128 Calorie Strawberry & Low-fat Cream Cheese Sandwich from Eating Well

The idea of eating 3 square meals a day is going the way of the typewriter (does anyone besides me remember carbon paper?) in favor of eating 5-6 times a day in order to boost metabolism and maintain energy throughout the day.

To increase your metabolism and lose weight, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends eating numerous, nutritious small meals or mini-meals a day instead of the usual three.

The ADA has put together a list of healthy snack choices that contain a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains. Here is a sampling from the ADA’s list, broken down by the amount of calories:

Snacks with 200 Calories or Less:

• One tablespoon of peanut butter spread on a medium-sized sliced apple
• One cup tomato soup with 5 whole grain crackers
• One 6-inch flour tortilla with 1/4 cup black beans and 2 tablespoons fresh salsa (my suggestion: go with a whole wheat tortilla, instead)
• Toaster waffle topped with 1/2 cup blueberries and 2 tablespoons low-fat yogurt

200-300 Calorie Snacks for Active Adults, Teens & Athletes:

• Instant oatmeal with fat-free milk and 1 tablespoon honey, 1/2 cup sliced peaches and a dash of cinnamon
• Veggie pizzas: split whole wheat English muffin, top with 2 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese, 1/2 cup diced fresh veggies and 1 ounce low-fat mozzarella cheese
• Banana split: banana sliced lengthwise topped with 1/2 cup frozen yogurt and 1 tablespoon of chopped nuts

You can see the complete list here, Smart_Snacking_for_Adults_and_Teens1 along with tips for healthy snacking.

It’s important to remember, snacks require portion control. Like all foods, if you eat more than the recommended serving size, you will add calories to your diet. Even if you cheat “just a little” by eating an extra 100 calories a day, you could gain 10 pounds in one year. Yikes!

You can find more healthy snack ideas by checking out the web. Here are a few sites that may come in handy. Many list snacks by calories and some according to food group. There’s a great variety to choose from. (Although, Good & Plenty is suspiciously missing from the lists. Hmmmm.)

Snack Girl: http://www.snack-girl.com/healthy/
Self magazine: http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2009/06/30-healthy-snacks
Eating Well: http://tinyurl.com/2bx5avn
WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-best-healthy-snacks-in-your-supermarket

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