Food Tips

I know we are all going to really have to watch what we are eating and a lot of this is common sense for some but I will be the first to admit that I need help in this area.  I just came across an article on WebMd that talked about the 8 good things to eat/8 bad things not to eat.  The bad are pretty common sense and included items like Packaged Frozen Snacks (Jimmy Dean Biscuit Bacon, Egg, and Cheese sandwiches and Hot Pockets) and Frozen Foods like Tyson Chicken Nuggets.  For me, I think the area that will be more helpful is occasionally posting good snack ideas or quick meals.  A lot of us might not have the time to really cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day so it is important that we all have good alternatives (and if any of you say soy nuts then I'll shake my finger at you like Dikembe Mutombo).  Here are a few snacks from the article.

Healthy Snacks to Try Instead

Toasted 100% Whole-Wheat English Muffin with Peanut Butter

You'll find at least two brands of 100% whole-wheat English muffin (Oroweat and Thomas) in most supermarkets. Toasted and spread with some natural-style peanut butter (the type that just contains peanuts and a little salt), these make a satisfying snack with 10 grams protein and 5 grams of fiber.

	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sugar (g)	Sodium (mg)
Oroweat 100% Whole-Wheat English Muffin + 1 Tablespoon Natural-Style Peanut Butter	250	10	1.2	5	295

  

Quesadillas

A quesadilla is quick to fix in the microwave or over the stove. If you use a whole-wheat or whole-grain tortilla and reduced-fat cheese, you'll get plenty of protein and fiber (12 grams protein; 8 grams fiber) for hunger-satisfying power. You can customize your quesadilla by adding nutrient-rich vegetables such as tomatoes, chopped green onions, peppers, or avocado.

	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sugar (g)	Sodium (mg)
100 Calorie 100% Whole-wheat Tortilla, 1 oz. Shredded Reduced-Fat Cheddar or Jack Cheese	190	7.5	3.5	8	560

Fun-to-Eat Frozen Vegetables

Vegetables can be fun to eat, like frozen edamame (green soybeans) from the pod. Just heat in the microwave (you can also serve them cold), open up the pods and snack away at the green soybeans inside. They're low in calories and packed with fiber and protein (8 grams fiber, 10 grams protein). If you're hankering for a potato-based snack, the frozen steak fries are usually the lowest in calories, fat, and saturated fat because they have a higher ratio of potato to crispy exterior.

	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sugar (g)	Sodium (mg)
Edamame (in pod), 1 1/8 cup	90	2	0	8	30
Ore*Ida Steak Fries, 3 oz	110	3	1.5	2	300

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/best-and-worst-snacks?page=2