Healthier Snacks
If you're a woman who snacks between meals, you're in good company. That's what a Consumer Reports' National Research Center survey found. It turns out 85% of the women polled eat on average two snacks a day. What triggers you to snack between meals? Diet experts point to common snacking triggers:

  • Being tired and stressed
  • Watching TV
  • Going to the movies
  • Shopping at the mall
  • Going to a party.
Supermarket shelves are crammed with "crisp" versions of crackers and chips that look healthy. So Consumer Reports ShopSmart checked out 14 snacks to find out how nutritious they were and how good they taste. The snacks include ones from Nabisco, Pepperidge Farm, and Frito Lay. Consumer Reports says that you shouldn't be fooled by words like ‘baked' and ‘brown rice' on the label. Those foods could actually have more fat and sodium than you realize.

For example, this Rice Works Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps has 6 grams of fat per one ounce serving. That's more than a serving of Utz Pork Rinds! And Pepperidge Farm Baked Natural Pretzel Thins has 390 milligrams of sodium per ounce. That's more than Lay's Classic Potato chips!

For a healthier snack, Consumer Reports ShopSmart recommends trying Wheat Thins Multigrain Toasted Chips or New York Style Original Pretzel Flatz.

And remember — whatever you reach for — read those nutrition labels so you'll know whether that healthy sounding snack you're getting is REALLY good for you. If you want to cut down on snacking, ShopSmart says avoid eating right out of the carton or box because it's tough to stop and you're less aware how much you've eaten.

For more tips to take control of your snacking: www.shopsmartmag.org/files/snack_smart.pdf.

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