snacks-related stories
Power Up With Protein
Need energy? Reach for a snack that's packed with protein to keep you going for hours.
Candy Cravings Already: Is a Healthy Halloween Possible?
Keep track of the latest in diet and fitness Twitter trends and opinions with this weekly post. Not only will AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit ask fitness-related questions and share the best responses with you, we'll scour the Twittersphere for the latest buzz on everything from good eats to exercise routines gone bad.
There's candy wrappers all over the office, and when we get home, the first thing we reach for is the Halloween dish. Turns out all the cool Twits out there are craving seasonal treats now, too. Here's how they try to strike a balance between indulging and eating mindfully:
MobiMom
JaredCastle
pbsparents
khat0511
ColletteAM
Read any good Tweets? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!
There's candy wrappers all over the office, and when we get home, the first thing we reach for is the Halloween dish. Turns out all the cool Twits out there are craving seasonal treats now, too. Here's how they try to strike a balance between indulging and eating mindfully:

MobiMom Finally broke into the "hidden" bag of Halloween candy - oh, no - this is NOT good....

JaredCastle Halloween trivia: A cup of candy corn has fewer calories than a cup of raisins. Candy corn (22 pieces) is 140 calories. http://short.to/sl7q
leslie_dennis
leslie_dennis Halloween candy should be counted as a food group unto itself. I've already had 3 Smarties and a Now & Later. I'm wired!
pbsparents Plan for a healthy Halloween. Instead of candy, give stickers, pencils or small change w/ a note saying "Treat yourself!"

khat0511 Just bought enough halloween candy to choke a whale.. it's all staring at us now.. if i don't look, the calories don't count, right?

ColletteAM @Thats_Fit I couldn't care less about Halloween candy. 1) I'm vegan & 2) Its junk. If I want chocolate it's gotta be the best.
Read any good Tweets? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!
Good Foods Gone Bad - This Week on AOL Health
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
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| Photo: Nathan Ellis Perkel for AOL |
Can you think of any good foods gone bad we didn't include? Share your suggestions in a comment below.
Best Post-Workout Snack? - Twitter Fit Tips
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| jupiterimages |
This week we asked, "What does your post-workout snack, or meal consist of?" And you offered up these tips:
NoLimits4me@That's_Fit - Usually a clean protein source and small amount of carbs/fat and 16 oz of water or organic green tea.
jend420@Thats_Fit post-wkout, I dont snack. I wait for dinner bc I dont think I burn enough cals to justify an xtra snack.
boschae@Healthpop I really like a Zone bar after a workout. Almost feels like having a candy bar, but good for you.
The PMS Diet - This Week on AOL Health
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
| Jupiter Images |
Jump Rope, Healthy Midnight Snacks, Road-Tested Diets - Links We Love
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
We at That's Fit and AOL Health know you've got a lot going on in your lives besides staying in great shape, and we realize that more than just diet and exercise goes into feeling your best every day. That's why we're sharing some of the exciting reporting going on at AOL Health.
Who says jump roping is just for kids? If you have the stamina for it, it can burn up to 1,000 calories an hour. Learn more about jump roping for fitness here.
So you've got a case of the late-night munchies and the question is what's best thing to eat at that time of night? Check out AOL's 11 healthy midnight snacks. Bonus: Carbs don't make for a bad nosh.
Looking for a new healthy-eating or fitness plan? Check out former yo-yo dieter-turned-weight-loss author Kim Bensen's road-tested diet reviews. Believe her, she's tried 'em all.
Who says jump roping is just for kids? If you have the stamina for it, it can burn up to 1,000 calories an hour. Learn more about jump roping for fitness here.
So you've got a case of the late-night munchies and the question is what's best thing to eat at that time of night? Check out AOL's 11 healthy midnight snacks. Bonus: Carbs don't make for a bad nosh.
Looking for a new healthy-eating or fitness plan? Check out former yo-yo dieter-turned-weight-loss author Kim Bensen's road-tested diet reviews. Believe her, she's tried 'em all.
Lower Calorie Versions of Everything You Love - This Week on AOL Health
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements

So you're on a diet, or you're trying to cut back. Why shouldn't you have the things you love -- in moderation? Even at AOL Health, the editors watch what they eat -- occasionally. That's why we've got a roundup of every kind of low-cal food item you can imagine -- low-cal desserts, frozen meals, frozen treats, snacks, salty snacks, snacks under 100 calories and fast-food orders for under 400 calories.
Tell us your take. Do these low-cal items look appetizing and filling? Do you try to go low-cal, or are you all about portion control?
Tell us your take. Do these low-cal items look appetizing and filling? Do you try to go low-cal, or are you all about portion control?
Walking the Walk - Day 3
Day 3: Guess what we had for dinner last night? Pizza. Guess how many calories are in one slice? 300, roughly. Do you know how hard it is to eat just one slice of pizza? Nearly impossible. But, I prevailed. Probably because of the eggs I ate a few hours earlier -- scrambled with peppers and onion. I'm struggling with the idea of five small meals. I find myself still falling into the meal/snack/meal/snack/meal pattern, which is technically fine, I think, but doesn't seem like it's probably what Jorge and others who subscribe to this theory had in mind.
I mean, we all know it's pretty easy to use up 300 calories in a snack -- I'm so tempted to grab a Kashi bar and a cheesestick, for example. But I'm pretty sure that's not the idea here; the idea is not to just spread your calories around, but to make each small meal nutritious and balanced.
Still working on that one, I guess.
Chocolate - How to Enjoy it Guilt-Free
Valentine's Day is tomorrow -- does your sweetie usually give you chocolate? If you love it, there's no need to cut it out of your life. Heck, even Jillian Michaels believes in allowing yourself a small number of treat calories each day.
Huffington Post shares the following tips for enjoying chocolate without guilt:
Huffington Post shares the following tips for enjoying chocolate without guilt:
- Get the best chocolate you can. If you're going to have a treat, it might as well be one that you love, love, love.
- Use environmental control. The Huffington Post writer has an affinity for See's chocolate -- and a shop is within walking distance of her house. Instead of buying a large amount, she walks there once in a while and buys just a few. While we may not all be blessed (or cursed, depending on how you look at it) with a See's in the neighborhood, any store within walking distance can be a great way to get some exercise before getting your chocolate fix.
- Eat the best part first. Okay, I have to admit that this "tip" made me laugh out loud. But, if it works for the Huffington Post writer, it might work for you, too. She nibbles the chocolate off the outside -- still getting the flavor of the center, but avoiding the calories.(I'm sorry. It still makes me laugh. Just eat the whole piece for goodness sake!)
- Know the calories. If you know the calories in your piece(s) of chocolate, you can easily fit them into your daily calorie allowance.
Nuts - Get Saucy With This Healthy Food
After the low-fat craze, some people are still afraid to eat anything that's fatty. But the key is finding the good fats.
Nuts are a great source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats -- two fats that actually benefit your health. The problem? It's easy to go overboard when snacking on munchable, yummy nuts. Though they're rich in healthy fats, nuts are still high in calories. So it's important to be reasonable when snacking.
For another alternative -- and one that's hard to go overboard on -- try nut-based sauces for poultry, fish and vegetables. This week, The New York Times will feature a series of recipes for nut-based sauces. Check them out -- and try them out too.
Nuts are a great source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats -- two fats that actually benefit your health. The problem? It's easy to go overboard when snacking on munchable, yummy nuts. Though they're rich in healthy fats, nuts are still high in calories. So it's important to be reasonable when snacking.
For another alternative -- and one that's hard to go overboard on -- try nut-based sauces for poultry, fish and vegetables. This week, The New York Times will feature a series of recipes for nut-based sauces. Check them out -- and try them out too.
Snacks - Healthy Pre-Dinner Choices
Still have a few hours before dinner, but your tummy is rumbling? Have a healthy snack! Many people swear off snacking in an attempt to cut calories. But snacking is actually a healthy choice. Small, nutritious snacks prevent you from getting ravenous between meals (and potentially overeating). Also, when you choose your snacks wisely, they can help stabilize your blood sugar.
Real Simple has great ideas for healthy snacks that will tide you over until dinner. For example, the Cashew Strawberry Crunch sounds delish -- just top a Ryvita fruit crunch with a tablespoon of cashew butter (rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats). Then, sliced strawberries are placed on top. Yummy!
Weight Watchers Offers SuperBowl Recipes and Healthy Eating Tips
Even if you're not all that interested in football, I'm willing to bet you've attended a SuperBowl party or two. I mean, why not -- it's a chance to socialize and get rowdy with your friends, and it's a free pass to eat junk and chug beer. Oh, wait. Actually, it's not.I don't mean that you have to munch on celery sticks and drink water all game -- after all, this is a party. However, you have plenty of healthful options, and Weight Watchers has some tips for helping you be a winner this SuperBowl.
Check out the gallery for some quarter by quarter suggestions as well as a delicious sounding recipe from the Weight Watchers Cookbook. Got a healthful recipe you plan to use? Share it in the comments!
Skip the Snacks After 6 PM
Walk the Walk, Diet & Weight Loss, Best Life with Bob Greene
When it comes to late night snacking, the jury is still out on whether or not it helps with weight loss. As Maggie recently pointed out, many experts believe a calorie is just a calorie, no matter what time of day that you eat it.
Over at AOL Health, Bob Greene shares his seven habits of successful weight loss. One of Bob's best known tips, possibly because he shared it with Oprah, is to choose a closing time for your kitchen. In other words, put a stop to late-night snacking. His theory is that if you overdo at breakfast or lunch, you've got time to burn a few of those extra calories off. But if you overdo near bedtime ... well, you can't sleep it off, now can you?
I agree with the idea that a calorie is just a calorie. But as Bob suggests, and as Maggie also points out in this post, late-night snacks tend to be more of the chips and dip variety, eaten mindlessly in front of the TV, rather than a carrot or an apple. That's emotional eating, and getting a handle on emotional eating is one of Bob's seven tips for success.
Bob suggests setting your kitchen closing time for sometime after dinner, usually 7 PM. Since we eat an early dinner, I'll be closing my kitchen at 6 PM this week to cut back on late night snacks and see if this is a tip that really can affect weight loss. Fingers crossed.
Carrots - From Snack to Sidedish
Oh, how I miss my local farmer's market. When I go shopping at the local grocery store, the produce department is kind of depressing. The other day the bell peppers were wrinkled and just begging to be put out of their misery. But carrots ... carrots are the ultimate fighting champion of the vegetable world. They look good all year long. Carrots are a frequent snack at my house. We also steam them as a side dish and dice up the leftover steamed carrots to add to rice the next day.
The New York Times has two great recipes for another carrot side dish. Both grated carrot salad varieties sound utterly tasty. The curry-laced salad is going to be showing up on my dinner table soon.
Preschool Parents Don't Always Pack Nutritious Lunches
When I look at the lunch menu for my son's school, I feel safe in assuming that any kid who brings a lunch from home is getting better nutrition. After all, it's not hard to beat chicken nuggets and greasy pizza. But home-packed lunches aren't always the better deal.
Due to rising food costs, regulations for Texas day-care centers recently changed and now allow the centers to require parents to send meals and snacks for the children. A subsequent (albeit small) study found that 71 percent of the home-packed meals didn't have enough fruits or vegetables and the number of milk servings was also low.
When you're busy getting the kids ready for school and trying to get ready for work, sometimes convenience takes priority when packing your kids lunches. But nutrition can be convenient, too. You can't get much easier than a ready-to-eat piece of fruit. And you can pre-cut carrots, celery, cucumbers and other veggies at the beginning or the week so they're ready and waiting. Check out the gallery for other quick, easy and healthful foods for your child's lunch bag.
Due to rising food costs, regulations for Texas day-care centers recently changed and now allow the centers to require parents to send meals and snacks for the children. A subsequent (albeit small) study found that 71 percent of the home-packed meals didn't have enough fruits or vegetables and the number of milk servings was also low.
When you're busy getting the kids ready for school and trying to get ready for work, sometimes convenience takes priority when packing your kids lunches. But nutrition can be convenient, too. You can't get much easier than a ready-to-eat piece of fruit. And you can pre-cut carrots, celery, cucumbers and other veggies at the beginning or the week so they're ready and waiting. Check out the gallery for other quick, easy and healthful foods for your child's lunch bag.
































