Momster

There are three things I love about eating in between meals.

“Only three?!” you ask.

Yes. At least, for the purposes of this story. Catch me offline tasting samples at Costco or perusing a farmer’s market and I may give you different number. But I digress.

First, is the fact that smart snacking helps me avoid overeating at lunch or dinner. Instead of obliterating a whole block of aged gouda while I wait for my whole wheat pasta to boil or going back for seconds once it’s done, I manage to eat one proper portion. Why? Because I haven’t starved myself in the hours in between meals.

Second, I pick dynamite snacks and they taste really good. Have you ever noticed how naturally sweet raw cashews can be? Or how kale chips are the ultimate guilt-free indulgence because who cares if you can’t eat just one?

And the last thing I love about smart snacking: It a great backup for filling any nutritional gaps in my diet. Just six pieces of dried apricots—that’s an 120 calorie nibble–add four grams of fiber to my diet. Women need 25 grams of fiber a day to get the health benefits of lowering your LDL “bad” cholesterol.

My new favorite occasional indulgence: Kraft MilkBite Milk and Granola Bars. The chocolate version (perfect for when you’re dying for that 4pm sweet treat) gets me 30% of the calcium I need in a day for just 140 calories.

What’s your favorite healthy snack? Post a comment here and tell us!

Lynya Floyd is health director at Family Circle magazine.

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