Snack Right

Healthy snacks are easy. You don’t need to do a lot of planning and it sure beats hitting the vending machine for the 3 p.m. pick-me-up. Here are a few twists on snack foods that pack a nutritional punch:

Gourmet peanut butter. The good old stand-by of PB&J just got a little fancier. Next time you are out at the mall, stop in to some fancy foods and gift stores. They are sure to carry peanut butter in original flavors such as banana, white chocolate, and milk chocolate, to name a few. Spread this delicious concoction of protein heaven on whole wheat toast to curb a sweet craving and surprise your taste buds.

Low sodium crackers. They may not sound particularly appetizing, but paired with a cured meat, you won’t be disappointed in flavor. Try layering the crackers with low fat ham and low fat cheese for protein and you won’t even notice the lack of salt on the crackers—the ham will add plenty of seasoning and the cheese just adds to the protein count. Just make sure they are low fat.

Flavored water. Various companies now offer 5-10 calorie packs of flavoring for water. You just add the small packet of powder to a bottle of water, shake and enjoy. If you find it hard to get your recommended 8 cups of water per day, this may help. It tastes great; the water helps control your appetite and the sweetened powder will assist in curbing your sweet tooth.

If you often find yourself hunting for change at the bottom of your purse or pocket for a fattening vending machine treat, try stocking up on these items and eating them instead.