Many
companies now package snacks in 100-calorie portions, but they
often don’t contain the nutrients your body needs. "I
love the concept of those, but the majority of them aren’t
the best options," says Chrissy Wellington, a
nutritionist at Canyon Ranch health resort in Lenox, Mass.
Some advice:
Read
package labels. Plenty of unhealthy ingredients can go into a
100-calorie snack. Ideally, a serving should contain less than
.5 grams of saturated fat and less than 10 to 12 grams of
sugar — the lower the better — along with some fiber and
protein. Pretzels, air-popped popcorn and nuts tend to be
among the healthier packages.
Avoid
the least healthy packages. Chocolate chip cookies, candy,
biscuits and crackers such as Ritz and Cheez-It land on
Wellington’s "worst" list because they’re high
in sugar and/or artery-clogging fats.
Think
outside the bag. Stay close to 100 calories with 4 to 6 ounces
of low-fat yogurt, a hardboiled egg and a small piece of
fruit, an ounce of cheese — look for one with less than two
grams of fat per serving — or a third of a cup of edamame
beans.
Get
milk. Drink a cup of low-fat chocolate milk, which is rich in
protein, or warm a cup of skim milk with sprinkles of cinnamon
and vanilla extract.
Load up
on fruits. A small banana or medium-sized pear or apple should
run about 100 calories, as would a cup of berries, half a
large grapefruit or two plums or apricots. Or pair half a
fruit serving with two teaspoons of peanut butter or a few
dry-roasted nuts.
Cut up
vegetables. Raw leafy veggies such as broccoli and cauliflower
only contain about 30 calories per two cups; other easy snacks
such as carrots, celery and cherry tomatoes have roughly 30
calories per half cup. Hummus, at roughly 80 calories for a
quarter-cup, can be a smart dip.