Plan Ahead

Think about your snacks in advance. When choosing your snacks for the week, make food choices that will give you important nutrients and energy for your day.

 

Watch Your Portions

Be sure to check the serving size and number of calories per serving on the Nutrition Facts panel on the package and compare it to what you actually eat. It is important to know if you are eating more than the serving size so that you can more accurately determine just how many calories and nutrients you are consuming.

If you're keeping an eye on the calories you eat, you can consider eating less than the serving size listed. Another trick is to put a serving on a plate and put away the package (rather than eating directly from the box or bag). Pre-portioned snacks can also help you stay on track. Enjoy pre-portioned snacks such as:

• Keebler® Right Bites® 100 Calorie Packs (100 calories per pouch),
• Special K® cereal bars (90 calories per bar),
• Kellogg's® Nutri-Grain® cereal bars (140 or less calories per bar), or
• Kellogg's® All-Bran® cereal bars (130 or less calories per bar)

 

Look on the Label for Good Nutrition

The % Daily Values (DV) listed on the Nutrition Facts panel are a terrific tool to help you choose nutritious snacks. As a general guide, choose snacks that are:

• Low (5% DV or less) in nutrients you don't want too much of, like fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium
• High (20% DV or more) in nutrients you want to get enough of, such as fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.

 

Build a Snack from the MyPyramid Food Groups

It's a smart idea to create a snack from one or more food groups, including:

• Grains: These include foods made from cereal grains such as breakfast cereal, cereal bars, breads, muffins and crackers.
• Fruits: Try fresh, canned, frozen, or dried fruit or 100% fruit juice. Choose fruits canned in 100% fruit juice or water rather than syrup.
• Vegetables: Snack on fresh, frozen, canned, or dried/dehydrated vegetables or 100% vegetable juice. Pre-washed and cut vegetables, such as baby carrots, celery sticks and grape tomatoes make for quick snacks.
• Dairy: Pick from milk, yogurt and cheese. Try to choose low-fat or fat-free versions most often.
• Meat & Beans: This includes meat, poultry, fish, dry beans or peas, eggs, nuts, and seeds. Try a serving of almonds, or some hummus (chickpea dip).

 

Remember Beverages May Provide Calories, Too!

It's easy to forget that beverages such as regular soft drinks and fruit drinks contain calories. If you choose a drink that contains calories, be sure to factor those calories into your snack – because they count, too!

To quench your thirst without calories, plain water is always a great choice. If your drink does contain some calories, check the Nutrition Facts panel to ensure that you are getting some vitamins and minerals with those calories, too.