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experiencelifemag.com
Print › | Back ›
Role Reversals: Snacks and Desserts
By Anjula Razdan
|
October 2006 |
SNACKS
Former Stars: A bag of M&Ms, candy bars, microwave popcorn, a
package of cheese-filled crackers from the vending machine.
Critic’s Review: When you’re at work, it can be hard to resist those 4 p.m.
hunger pangs, and you may feel that the easiest thing to do is hit the vending
machine for a quick snack. But processed food, devoid of almost any nutrients
and usually filled with trans fats, is not the way to go, says Suzanne Havala
Hobbs, DrPH, MS, RD, assistant professor of public health at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Empty calories and trans fats mess up your
metabolism and do you no favors when it comes to boosting energy levels — or
tiding you over until dinnertime.
Role Reversal: If you’re looking for an equally quick snack, try whole-grain
crackers spread with nut butter. Bringing this nutritious and tasty snack from
home will take you no longer than trekking to the vending machine, and it’s
bound to taste a lot better than highly processed crackers dipped in gobs of
highly processed fake-cheese spread. Bonus: Between the protein and whole grains
in nut butter and crackers, chances are your snack will more than tide you over
until dinner. Not a cracker-and-cheese fan? Try the tried-and-true raw veggies
and yogurt-dill dip, or a small dish of fresh berries topped with yogurt and
granola.
DESSERTS
Former Stars: Ice cream topped with strawberry or chocolate
syrup, chocolate-chip cookies, a slice of pie or cake.
Critic’s Review: Ice cream is rich in calcium, but that’s the nicest thing
Havala Hobbs can say about this rich dessert. “Ice cream sundaes are also high
in saturated fat and added sugar, and are devoid of fiber,” she adds. Cookies,
pies and cakes are generally loaded with refined flours and sugars, contributing
to the rapid rise and fall of your blood-sugar levels.
Role Reversal: Many cultures don’t even eat dessert on a daily basis, so try
to go lighter if you’re eating dessert more frequently. “Often times, we’re
really full from the actual meal but we still cram down dessert after that,”
says Havala Hobbs. “For many people, dessert is a festive punctuation mark at
the end of meal, but it doesn’t need to be something that adds a lot of
nutritional excess to our diets.”
A tropical fruit plate or a sorbet, she adds, would make excellent
substitutions. So would a simple hot cup of tea, splitting dessert, or going the
Chinese-restaurant route and just serving some juicy orange wedges. If you’re
still hankering for ice cream, though, why not reverse the portion size? Fill a
bowl with berries and drop a dollop of ice cream on top instead.
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Role Reversals: Snacks and Desserts
By Anjula Razdan
| Web Extra
October 2006 |
SNACKS
Former Stars: A bag of M&Ms, candy bars, microwave popcorn, a
package of cheese-filled crackers from the vending machine.
Critic’s Review: When you’re at work, it can be hard to resist those 4 p.m.
hunger pangs, and you may feel that the easiest thing to do is hit the vending
machine for a quick snack. But processed food, devoid of almost any nutrients
and usually filled with trans fats, is not the way to go, says Suzanne Havala
Hobbs, DrPH, MS, RD, assistant professor of public health at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Empty calories and trans fats mess up your
metabolism and do you no favors when it comes to boosting energy levels — or
tiding you over until dinnertime.
Role Reversal: If you’re looking for an equally quick snack, try whole-grain
crackers spread with nut butter. Bringing this nutritious and tasty snack from
home will take you no longer than trekking to the vending machine, and it’s
bound to taste a lot better than highly processed crackers dipped in gobs of
highly processed fake-cheese spread. Bonus: Between the protein and whole grains
in nut butter and crackers, chances are your snack will more than tide you over
until dinner. Not a cracker-and-cheese fan? Try the tried-and-true raw veggies
and yogurt-dill dip, or a small dish of fresh berries topped with yogurt and
granola.
DESSERTS
Former Stars: Ice cream topped with strawberry or chocolate
syrup, chocolate-chip cookies, a slice of pie or cake.
Critic’s Review: Ice cream is rich in calcium, but that’s the nicest thing
Havala Hobbs can say about this rich dessert. “Ice cream sundaes are also high
in saturated fat and added sugar, and are devoid of fiber,” she adds. Cookies,
pies and cakes are generally loaded with refined flours and sugars, contributing
to the rapid rise and fall of your blood-sugar levels.
Role Reversal: Many cultures don’t even eat dessert on a daily basis, so try
to go lighter if you’re eating dessert more frequently. “Often times, we’re
really full from the actual meal but we still cram down dessert after that,”
says Havala Hobbs. “For many people, dessert is a festive punctuation mark at
the end of meal, but it doesn’t need to be something that adds a lot of
nutritional excess to our diets.”
A tropical fruit plate or a sorbet, she adds, would make excellent
substitutions. So would a simple hot cup of tea, splitting dessert, or going the
Chinese-restaurant route and just serving some juicy orange wedges. If you’re
still hankering for ice cream, though, why not reverse the portion size? Fill a
bowl with berries and drop a dollop of ice cream on top instead.
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