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‘Grazing’ Can Have Health Benefits

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“He eats like a horse.”

I think I have described my son’s teenage years in those terms at some point. I have heard other parents of teenagers do the same.

Eating like a horse actually is a compliment in some ways. Horses graze, and research has shown that grazing, or snacking on minimeals throughout the day, makes a lot of sense nutritionally. In fact, several well-chosen snacks paced throughout the day can be just as nutritious as three square meals.

One research study found that dividing your daily food intake into 17 minimeals can lower blood cholesterol, particularly the LDL, or bad cholesterol, levels. Even the most faithful eaters, however, would have trouble eating 17 times daily.

Other researchers have reported that grazing on six small meals daily offers some benefits in weight control. Each time we eat food, our metabolic activity increases, kind of like starting your vehicle. Starting your “internal combustion engine” six times daily may burn some additional calories as long as those six snacks are not the size of complete meals.

Diabetics, in particular, need to eat regularly, so the pattern of six smaller meals daily can help with blood glucose control. Children need snacks to meet their nutritional needs as they grow. Elderly people also benefit from smaller meals because some experience a reduction in appetite. Smaller meals often are tolerated better than larger ones.

With today’s faster pace of life, many people find themselves eating on the run. The snack food industry offers all sorts of tempting products that aren’t necessarily high in nutrients, but many are high in fat, sugar and sodium. Healthy snacking takes a little planning. Keep your refrigerator and cupboard stocked with healthful foods, and use snacks as a way to fill in nutrient gaps.

If you struggle to meet the daily recommendation for vegetables and fruits, put some fresh fruits and vegetables in a plastic bag to munch in the car or at your desk. Go beyond baby carrots and snack on broccoli, cauliflower, jicama, zucchini, bell peppers, snow peas and other veggies.

Many types of fruits and vegetables provide vitamins A and C, as well as needed fluids. Dried fruit has less fluid, but it is easily portable and can be stored much longer, but dried fruits have more calories per the same weight.

To help meet your calcium needs, consume at least two to three servings from the dairy group daily. How about snacking on lower-fat cheeses such as mozzarella or farmer cheese cut into cubes? Retailers have made yogurt very portable these days by repackaging the same item in easy-to-eat plastic tubes.

Enjoy some whole-grain crackers from the grain group. Or fill a plastic bag with whole-grain cereal for a quick pick-me-up that is much less expensive than visiting the vending machine.

To add protein to your minimeals, try hummus, a dip made from chickpeas. Nuts are high-protein, portable snacks, but if weight loss is a goal, remember they also are fairly high in calories. Beef jerky is a portable snack that’s a good source of iron, but pay attention to the sodium content, especially if you have been told by a health-care provider to watch your sodium intake.

Here’s a snack that is quick to fix and very nutritious. Visit www.ag.ndsu.edu/food for more recipes and information about nutrition, food safety and health.

Homemade Chips and Fresh Salsa

Chip ingredients 6 corn tortillas Salt (optional)

Procedure Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tortillas into small wedges, similar to cutting up a pie. Place on baking sheet. If salt is desired, spray tortillas lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Bake approximately 20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Makes four servings of chips. Without salt, each serving has 90 calories, 1.5 grams (g) fat, 2 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber and 0 milligrams (mg) sodium.

Salsa ingredients 2 large ripe tomatoes 2 tsp. chili peppers, finely chopped 3 Tbsp. onions, chopped 1/4 tsp ground coriander (or 2 tsp. chopped cilantro) 1 Tbsp. sugar

Procedure Chop ingredients by hand or use a food processor. Chill or serve immediately. Note: You can alter the heat in your salsa based on your choice of pepper.

Makes four servings of salsa. Each serving has 30 calories, 0 g fat, 1 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber and 15 mg sodium.

 


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