My Ten Favorite Snacks

Snacking IS allowed. In fact, I highly recommend it to prevent you from being overly hungry at mealtime and wolfing down more than you should (or the wrong foods). So here, in no particular order, are my top ten favorite healthful snacks.

1. Apples and peanut butter (and maybe a little Nutella, my new love). The Nutella offers scant nutritional benefit, but it tastes good, and a little goes a long way. The apple's fiber, vitamins and antioxidants somewhat nullify the peanut butter's fat--and you wouldn't eat more than a tablespoon at a time, would you? Of course you wouldn't.

2. Yogurt, bananas, walnuts and honey. Fat-free plain yogurt, that is. A FEW walnuts and no more than a couple of teaspoons of honey. Protein, fiber, enough fat to keep you satisfied for an hour or more, and the sweet banana and honey are a great contrast to the creamy yogurt and crunchy walnuts. Magnifique!

3. Baby carrots and hummus. What could you find wrong with this? The right mix of crunchy, savory, sweet, salty and creamy--and so good for you. Fiber and protein, to boot.

4. Prunes. I know what you're thinking, but have you tried them lately? They're really sweet and satisfying. And you already know about the fiber.

5. Ten to 15 almonds. I give you an amount because it's easy to down hundreds of calories worth of nuts, if you're not careful. Eat them one at a time and savor them.
They offer protein, calcium, fiber, vitamin E, shall I go on?

6. Air- or canola-oil popped popcorn, lightly salted. NOT microwave popcorn--you'll never go back to that stuff once you've tried the real thing, popped in a real pot on a real stove (not to mention, it's so much more economical). Amounts of the oil-popped version do need to be monitored, but you can go wild on the air-popped stuff.

7. Soy milk smoothie. Really, it's better than it sounds. Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, fat-free plain yogurt, vanilla soy milk, honey and a dash of vanilla, if you like. Blend and enjoy.

8. Veggies and salsa. Actually, salsa on just about anything savory is good. Maybe a FEW tortilla chips.

9. Vegetarian refried beans on a whole-wheat or high-fiber tortilla; maybe a sprinkle of shredded cheese. Heat and eat.

10. Marinated cucumbers. In a wide-necked jar, make a solution of white vinegar, sugar and cold water to taste. Add peeled sliced cucumber and red onion, if you like. Allow to marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. Pull out a few slices as you get hungry. Great in the summer if you have a hankering for something cold, crisp and good for you.