| Sweets and Snacks |
Some sweets and snacks, for example baked goods (cakes and cookies), cheese crackers and some chips, often are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Avoid any products that are labeled refined, enriched, or fortified. With these labels, the good nutrients have been removed and replaced with other nutrients such as riboflavin, niacin, folate and iron, along with bad sugars and fats. When grains are refined, fiber and important natural nutrients have been lost.
If you have high cholesterol, here are some low fat sweets and snacks you can buy:
- Angel food cake topped with fruit puree or fresh fruit slices
- Fat-free or low-fat cookies like animal crackers, devil's food cookies, fig and other fruit bars, ginger snaps and vanilla or lemon wafers
- Frozen low-fat or non-fat yogurt, fruit ices, ice milk, sherbet and sorbet
- Puddings made with 1% or fat-free milk or Jello-O
- Whole grain pretzels
Just remember that while these treats are may be low in fat, most are not low in calories. Choose these sweets and snacks only every now and then, especially if you are trying to control your weight to improve your blood cholesterol levels.
Not all snack foods are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Eating is about balance, and you need to find your balance. Try some of these low-fat ones and keep them on hand for snack attacks:
- Ready-to-eat whole-food cereals or granola bars without added sugar
- Frozen grapes or banana slices; or other fresh fruit
- Fruit leather or other dried fruit – try to buy organic
- Low-fat or fat-free crackers like melba toast, rice cakes, rye crisps and soda crackers
- No oil - baked tortilla chips
- Popcorn (air popped or "light") – avoid butter and try adding spices instead
- Pretzels
- Raw vegetables with non-fat or low-fat dip
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| melsQuiz answer |
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| melsBuzz |
- If you have high cholesterol, avoid refined foods. Remember though, life is about balance so treat yourself once in a while.
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| melsAdvice |
- Eat snacks that are considered to be whole foods
- Read labels. Not all snacks are created equally
- Avoid the simple carbohydrates found in refined sugars because they lack vitamins, minerals, and fiber
- If you feel like a snack, have a piece of fruit or even enjoy dried fruit
- Avoid packaged cookies like Chips Ahoy! and Oreos. If you want a cookie, go to a local bakery or bake one yourself
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| DidYouKnow? |
- Most adults need between 21 and 38 grams of fiber per day, but few rarely consume this amount
- Research has shown that eating too many refined foods could increase teenage acne, because refined carbohydrates unleash a series of reactions in your body.
- Between 40% and 60% of your total calories should come from carbohydrates, preferably from complex carbs and naturally occurring sugars.
- By eating too many refined foods, your weight will increase significantly
- Avoiding foods you like actually causes you to eat more than if you allowed yourself to indulge
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| melsTips |
Here are my favorite snacks:
- Baked apples
- Whole grain crackers
- Apple sauce
- Piece of dark chocolate (try Endangered Species brand)
- Edamane
- Raw bars made from dried fruits, nuts, or seeds
- Whole grain cereal bars with fresh fruit filling or whole grain protein bars (try Cliff bars)
- Whole grain crackers with low or non-fat cheese
- Raw vegetables and hummus
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| melsQuiz |
- Simple sugars found in refined foods are sometime referred to as ____________
- Which snack foods may boost your energy temporarily, but cause you to crash?
- If you want to maintain your energy levels, or even have a little boost, which is the best snack food to have?
- Approximately how many people in America get their snack foods from vending machines?
- True or False? Sodas are not considered to be snack foods.
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| melsQuiz Answers |
- Empty calories
- Potato chips, and tortilla chips and cheese puffs
- Most nutritionists say a small can of chunk light tuna
- According to food service giant Aramark, it’s 15%
- False, they are considered to be snack foods.
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