Dieting on a Budget

The average person eats three meals and two snacks a day. That probably hasn't changed in decades.

What has changed is the size of those snacks. It is not uncommon to see people grabbing 400-calorie muffins and Danish on their way to work in the morning. It is not surprising that they are hungry and zapped of energy shortly afterwards.

The right kind of snack will keep energy stable throughout the day, stave off hunger, and help with weight reduction. In her book, Go Green Get Lean, Kate Geagan suggests that we stick to real food and keep it roughly to what fits in the palm of your hand.

Geagan provides these additional tips:

• Make it last. Pack a snack that takes a bit longer to eat, so your brain has some time to catch up. Spreading peanut butter on apple wedges or spreading hummus on a pita are two good examples

• Go big. If you are a person who like to eat volume, then choose foods that deliver large volume with fewer calories. Consider a cup of cubed watermelon or cantaloupe, a fresh salad load with veggies, or air-popped popcorn.

• Never eat directly out of a carton, container or package. You will not be able to keep track of your portions.

• Include protein in your snack. French researchers found that a high-protein snack kept study participants fuller nearly 40 minutes longer than those whose snack was high carb.
  

• Be prepared. If you pack a healthy snack, you will not be tempted by the vending machine and you will save money.