Snack smart
How to munch between meals without
putting on pounds. Plus the best new
snacks to add to your shopping list.
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C’mon, you know you want it.
Maybe you’re at work and a deadline is
barreling down on you. And that vending
machine in the hallway is calling your name.
Loudly. Or you’re vegging out in front of the
TV and you have cheese puffs—or chocolate
cake or corn chips—on the brain.
Snacks can be almost impossible to resist.
For many of us, they’re a part of our everyday
diet. In a new ShopSmart survey conducted
by the Consumer Reports National Research
Center, 85 percent of women said they snack
between meals. And they eat two snacks a day
on average. (For more fun stats from our new
survey, see page 29.) The trick is to make the
most of your in-between-meal noshing by
choosing the right foods.
Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to snack
smart with some of the more healthful “crisp”
versions of chips and crackers now cramming
supermarket shelves. We taste-tested 14 of them
to see which ones are worth eating and which
ones you should skip.
Nutritional experts have long known that
smart snacking between meals can keep blood
sugar steady. And you know it helps stop you
from pigging out at regular meals. Well here’s
even more license to snack: By recognizing the
triggers that cause you to overindulge (some of
the biggest are on page 26), you can take control
and learn how to hit the “pause” button more
effectively. And don’t miss our best willpower
tricks from readers for warding off a snack
attack. You’ll also see some revealing confessions
about extreme snacking and one reason some
snackers might be out of control. >
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23
Munchie crunch-off
C
The runners-up
Yuck!
Pass ’em
up
Our taste testers tried dozens of crispy snacks to find
the healthiest and tastiest of the bunch.
risps and toasted chips are the hot new snacks. So
for this article, we asked our trained tasters to sample
14 varieties and grade each one on flavor, texture,
crispiness, and saltiness. Our top picks were crunchy, light,
and delicious. But a few tasted stale and smelled like
cardboard or, even worse, latex paint. We’re not kidding.
When oil oxidizes or interacts with air, it can break down
and make food smell like paint. In addition to flavor, testers
graded each snack on nutrition based on, among other
things, fat, sodium, iron, calcium, and fiber content, plus
calories per gram. The results? Half the snacks were a tasty
nibble, but not all of them are any lighter or more healthful
than regular potato chips or crackers. When we compared
Nabisco Triscuit Thin Crisps Parmesan Garlic to its regular
counterpart, for example, fat and calories were similar and
the sodium was a bit higher. And don’t be fooled by the
words “baked” or “brown rice” on the label. Those snacks
may be loaded with fat and salt. For the perfect balance
of good nutrition and even better taste, see our top picks
below. Then see how the others fared in our taste-off.
Note: Calories and other nutritional stats are per 1-ounce
serving, which is shown.
Nabisco
Triscuit
Thin Crisps
Parmesan
Garlic
(15 pieces, 140 cal., 5 g
fat, 180 mg sodium)
Tasters’ notes These
triangles were crispy
and crunchy, with
a sharp cheesy and
garlic flavor.
Stacy’s Simply
Naked Pita
Chips Baked
(14 pieces,
130 cal., 5 g
fat, 270 mg sodium)
Tasters’ notes They’re
bigger and thicker
than some chips, but
they’re baked and have
a nice salty and clean,
toasted flavor.
Bachman Pita
Pretzel Squares
(11 pieces, 110
cal., 0.5 g fat,
220 mg sodium)
Tasters’ notes Pitas and
pretzels might not seem
to go together, but we
liked these airy, puffed
squares. Just one
complaint: They were
a bit on the dry side.
Genisoy Soy
Crisps Deep
Sea Salted
(17 pieces,
100 cal., 1.5 g
fat, 270 mg sodium)
Tasters’ notes These
disks had a satisfying
crunch that reminded us
of that dieter’s standby
rice cakes but with a
mild soy flavor.
Garden of Eatin’
Pita Chips with
Whole Grain
Sea Salt
(120 cal., 3 g fat,
260 mg sodium)
They were
crunchy but dry
and tasted stale.
Regenie’s
Crunchy Pita
Chips Bare Naked
Kettle Cooked
(140 cal., 7 g fat,
200 mg sodium)
They were greasy,
and the taste was
stale and fatty.
The top 3
Tasty but not so hot nutritionally
Nabisco Wheat
Thins Toasted
Chips Multigrain
(14 pieces,
120 cal., 4 g fat,
240 mg sodium)
Tasters’ notes Like Wheat
Thins? You’ll love these
toasted and buttery
multigrain-flavored chips.
24 consumer reports
shopsmart
New York Style
Pretzel Flatz
Original Baked
(12 pieces,
110 cal., 1 g fat,
250 mg sodium)
Tasters’ notes They might be
thin, but they’ve got a big
pretzel flavor and plenty of
crunchy goodness.
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Lay’s
Cracker
Crisps
Smooth
Cheddar
(38 pieces, 130 cal.,
4 g fat, 260 mg sodium)
Tasters’ notes These
teensy little squares
pack a lot of flavor and
crunch. They’re nice
and crispy, almost like
a cheesy potato chip.
Nabisco Ritz
Toasted Chips
Original
(16 pieces,
130 cal., 4.5 g
fat, 290 mg sodium)
Tasters’ notes These
toasted chips are
big, tender, flaky,
buttery, and oh-sosatisfying, but they’re
low in fiber.
the
ultimate
sMART
SNACK
Pepperidge
Farm Baked
Naturals
Pretzel Thins
(11 pieces,
110 cal., 0 g fat, 390 mg
sodium)
Tasters’ notes These
large, flat pretzel-shaped
snacks are crunchy with a
sweet buttery flavor but
are the highest in sodium.
Lundberg
Rice Chips
Sea Salt
(10 pieces,
140 cal.,
7 g fat, 110 mg sodium)
Tasters’ notes Sort of
like toasted tortilla chips
with a nice brown-rice
and sesame flavor, but
they’re higher in fat and
low in fiber.
Rice Works
Gourmet
Brown Rice
Crisps
Sea Salt
(10 pieces, 140 cal.,
6 g fat, 110 mg sodium)
Tasters’ notes These
crisps satisfy crunchy
cravings, have a brownrice and sesame flavor,
but are higher in fat.
Athenos
Baked
Pita Chips
Original
(11 pieces,
120 cal., 4 g fat, 270 mg
sodium)
Tasters’ notes These
white-flour crisps are
crunchy, salty, and
toasted, but a bit dry,
and they have no fiber.
The most healthful have no more than 150 calories and pack some
protein, complex carbs, and fiber. Best bets: whole-grain crackers
and low-fat cheese or yogurt with a little granola. Carbs give you
energy; protein takes longer to digest and keeps your appetite at bay.
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25
downhill, food is often the first line of
defense. Use these coping tricks.
Find other outlets. Yeah, you’ve
heard this trick before: Try some deep
breathing or a quick stroll to squelch
stressful urgings to chow down. But
you know what? It works. Researchers
at the University of Exeter in England
showed that a walk of just 15 minutes
can reduce chocolate cravings. Other
good diversions: Watch a funny video
on YouTube or call a friend.
Hide the goodies. Keep tempting
treats in the back of the cupboard or
the fridge and wrap them in foil so you
don’t see them. Researchers at Cornell
University found that office workers
ate 77 fewer calories of candy when
it was in an opaque, covered dish than
in a clear dish with a see-through lid.
What’s your snacking trigger?
Get some sleep. New research shows
that while sleep-deprived people didn’t
eat more at meals, they tended to nosh
on high-carb snacks at night. If you don’t
get your ZZZs, you’re more likely to stuff
yourself after dinner to rev up.
5 things that spark mindless munching, and tips to put you in control
Trigger #1 Going to the movies
It’s hard to resist that buttery popcorn
aroma wafting through the lobby, and
once you’re caught up in the movie
you eat without thinking. Here are three
ways to avoid theater pig-outs.
know before you go. Check out
CalorieKing.com to find out how much
fat and calories are in those movie
snacks before you go—especially if
you’re feeling down. Studies show
people eat more indulgent snacks when
they’re sad than when they’re happy.
But you’re more apt to exhibit a little
self-control if you’ve looked at the
nutritional info of what you’re eating.
26 consumer reports shopsmart
Limit the damage. “You’re at the
movie to have fun, and food is part
of the fun,” says Wendy Bazilian, R.D.
and author of “The SuperFoodsRx Diet,”
(Rodale, 2008). Buy the smallest bag
of popcorn, minus the butter. Resist
the pitch to trade up to a bigger size.
Don’t add on. Theaters are rife with
“package deals” that include popcorn,
soda, and candy. Get a diet soda but
skip the Skittles. The giant bag can pack
a whopping 460 calories.
Trigger #2 Shopping at the
mall The food court might beckon,
but choosing wisely doesn’t have to be
a guessing game. Use these guidelines.
Know your options. Even food
courts have healthful options. While
the obvious choice at McDonald’s is
the 160-calorie fruit and yogurt parfait,
a plain burger is only 250 calories.
At Taco Bell, a Fresco Crunchy Taco
is a good choice at just 150 calories.
By comparison, an original pretzel
(340 calories) at Auntie Anne’s seems
an indulgence, but it’s still a better
bet than the Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel
at 470 calories.
Trigger #3 Feeling tired and
stressed When your day is going
plan your plate at the party.
Don’t just dive into the buffet. Scan
the whole thing first and decide what
you’ll have. Take one plateful and
then put on the brakes. Filling a small
plate numerous times is more likely
to result in overeating.
Drink up. As soon as you arrive,
grab a low-cal, nonalcoholic drink. That
will keep at least one of your hands
occupied, making it difficult to pile food
on a plate or use a knife and fork. Sorry,
margaritas won’t do it. Alcohol can
weaken your resolve, says David Katz,
M.D., director of the Yale Griffin
Prevention Research Center.
Stay more than arm’s length
away. Having to get up to reach the
buffet table and snack bowls will slow
you down and make you more conscious
of how much you’re eating.
salivate at the sound of a bell. Food ads
can have the same effect. You might not
have thought you were hungry, but if
you see a pizza ad you might head to the
kitchen. Here are some tricks to prevent
you from overeating.
Do one thing at a time. If you’re
eating while watching television, “you’re
disassociating from what’s on your
plate,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, national
spokesperson for the American Dietetic
Association. Focus on enjoying your
food, and then go back to “CSI.”
Divide and conquer. Put snacks in
small baggies and eat just one; research
shows that dividing food into small
portions can lower consumption. But
don’t have more than one bag at a time!
Plate it. Don’t eat from the carton or
box. In one study, people eating a snack
mix out of the bag consumed 134 more
calories than those who ate from a bowl.
Put it on a plate or in a bowl and eat just
that much.
Is a “cracker crisp” really any better for you than a standard
chip? We pitted Lay’s Cracker Crisps Smooth Cheddar, which
Crisps vs. Chips
Don’t shop during mealtime.
Try to bypass the food court when
you’re most likely to be hungry.
Come prepared. Bring your own
peanut-butter sandwich or a small bag
of trail mix, so the only decision you’ll
have to make is what to drink. Opt
for a diet soda or unsweetened iced tea.
Even sweetened with a teaspoon of
sugar, it’s only 23 calories.
Trigger #5 Zoning out in front
of the TV Pavlov’s dogs learned to
Those eye-catching spreads are the
perfect opportunity to eat—and
eat and eat some more. Here’s how
to navigate a party scene.
what’s really better for you?
are baked and made from dehydrated potatoes, against
regular fried Lay’s Classic chips. Nutritionist Wendy Bazilian
did an analysis of the package labels in five nutrition areas.
Here’s how the chips broke down.
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W
e polled various diet experts
to identify five of the most
common snacking triggers,
and then asked them for their best
eat-smart tricks.
Trigger #4 Going to a party
Calories
Fat
Sodium
Fiber
Nutrients
The 20-calorie
difference between
the two bags isn’t
much, but you get
38 tiny crisps to
15 chips in a 1-ounce
serving, which can
be more satisfying.
Fat accounts for
more than half the
calories in the chips,
but the crisps hold
the fat at a healthier
level—to less than
a third of the total
calories.
Surprisingly, the
crisps have more
sodium—260 mg
per ounce—than the
chips, which have
180 mg. Aim for no
more than 225 mg
of sodium in a
150-calorie snack.
A good source of
fiber is any food
that contains at
least 10 percent of
the daily value; an
excellent source has
20 percent or more.
Neither of these
even comes close.
We all know
that you don’t eat
this stuff for the
vitamins and
minerals. Though
both list some,
neither has
substantial amounts
of most nutrients.
Winner:
Cracker Crisps
Winner:
Cracker Crisps
Winner: Chips
Winner: Tie
Winner: Tie
{ Overall
Winner }
With fewer calories
and less than half
the total fat,
crisps edged out
the potato chips.
But if you’re
watching salt,
they’re kind of high
in sodium.
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27
True snacking
confessions
take control What works for our readers
We asked ShopSmart readers for
their best keep-the-weight-off snacking
tips and found that most keep
ready-to-eat fruits and veggies and
premeasured snacks on hand. Drinking
water and chewing gum were also
popular hunger suppressants. But
readers had some other tricks up their
sleeves as well. Here are 11 of our
favorites. Look for more on our Web
site, ShopSmartmag.org
refrigeration and it fits easily in my
purse, gym bag, or tennis bag. And it’s
easy to eat while driving.
—Laurie Bertrand, Atlanta
I could not live without my peanutbutter roll-up, which is a whole-wheat
pita with about a tablespoon of peanut
butter spread on one side and rolled up.
It’s great because it doesn’t need
I purée week-old or slightly blemished
fruit and make my own low-cal popsicles.
If the fruit isn’t quite sweet enough
I add a banana, and I always mix in a
few strawberries for the nice red color.
—Ann Bruns, Chappell, Neb.
I love dark chocolate but buy it in
small, prewrapped squares so I don’t
overindulge. It’s my end-of-the-day,
me-time snack, which I enjoy the way
some people enjoy a nice glass of wine.
—Vickie Wood, Stow, Mass.
If I feel I’m losing control with a certain
snack, I don’t buy it anymore.
—Michael Gromczewski, Steubenville, Ohio
I picture myself naked in front of a
mirror and remember what I looked like
a few years ago. Then I decide whether
the snack is really worth it.
—Robin Taylor, Lexington, S.C.
Do you have normal noshing habits?
Here’s what more than 1,000 women told us.
At the beginning of the week, I boil half
a dozen to a dozen eggs. They make
great in-between protein snacks as well
as healthy additions to salads.
—Janelle Pieters-Cardona,
Baldwin Park, Calif.
53% of women say
snacking has prevented
them from losing weight.
24% say it’s helped them
with their diet.
I keep a container of almonds in the car;
it fits perfectly in the cup holder!
—Jessica Fox, Salem, Mass.
Have a spoonful of peanut butter and
a glass of water before cooking supper
if you tend to nibble.
—Ellen Mitchell, Easley, S.C.
41% say their snacking
habits have been affected
by the slowing economy;
23% are choosing more
healthful snacks and
17% are snacking less
often.
I like to munch on canned artichoke
hearts, hearts of palm, and water
chestnuts; they are crunchy and salty
but don’t have fat.
— Cindy Heath, Griffin, Ga.
33% use plastic baggies to
control their snack portion sizes.
Source: Consumer Reports National Research Center ShopSmart snack poll. More poll results at right.
For easy, cheap, and
low-fat snacks, I cut up
vegetables and place
them in leftover hotpepper, pickle, or
olive brine.
—Kathleen Vanderslice,
Collegeville, Pa.
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buy portion-controlled treats.
check nutrition labels
on snacks.
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54% of women who snack
I set the timer and drink
a glass of water, and
then when the timer
goes off I reevaluate my
degree of hunger.
—Arlene Noteman,
Yuba City, Calif.
35% rarely or never
15% hide their snacks
from their spouse,
coworkers, and friends.
Top munchies
n Fruit
n Chips/pretzels
n Cereal/granola
energy bars
Most popular
ways to curb
a snack attack
Lots of us do it all day
3% snack before breakfast.
43% eat something between
breakfast and lunch.
74% nosh between lunch and dinner.
45% have a snack after dinner.
25% nibble before bedtime.
23% confess to snacking in the
78% drink water
or other low-cal
beverages.
73% keep busy.
middle of the night!
... and it’s not
about hunger
94% told us they nibble even
when they’re not hungry.
The extremists
20%
admit that they’ve
snacked to the max:
12% have eaten a large bag of
potato chips in a single sitting.
7% have eaten a whole box
of cookies.
7% have downed an entire
carton of ice cream.
Chocolate!
It’s the No. 1
addictive snack;
24% told us
they can’t resist.
Chips and
pretzels were
No. 2 at 19%.
And the biggest surprise...
The breakfast skippers in our poll tended to be the most out
of control. They were more likely to nosh in the middle of
the night, down a big bag of chips in one sitting, and munch
out in front of the TV when they weren’t hungry.
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29