Latest / Stacked Intent: Your Guide to Authentic, Intentional Living / How to Snack Intentionally: Smart Snacking Tips for Better Nutrition and Energy

Transcript

How to Snack Intentionally: Smart Snacking Tips for Better Nutrition and Energy · Stacked Intent: Your Guide to Authentic, Intentional Living

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hey guys, welcome to Stacked Intent.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: I am Becca Stackhouse Morrison and I look forward to having you join us as we go along with relationships, finance, nutrition.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna look at the DNA of how you can take those life and dreams that may be stuck, scattered, and help you give resources for mapping out a plan.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: My background is in social sciences and I have a certification for family life education.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I look forward to sharing those with you throughout the podcast.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna have great fun as you tune in each week to become authentically you.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna look at the ways that you can be your authentic self and be intentional with yourself.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you're gonna finish each episode being motivated to live your life more authentically.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: But with these specific episodes, we're gonna have a special co-host and we're gonna let them introduce themselves.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, my name is Ashley Chows, and I am the University of Georgia Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent for both Candler and Evans counties in the southeastern part of the state of Georgia.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm excited to be here today.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_01: I've got a background in nutrition from an education standpoint and then also from a community standpoint.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: And this is something I'm super passionate about and excited to work with Bethesda to talk about being more intentional in the food that you choose and the things that you put into your body.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Stacked Intent, where we are gonna discuss the drop and drop tips on how you are gonna be able to be intentional in stacking your life.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I am Becca, the owner of Stacked Intent, and I am here with co-host Ashley, and we are gonna be talking about your snacking and some good ways to snack today.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: So let's get started.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: What are some of our objectives today, Ashley?
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so today we're gonna talk about the importance of, of course, having healthy snacks, but then also some tools that you can use to help you make a better decision when it comes to picking a snack.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_01: So we'll talk about the importance of using the nutrition facts label to choose a healthy snack, some smart snacking strategies, and then also we will identify some healthy snack options for you.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: So let's get started with our first topic today how do we use a nutrition facts label to determine if a snack is a good choice for us or not?
• 2:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: So let's face it, um, we're all busy people, we're on the go, and we don't always have a fair like a freshly prepared snack that has some fruits and some veggies in it, um, or maybe some of your more typical healthy options on hand, which it's a great idea and definitely recommended if you have time to prepare these things ahead of time so you can have them when you need them.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_01: But honestly, we probably have more options available to us through a vending machine or in a convenience store more oftentimes than we do like fresh produce.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: So there are still some ways that you can make healthy decisions if you are in a gas station or at a vending machine, and you can use the nutrition facts label to help you make the best decision.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_01: So the nutrition facts label is on the product and is to be used as a tool to help you make the best decision.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um you can start by checking out the serving size and assessing how many servings are actually in the container or the package.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_01: Once you identify the serving size, think through is this actually the amount that you're going to eat.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_01: So a good example I give is when people eat Pop Tarts.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: Oftentimes, like a Pop Tart or Toaster pastry comes in a pack of two, but a serving size is only one Pop Tart.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: So think through what are you going to do with that other serving?
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: Or are you going to eat both servings in one sitting?
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: So after you determine the amount that you're actually going to eat, then you can calculate how many calories will be in this portion, how many grams of added sugar, how many grams of trans and saturated fat, how much sodium, if any, is going to be in this portion size.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: And these are all nutrients that you want to limit when you're choosing a snack.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_01: Some other things to consider are does this product contain any fiber, any vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, or iron?
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: These are all nutrients that you want to try to get more of in your diet.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: And a quick way to determine if the snack item is high or low in nutrients is to check out the percent daily value column.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: So this is the percentage of how much of a serving or how much a serving of this item contributes to the recommended amount of each nutrient that's set by the dietary guidelines for Americans.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_01: So some people may not have ever thought about what that little percentage column means, but 5% or less is considered low, and 20% or more is considered high.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: So you want to aim for high amounts of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and low amounts of calories, sugar, sodium, and fat.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: So I'll be totally honest and say that if I am traveling, I like to get a snack, especially at a gas station, or if I am staying, if I'm staying overnight somewhere, this may be the only option that I can get when I'm on the road.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: So what are some healthy snack options that you have found, Becca, when you travel?
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_01: Because I know you were on the road a lot.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, and I typically have my bags of snacks.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: I typically, and I've got some that aren't your best, but I use protein bars a lot.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um RX peanut butter bars are one of my one that I like a lot.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: I also like one that's made by Cliff Bar that's a um it's like a nutter butter, so it's like filled with peanut butter, but that one has a little more sugar than the rest of them.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I also have found some of the package that's like a that's it bar, and so that literally only has like apples and blueberries and nothing else.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: So it's only natural fruits.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I tend to try to find things that are lower in sugar when I try to find snacks.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I just have to be mindful of how pre-packaged snacks are made because sometimes there's dairy on things or in things that you wouldn't even think, or wheat in things you wouldn't even think.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I've just known those from friends on the wheat, but the dairy, I typically have to read the ingredients too, not just the what's our nutrition facts, but what's actually in it too.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_01: Anytime that you've got like a we call that either minimally processed or um highly processed foods.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: So something that can be shelf stable, which would you would think like dairy products are typically ones that have to go in the refrigerator.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: But if it is made to where it can be shelf stable and sit on the shelf or the rack at a convenience store or grocery store without refrigeration, oftentimes it has been highly processed.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, they add in some crazy ingredients there and they do some weird things to it to make it to where it doesn't have to be refrigerated.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: And oftentimes when they do that, they add in some ingredients like trans fats and saturated fats and um sometimes sugar as a preservative.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: So we definitely have to look out for those things.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_01: And the ingredients label is a great place to check out what's actually in your food that you're eating too.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, and that's one thing that sometimes I think people forget when kids might be having issues other than just food, like behavioral issues, or they're having trouble paying attention or they don't feel great, is it's sometimes these processed snacks that they're getting that are underlyingly affecting how their diet's processing or even what they'll eat.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: If they're getting all these pre-packaged foods, sometimes they won't eat whole foods because these have been so artificially sweetened that a whole food doesn't even taste good.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: So that would just be something to keep in mind as a parent.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes if you're having a behavioral issue, it might just be that they're getting too much sugar.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: And and snacks are a sneaky way that those sugars can can find their way into our diets because um oftentimes they're they're eaten on the go or they're eaten quickly, and it's not something that you necessarily always have the time to sit down and intentionally think about what you're putting in your body.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: So so using that nutrition facts label, checking out the ingredients list um are going to be some good ways to pick out healthier options um when you've got like a packaged product.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: And the other thing with some of the packaged products that are deemed more your healthier ones is I've noticed where you buy them, sometimes it'll change the cost drastically.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: So, like if you can find them in more of a bulk, you will save money in the long run on buying them first or find them when they're sitting on sale.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes you've got places that run the buy one, get one free on the boat bulk items.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I would just suggest if you're looking at it going, oh, this one's a little higher price tag, it might be a little bit higher, but it's gonna last you a lot longer.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's a good tip too.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: So our topic two is smart snacking strategies.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: So well, we kind of started it.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_00: So, what are some smart snacking strategies that you kind of think of?
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: Well, there are lots of different strategies that you can utilize to help you when hunger strikes.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_01: So, first of all, with a little time and planning, you can prepare healthy snacks so they're available and ready to go when you are.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_01: So, cutting up vegetables for dips, pre-making salads, grating some low-fat cheese, cutting up fruits like melons, and putting the snacks in plastic containers or in Ziploc saw bags in the refrigerator so they're ready to go.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: Um, that's an easy way to make sure that you've got some healthy options.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_01: And like I said, it takes a little bit of time and planning ahead of time, but um, that way you can ensure that you've got some healthy snacks on hand.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_01: And secondly, take, oh yeah, yeah, tell me about your.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: I know that you've done some prepping before.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: I saw one time a parent on some a video somewhere of a parent taking all the things you just kind of talked about, preparing some fruits and some maybe like cheese straws or um cheese sticks or things like that, and they put that in a space in the refrigerator door so that when their kids came in and wanted a snack, instead of having that easy access to unhealthy snacks, they had that easy access in the refrigerator to already prepped snacks.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: So they could grab that Ziploc bag of strawberries and they didn't have to do anything other than open the fridge, which I think is sometimes why we reach for the unhealthy.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_00: But I just I've seen that one time and that's real cool.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_00: But I have found that if I go ahead and prepare some of my snacks, it does two things.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: One, it goes ahead and portion controls for you because instead of opening that whole bag, you take the Ziploc bag that's already counted out.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: And two, it means that when you're packing, if you're packing lunches for school or work, all you got to do is grab what you need and it's already ready and it make it cuts that packing time down.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's a great idea.
• 12:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I and I know that it does take a little bit of effort, but um, it's definitely beneficial in the long run.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_01: But secondly, just taking some healthy snacks with you and having them on hand in your purse or in your work bag or your book bag, um, depending on whatever you can carry.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: But taking one to two snacks with you anywhere that you go, and some good choices would be fresh fruit, dried fruit, the hundred-calorie little snack bags, some small amounts of nuts, low-fat crackers, low-fat cheese, some whole grain crackers, low-fat yogurt, and then um maybe some boxes of low fat or skim milk.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: So if you can try to avoid the vending machines, and this could be as simple as not carrying money for vending machines, although vending machines often now take like Apple Pay and credit cards and debit cards, so it's a little more convenient, um, and you don't necessarily have to have quarters anymore.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_01: But, or you can just take a detour to avoid the hallway that has the vending machine.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, if you make it harder to get a high calorie snack, which is oftentimes what's in vending machines, those shelf stable, highly processed foods, you'll be less likely to eat one.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: But if you do happen to pass by a vending machine or you walk into a convenience store and you find yourself drooling over the options that you see, try to identify this feeling if it is a hummer or a beckoner.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: And what I mean by that is a hummer is a craving that you have even when you don't see the food and nothing else will satisfy you.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_01: You can buy and enjoy these foods in one portion size, but a beckoner is something that you only eat because it is there, not because you really want it.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: So these are the things to try to keep out of your room, out of your office, out of your kitchen, your apartment, your house, etc.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, trying to avoid those opportunities to eat just because you see something there.
• 14:05
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, there you have any thoughts on that one.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_00: There are foods I don't buy just so that they're not in the kitchen or in the house.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, like, I mean, I don't buy crackers much other than I've started buying like almond crackers because they're made with a little bit more whole foods.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_00: But like just your general things that are carb eaters, I don't I stopped buying them because I would eat more than you should in a sitting.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I just would having them in the house and that helps a lot.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_01: And especially when you think about like snacks, if you again, I keep using the the example of a gas station, but um, if you go into a grocery store or whatever it may be a station, or um if you see an opportunity to purchase food, it can be that's why they always say not to shop when you're hungry, because you may be tempted to overbuy because you're thinking about how much food you could possibly eat right now.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but yeah, so so trying to take a second step back and realize, am I really hungry?
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_01: Is this something that I really nothing else will satisfy me?
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: And if it and if that's the case, then buy it, eat it, it's fine.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_01: But if it's something that you are considering eating just because it's there or you're bored, maybe try to not eat the option or the snack option, or if you do, try to have a few bites or um save a portion of it for later.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: But with that on the topic of boredom, uh the recommendation is to have enough snack items, a variety of snack items on hand not to get bored, but not enough to encourage overeating.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: So usually three to four different healthy snacks on hand are enough to keep you from getting too bored, but try not to have too many choices.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: People tend to eat more if they can choose from a variety of flavors.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_01: So lastly, really pay attention to and enjoy your snack.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: So again, oftentimes we snack because we're we're multitasking, we're on the road, we're busy.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but snacking should still be a pure experience.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: So try not to watch TV, not to read, not to work on your computer or doing something else while you're eating, because unconscious eating often leads to overeating.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_00: Which is the same thing with our meals too.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, exactly.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's a little easier to multitask when you're snacking because oftentimes these are convenience foods.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: So um they don't require a fork or they don't require like a plate or something like that.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we can, you know, put something in our mouths and put something in our body while we're doing something else with our other hand or you know, working on your computer, talking on the phone, et cetera.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_01: But you really don't get that mind-body connection and your gut connection involved in that too, if you're not taking the time to think about what you're eating.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: And when you were talking about the different snack options that people do have, one thing to keep in mind is if you're doing like the hundred calorie bags or dried fruit or nuts, if you buy them in the big quantities and then portion them out to the serving size, you can also help save money on your wallet too while you're grocery shopping.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: Because sometimes the things that are already prepackaged in our small servings are gonna cost us a little more than buying it in the larger quantity.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's a really good tip.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, and you don't have to have any type of special like portion size container.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, they are nice, but truthfully, if you look at the nutrition facts label, it'll tell you how many grams or how many almonds or or whatever um is in one serving.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: So you can count them out, you can put them in a little plastic bag.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: You don't have to have like the little bento boxes are super cute and very trendy.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_01: However, um you don't have to spend extra money to have a cute snack pack or snack box or whatever.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_01: You can just use what you have on hand to portion out your um your snacks like that.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: So in all of this, what are some healthy snack options for people?
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: Well, we've already talked about being conscious of added sugar.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so sometimes when you do have like fruit cups, or if you've got something that um is a fruit snack, oftentimes they have sugar added to them.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_01: So just be cautious about like fruit gummies or fruit cups.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: If it's packaged in syrup, oftentimes those are loaded with added sugar.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: So if you can have fresh fruit, that's a better option.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um so keeping some fresh fruit and pairing it with something that's high in protein or um some good sources of unsaturated fat, like an apple and peanut butter is a great option.
• 18:57
  SPEAKER_01: Um, some low sugar granola, unbuttered popcorn.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_01: Again, popcorn is a whole grain, but we can kind of be a detriment to ourselves sometimes when when we buy the ones that are super high in pop or in butter or in salt.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_01: So try to do unbuttered popcorn if you can.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_01: Some low-fat yogurts with some fruit topping.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um if you do dried fruit, just again make sure that it check the ingredients level, make sure it doesn't have any added sugar to it.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but dry dried fruit is to be eaten in smaller portion sizes because of the concentration of the natural sugar in there.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um so just be cautious of that.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: Almonds or walnuts with cheese, whole grain crackers with peanut butter or with hummus or with cheese.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then veggies and a low-fat ranch dip or hummus is a great option too.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_01: So I personally love hummus, and so anytime that I can I can have some veggies or crackers with hummus, that's my go-to snack option.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but again, those things, hummus does need to be refrigerated, so just keep that in mind.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_01: If you are without refrigeration or or access to a cooler, you want to um pack some snacks that are gonna be shelf stable at room temp.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_00: They're good ideas, and then remember that you we're about to hit seasons where strawberries are in season.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: So strawberries are gonna be in your peak, and then soon you'll get peaches.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: And so anytime you can eat fruits when they're in season, it's even better for you.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: So just keep that in mind.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: It's even better for you, and it's usually on the lower end cost of what they cost all year long.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I love peach season.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: I will sit on the beach with a peach, and that is my favorite snack to eat in the summertime.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_01: I like peaches, I like strawberries too.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: I can eat them.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm excited that the seasons are almost here.
• 20:55
  SPEAKER_01: Me too.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_01: I love blueberries too.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, mixing up your fruit, um, getting them during peak season, they're gonna be at the height of their flavor.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you can also purchase them, like you said, at a lower cost, and you can freeze them and have them for later, put them in some smoothies.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_01: There's there's lots of options there for you.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_01: Lots of options.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the call to action or the challenge that I would have for those of you that listen to our snack episode is take some time this week to plan out what your healthy snacks are going to be.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: And then we'd love to see what you created.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: So you could go tag us on Instagram or so or Facebook at Stacked Intent or even on TikTok.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: So any of the social media platforms, you can tag Stacked Intent, and we would love to see the uh healthy snacks that you create.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: So that brings us to the end of our episode.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Ashley, for joining us on our discussion of nutritious snacks and some ways that we can make that decision.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: That brings us to the end of this episode of Stacked Integ.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: If you love this episode as much as I did, head on over and rate and subscribe so you will never miss an episode.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: New episodes are gonna be dropped on Thursdays.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: Until then, this is Becca, and don't forget, enrich your life by being a teacher.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: This podcast was created, produced, and recorded and edited by Stack Dent.