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• by April Sanders

• Learning how to correctly eat healthy snacks can mean the difference between a healthy lifestyle and an unhealthy one. Blue Cross Blue Shield notes that sugary and salty snacks only satisfy cravings rather than hunger and fill us up with empty calories.Blue Cross Blue Shield: Eat Healthy Tips However, snacking in itself is not bad. In fact, according to MedicineNet.com, snacking is a good way to stave off hunger and even lose weight—but only if done the right way.Medicine Net:Ten Ways to Have That Snack and Lose Weight This article will help you learn how to snack smart!

• If it's not in your house, you can't eat it. Get those unhealthy snacks out of your kitchen!MSNBC: Are You Going to Eat That? (Nov. 30, 2007)

1. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association says to throw out snacks that obviously have little health value, such as sugary cookies, salty chips, or other junk foods.Blue Cross Blue Shield: Eat Healthy Tips
2. MSNBC suggests re-evaluating "healthy" processed foods, such as granola bars or fruit bars.MSNBC: Are You Going to Eat That? (Nov. 30, 2007) These may seem healthy, but many brands are actually loaded with sugar and/or salt.MSNBC: Are You Going to Eat That? (Nov. 30, 2007)

• Once you have rid your kitchen of unhealthy snacks, it is time to replace those foods with healthier choices.About.com: Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Every Day

1. Learn how to read labels: Nutritional information labels will tell you how many grams of sugar and salt are in that food. The fewer grams per serving, the better!U.S. Food and Drug Administration: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
   • -The FDA notes good snack choices include those high in fiber and low in processed sugars.U.S. Food and Drug Administration: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
2. According to About.com, raw vegetables are a great choice for snacking, and since they take longer to chew, they are more satisfying to eat.Nutrition.About.com: Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Every Day
   • -If you can't bear to eat them unadorned, try pairing them with a low-fat vegetable dip, hummus or salsa.Nutrition.About.com: Eat More Fruits and Vegetables Every Day
3. The USDA says fruit is also a great choice for healthy snacking.MyPyramid.gov Tips to Help You Eat Fruits Try:
   1. Freezing grapes for a unique, tasty treat.MyPyramid.gov Tips to Help You Eat Fruits
   2. Stirring frozen mixed berries into some light vanilla yogurt.MyPyramid.gov Tips to Help You Eat Fruits
   3. Drizzling fresh peaches with a bit of cream is a delight.MyPyramid.gov Tips to Help You Eat Fruits
   4. Nothing beats a cold fruit salad on a hot summer's day!MyPyramid.gov Tips to Help You Eat Fruits
4. The Mayo Clinic suggests air-popped popcorn as a healthy and tasty snack. Flavor with your favorite low calorie seasonings.Mayo Clinic: Popcorn: Make It Healthy
5. Nuts are high in calories but good for you, according to Yale-New Haven Hospital. They are also very filling, so a small handful is all you need!Yale-New Haven Hospital: Nuts Are Good For You!

• Most of us have bad snacking habits: we snack when we are worried about something, or to entertain and reward ourselves.Real Simple: How to Break Bad Eating Habits Luckily, these habits, like any others, can be changed.

• We all have different nutritional needs, whether we are dieting, pregnant, or even trying to gain weight. WebMD says customizing your snacks to your particular needs and habits is another way to eat healthy and snack smart.WebMD: The Smart Way to Snack WebMD lists a few ways to custom-fit your snacks:

1. When you need an energy jolt, try protein or dairy, such as nuts, cottage cheese or even a latte made with milk.WebMD: The Smart Way to Snack
2. When you want a snack before a work-out, try a piece of fruit and some water.WebMD: The Smart Way to Snack
3. When you need something to hold you over until lunch, try cheese, crackers and fruit.WebMD: The Smart Way to Snack

• Snacking smart doesn't just mean getting rid of sugary and salty snacks. It also means controlling your portions, says About.com.About.com Weight Loss: How to Practice Portion Control

1. When thinking about portion size, according to About.com, a good snack serving size is about the size of one teacup for women and two teacups for men.About.com Weight Loss: How to Practice Portion Control
2. About.com suggests preparing portions ahead of time for when the urge to snack strikes.About.com Weight Loss: How to Practice Portion Control
   1. Look for snacks in your kitchen that may seem healthy but have the potential for overindulgence.
      • -Snacks like crackers, pretzels and even rice cakes are only good snacks if eaten in small portions.About.com Weight Loss: How to Practice Portion Control
   2. Using sandwich or snack bags, create small portions of these snacks.About.com Weight Loss: How to Practice Portion Control
      • -For example, mix half a handful of pretzels and peanuts together and place in a bag.About.com Weight Loss: How to Practice Portion Control
   3. Place these bags in your pantry for a quick, portion-controlled healthy snack.
3. Make a fruit salad and use the same spoon (or a teacup!) to give yourself two "scoops" each time you have some. Alternately, portion the salad out into small Tupperware containers.About.com Weight Loss: How to Practice Portion Control

• Sometimes, the hardest part of snacking smart is snacking while away from home. WebMD says a good snack should be between 150 and 200 calories. WebMD suggests these tips:Web MD: The Art of Power Snacking

1. Avoid the vending machine at all costs!Web MD: The Art of Power Snacking
2. Stock your desk at work with smart snacking options such as mixed nuts, air-popped popcorn or whole-grain crackers.Web MD: The Art of Power Snacking
3. Instead of chowing down on a large ice cream cone during that hot day at the beach, opt for a "junior sized" one instead, or share a cone with your significant other.
   • -Sometimes one bite is all that's needed to satisfy your sweet tooth!Web MD: The Art of Power Snacking
4. Plan ahead. Pack a cooler of healthy snacks for your day outdoors or your long road trip rather than relying on convenience store stops.Web MD: The Art of Power Snacking

• Let's face it: it's hard to get excited over replacing a bag of yummy cookies with a bunch of dry carrot sticks. There are some things you can do, however, to make the transition from unhealthy snacking to healthy snacking an easier one.Medicine Net: Seven Tips for Smart Snacking

1. MedicineNet.com says search until you find snacks you like. Healthy snacks are not going to do you any good unless you actually eat them!
   • -If it's apples you love, then an apple or two a day is certainly a good enough substitute for those carrot sticks you don't like.Medicine Net: Seven Tips for Smart Snacking
2. Enlist the help of family and friends.
   • -AARP suggests asking the members of your household to refrain from eating unhealthy snacks around you.AARP: Getting Help From Friends
3. Indulge yourself! Forbidden fruit is the most tempting of all.
   • -Go ahead and allow yourself a sugary snack once in a while. According to MedicineNet.com allowing yourself to indulge occasionally will actually help you stay on track the rest of the time.Medicine Net: Seven Tips for Smart Snacking

• Now that you've made the decision to commit to eating healthy snacks, consider taking steps to further your healthy lifestyle.Web MD: With Fruits and Veggies, More Matters After all, replacing your daily Doritos with whole-wheat crackers isn't going to do much for your body if you stop at McDonald's for dinner on the way home!

1. WebMD suggests making all your meals healthy ones, not just your snacks.Web MD: With Fruits and Veggies, More Matters
2. Another great tip, says WebMD, is including some kind of exercise in your daily routine, even if it just means taking the stairs instead of the elevator.Web MD: The Incredible Benefits of Regular Exercise
3. Consider ways to reduce the amount of stress in your life. According Psych Central, high stress is linked to poor eating habits.Psych Central: Beating Stress Through Nutrition

• The Mayo Clinic says learning how to eat healthy snacks can be the first step on the road to a healthier lifestyle.Mayo Clinic: Snacks: How They Fit Into Your Weight Loss Plan Replacing junk food with healthier choices, learning how to recognize your bad snacking habits and replacing those habits with smarter snacking behaviors will help you succeed in your goal to eat healthier snacks.