped with 1 ounce fresh mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup low-sodium tomato sauce
• 5 whole wheat crackers topped with 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 small banana topped with 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks mixed with 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1 medium cucumber, sliced, and 1 ounce Swiss cheese, cubed, dipped in 2 tablespoons reduced-fat Italian salad dressing
";
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