Simple snacks dietitians eat to power their day

By Amy Deahl-Greenlaw, RDN, LDN

March is National Nutrition Month^®. This yearly campaign was first established in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Wednesday, March 11 is National RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) Day.

This year's theme is "Discover the Power of Nutrition." Nutrition has the power to help people and communities thrive. Discover how food and beverage choices can help power your day and enhance your well-being.

Healthy snack ideas that keep our team energized

We asked registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) across Main Line Health how they power their day with healthy snacks. From classics, like peanut butter and apple slices, to homemade power bites, here's what they like to snack on that you can also make at home:

• Hummus with veggies and toasted walnuts
  —Amy Deahl-Greenlaw, RDN, LDN (Main Line Health King of Prussia Teaching Kitchen)

• Dried unsweetened pineapple (the sole ingredient)
  —Sarah Wolf, MA, RDN, LDN (Food Service at Riddle Memorial Hospital)

• Cottage cheese with blueberries and chia seeds
  —Julia Mims, RDN, LDN, CDCES (Manager, Diabetes Management Program)

• Dried figs plus lightly salted almonds
  —Karen Vincek, MS, RDN, LDN (Diabetes Management Program)

• Apples dipped in Greek yogurt mixed with peanut butter
  —Emily Skane, MS, RDN, LDN (Food Service at Riddle Memorial Hospital)

• Dried, no-sugar-added mango or dried, roasted edamame
  —Amanda Thomas, RDN, CSOWM, LDN, CDCES (Diabetes Management Program)

• Home-roasted, lightly salted chickpeas
  —Stephanie Kassanoff, MS, RDN, LDN (Bryn Mawr Hospital)

• DIY "power balls" (rolled oats, unsweetened sunflower butter, honey, chia seeds)
  —Ashley Smith, MS, RDN, LDN (Diabetes Management Program)

• Apple slices with peanut butter
  —Ashley Abell, MS, RDN, LDN (King of Prussia Teaching Kitchen)

• Vanilla Greek yogurt combined with one tablespoon chia seeds and ½ cup raspberries
  —Janelle Gaj, RDN, LDN (Manager, Clinical Nutrition Riddle Memorial Hospital)

How to choose and prepare less-processed snacks

Snacks that are unprocessed or minimally processed can be as simple as fresh fruit and vegetables. Making a plan for snacking prep is key.

Whole fruits and vegetables may just need washing. Others will need to be washed, peeled or trimmed and sliced. But once your prep is done, you can enjoy it right away then it's ready as a grab-and-go snack for the days ahead.

When it comes to packaged food or beverages, keep an eye on added sugar and sodium.

What does "added sugar" mean

An important distinction is added sugar vs naturally occurring sugars:

• Naturally occurring sugar is sugar found naturally in unprocessed fruit or milk (lactose is sugar found naturally in milk though it does not taste sweet).
• Added sugar is any sweetener or syrup that is added when processing the food and provides calories.

Food labels on packaging list Total Sugars (combination of natural and added sugars). Added Sugar is listed below with the amount in grams and % Daily Value (% DV equals how much one serving provides compared to the total amount limit for one day). To limit your added sugar consumption:

• Review the label's Nutrition Facts panel and aim to choose foods with zero added sugar or less than 5% DV.
• Or go over a product's Ingredients list to try to choose foods that do not have added sugars in the first two or three ingredients. These may include white sugar, maltose, brown sugar, corn syrup, cane sugar, honey, agave syrup, maple syrup or fruit juice concentrate. Ingredients are listed by weight, so the first few ingredients are used the most.

Selecting low-sodium foods

To limit the amount of sodium you're consuming from processed foods, aim to choose foods labeled with no salt added, unsalted, low-sodium or reduced-sodium.

Choose whole foods and shorter ingredient lists

Keep it simple by choosing more unprocessed foods and packaged foods with fewer ingredients (the fewer the ingredients the better). Minimizing your intake of processed food means more food prep and cooking at home.

Discover the power of nutrition by building your meals and snacks around whole foods like vegetables, beans, fruit and whole grains.

Next steps

Main Line Health's Teaching Kitchen registered dietitians encourage you to try new healthy recipes by joining us online for our weekly healthy eating webinars or joining in-person at the Teaching Kitchen. Whether you're looking to gain confidence in the kitchen or refresh your weekly menu, we offer free programs that support your wellness goals.

Join our healthy eating webinars or register for Teaching Kitchen classes.

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