By Judy Davie
Why don't French women get fat? There are lots of theories, but in my opinion the main reason is that they don't snack.
Australians, on the other hand, love to snack. So we must be careful that the phrase "let's catch up for coffee" doesn't
really mean "let's clock up a whole lot of extra unnecessary kilojoules"!
A large skim-milk latte (540kJ) with a slice of un-iced banana bread (818kJ) may seem like a modest choice compared with the cakes and pastries you could have had. However, it's still 20% of your daily energy intake if you're on an energy-reduced weight loss diet. And it's certainly much more energy than you need from a snack.
Snacks can be OK if you're careful with your choices and aim to keep them to under 100cal a day (418kj). Here are 20 tasty snack options that fit the bill:
- 1 small can tuna in spring water, 3 tsp low fat ricotta = 408kJ
- 2 cups air-popped popcorn = 250kJ
- ½ cup fat-free natural yoghurt, ½ cup raspberries = 416kJ
- 2 soy linseed corn thins, 1 ½ tsp tahini, 3 thin slices tomato = 418kJ
- 2 level scoops of low-fat plain ice cream, ¼ cup blueberries = 390kJ
- 10 almonds, 20 sultanas = 408kJ
- 1 small green apple, 20g reduced fat cheddar = 384kJ
- 1 sandwich-sized Vitaweet, 1 tsp olive tapenade, 1 slice avocado, cracked pepper (15g) = 408kJ
- ½ mixed grain English muffin, toasted, 1 tbsp low fat cottage cheese, 3 slices cucumber, cracked pepper = 373kJ
- ¾ cup green grapes = 339kJ
- 1 Ryvita crisp bread, 1 tbsp hummus, 1 small grated carrot = 418kJ
- 10 cherry tomatoes, 1 stalk celery, 2 tbsp tzatziki dip = 377kJ
- 1 large boiled egg = 350kJ
- 1 slice toasted fruit bread, 1 cup peppermint tea = 396kJ
- 1 medium pear, 1 mug tea with 20ml skim milk = 419kJ
- 1 cup skim milk, 1 tsp Milo = 404kJ
- ½ cup edamame beans (in shells) = 387kJ
- Skim milk cappuccino (300ml) = 330kJ
- 4 small biscotti = 388kJ
- 1 cup watermelon balls, 20g crumbled goats cheese, 2 tsp shredded fresh mint = 329kJ
