20 healthy 100-calorie snacks

When one thinks of a snack, an apple or carrot sticks isn't quite the image that comes to mind. Chips, pretzels and other salty delights are what we've come to know as "real" snack foods. The following tips will show you how you can enjoy healthy snacking without sacrificing taste -- all for 100 calories or less.

Studies show that eating frequent small meals is a better weight-management strategy than eating one or two large meals. It's also an effective way to lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar levels. Snacking on healthy foods like vegetables and low-fat dip can help prevent overeating at mealtime. In fact, many experts think that eating five or six small meals a day is best for overall health. One strategy is to divide your food evenly over your waking hours, eating something small but nutritious every few hours.

For many people, snacking or having frequent small meals is an alternative to the usual three large ones. This is a good solution for young children whose small stomachs can't consume enough at one sitting to sustain their need for energy. Older adults often can eat only small portions; supplemental snacks can help them to maintain a balanced diet. The same is true for people who are convalescing.

Unfortunately people often make poor nutritional choices with their snacks, choosing foods that are often referred to as junk foods: potato chips, candy, chocolate, etc.

Here is a list of 20 snacks that weigh in at 100 calories to help you make better choices:

• Air-popped popcorn, 725 millilitres (three cups)
• Almonds, 16 to 20
• Apple
• Baked tortilla chips, 10
• Banana
• Fig bars, two
• Fruit-juice popsicle
• Ginger snap cookies, three five-centimetre (two-inch) cookies
• Grapes, 250 millilitres (one cup)
• Hard-cooked egg
• Low-fat or nonfat yogurt (plain or artificially sweetened), 250 millilitres (one cup)
• Low-fat string cheese, one piece
• Nonfat frozen yogurt, 500 millilitres (16 ounces/two cups)
• Orange
• Peanut butter, 15 grams (one tablespoon)
• Pistachios (in shells), one handful
• Pretzels, 40 thin sticks
• Pumpkin or sunflower seeds (in shells), one handful
• Raisins, 45 millilitres (three tablespoons)
• Sorbet, 300 to 500 millilitres (1 1/4 to two cups)

Add several healthy snacking foods to your weekly shopping list. When you have the right foods on hand, it's easy to prepare snacks to take on trips, to school or to work. Stay away from prepackaged high-fat items, such as potato and tortilla chips. If you can't resist cookies, you can sample the low-fat ones now on the market, but it's better to control fat and sugar content by making them at home.