Judy Dodd, MS, RD, LDN, Giant Eagle^® Corporate Nutritionist

There is no better time of the year to find healthy snacks than summer! Fruit is ripe and fresh vegetables are bursting with nutrition and flavor. The urge to snack or graze is more likely with summer schedules. The rush to enjoy long daylight hours rather than taking time for meals is another reason to seek out better-for-you snacks.

Here are some guidelines:

• Think "mini-meals" rather than snacks to keep nutrition and calorie balance in check. That means a mid-morning snack is an extension of the wake-up meal. Afternoon snacks are a way to help bridge the gap between a mid-day meal and dinner. And your evening snack becomes a way to add some interest to evening activities while giving your body some fuel to carry through the night's rest.
• Hydration is always important, which means drinking plenty of water, juice or other drinks.
• Look for nutrients in snacks.
  • Calorie-free beverages and water are ways to hydrate, but if you want nutritional value from a snack, there should be some protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. And you need readily available calories that come from 100% juice, fruit and grains for energy.
  • A whole-grain cereal or cereal bar carries easily and safely lasts in the sun (unless it has chocolate chips)! Whole grains, nuts and dried fruit are healthful ingredients to find on the label.
  • Frozen juice bars or frozen yogurt in a tube add nutrients and a sweet taste to the picture.
• Carry a cold pack to make sure cut fruits and vegetables, dips and salsa, hummus, cheese cubes, or sticks stay cold. If this isn't possible, stay with whole fruit and cereal bars that don't require refrigeration to stay safe. Rely on peanut butter, soy or sunflower-seed butter or nuts as protein-adding snacks that withstand heat.
• Find ways to cut the calories and the salt with the usual "salty" snacks. Baked snack chips often have a lower-salt profile. Make your own baked chips from Giant Eagle^® tortillas or pita pockets — it's a great family activity and a way to boost nutrition.
• Keep raw vegetables on hand for dipping. Carrots, celery sticks, bell pepper strips, broccoli, snow peas, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and zucchini with low-fat ranch dip or Giant Eagle^® salsa add health and crunch with lower calories. Apple slices and celery taste great with nut butters.
• Widen your salsa horizons with a variety of fruit and vegetable salsas, all available ready to use in jars.
• Involve the children in some healthy snacking activities — including making yogurt, fruit and granola parfaits; fruit and cheese cube kabobs (threaded on straws for safety); trail mix, and smoothies.
• Try freezing grapes or banana slices for a snack that refreshes. But make sure children take the time to chew the grapes, since these could present a choking hazard.

Need recipes? Contact Nutrition@gianteagle.com.

August 2010