Snack Time

By Bob Greene

Imagine, being on a diet plan that not only allows you to eat three substantial meals, but also requires snacking! It may sound too good to be true, but there are many reasons why I recommend having a snack—or two, depending on your calorie limit and hunger level—each day.

I know, you may think of snacking as a bad thing. After all, how can noshing all day on typical snack foods, which usually provide nothing but extra calories, be good for you? But I think there’s some confusion surrounding snacking. First, many people use the terms ‘snack’ and ‘treat’ interchangeably, which is a big mistake. A treat is a piece of chocolate or a small bag of chips—indulgences that aren’t necessarily nutritious, but keep you from feeling deprived. (One of the great things about the Best Life plan is that it allows room for these small treats in your daily diet. In fact, depending on how active you are, you'll get up to 350 Anything Goes Calories to spend on whatever foods you wish. To learn more about Anything Goes Calories, pick up a copy of The Best Life Diet or join www.TheBestLife.com.) On the other hand, a snack should be part of your regular diet and provide a lot of nutrients for a low number of calories. That brings me to the second problem: Calories. Most of our snacks are higher in calories than they should be. In fact, some ‘snacks’ are closer to full-blown meals.

If you snack wisely, though, you’ll enjoy a number of benefits. For one, a healthy bite between meals can actually help you lose weight: It keeps your hunger in check, so you don’t overdo it when mealtime finally comes around. It also helps you stay energized, which means you’re more likely to be active, and thus, burn more calories. Snacking also stabilizes your blood sugar levels and gives your metabolism a little boost. (Anytime you eat, your metabolism increases slightly. So, you can think of snacking as a way to keep your metabolism humming all day long.) And, you can use snacks as a way to fill in any holes in your diet. For example, many of the snacks on the Best Life plan are rich in calcium, a nutrient that can be tough to get enough of when you're cutting calories.

To have your snacks and slim down, too, you have to choose foods that are nutritious, low in calories (from 100 to 200 calories) and satisfying. You can keep a healthy snack stash in your gym bag, desk, car and/or purse, so you’re prepared whenever hunger strikes. Not sure what to stock up on? Check out some of the calcium-rich, diet-friendly suggestions below, and don’t forget to refer to the meal plans for more mouthwatering munchies!

Smart Snacks

Maple-Nut Yogurt (mix 1 teaspoon maple syrup and 1 tablespoon walnut pieces into 6 ounces, or 3/4 cup, low-fat plain yogurt)

Milk and Crackers (spread 60 calories worth of high-fiber crackers, such as Wasa Fiber Rye Crispbread, with 2 teaspoons jam and serve with 1 cup nonfat or 1-percent milk, or calcium-enriched soymilk)

12-ounce skim-milk latte and 8 almonds

1 ounce (1 slice) low-fat cheese with 1/2 ounce whole-grain crackers

3/4 cup mixed berries with 3/4 cup low-fat yogurt and 1 teaspoon of honey

1 can (11 oz) Slim-Fast Optima Shake