Power Snacking with Dairy

Snacking has become a way of life in our multi-tasking world.  According to statistics reported by the National Dairy Council, snacks,on average, contribute 24% of our daily caloric intake.  That's about 421 calories per day for the average woman! For me,personally, that would be about one third of my daily calorie intake.  Including snacks in our daily diet plan is not  a bad habit if we are choosing nutrient dense foods. Snacks can provide energy and can be selected to increase intake of essential cravings, take the edge off hunger and prevent overeating at meals. Healthy snacks can help power you through the day!

To improve my daily diet plan and make every calorie count, I'll be including nutrient dense foods on my snack list.  Nutrient dense foods are  foods that provide substantial amounts of  vitamins and minerals and relatively few calories.  The National Dairy Council offers these tips for Smart Snacking:

• Choose a variety of nutrient-dense snacks from the MyPlate food groups--fruits,vegetables,grains,protein,and low-fat and fat-free dairy
• Limit intake of foods high in solid fats,added sugars and salt
• Make snacks count toward food group servings
• Keep your daily calorie limit in mind when choosing snacks
• Pay attention to serving sizes and avoid oversized portions of snacks
• Plan ahead. Pack grab and go healthy snacks such as fruit,vegetables,nuts,whole grain crackers and cheese for your lunchbox,backpack or briefcase, and have perishable snacks such as milk and yogurt for at home snacks
• Avoid mindless snacking on nutrient poor foods and beverages (i.e.,eating or drinking  while doing something else such as watching TV)

A wealth of information  about healthy snacks,nutrition and great recipes  can be found at http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org/ or http://www.midwestdairy.com/.  Power snacking with dairy can be a strategy to help meet the recommended  three daily servings of dairy and the nutrients provided by dairy.

                                                             Happy Power Snacking!