Snacking Basics
Snacks aren’t bad. In fact, they are “mini meals” that are meant to curb hunger and help supplement nutrients you may not be getting enough of from meals (like fiber from fruits and veggies). Studies show that waiting too long to eat between meals can cause you to overeat later in the day — not exactly the best way to lose weight or stay healthy.

Stick to snacks that are between 100 and 200 calories each. You especially need them when you have three to five hours between meals. My snack breaks often fall at 10:30am and 2:30pm — about one and a half to two hours between my meals.

1) Peanut Butter and Whole-Wheat Crackers
Combine lean protein, fiber and healthy fat and you’ve got a satisfying snack. Protein and fiber work for cutting down and controlling hunger, while fat takes a bit longer to digest and keeps you feeling full longer. Peanut butter is high in healthy monounsaturated fats, but be sure to portion out one tablespoon to keep calories in check.

Portion: 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter and 4 whole-wheat crackers
Total: 180 calories, 5 grams of protein

2) Vegetable Soup
Don’t eat enough veggies? Try snacking on a warm, hearty vegetable soup — 20 minutes later you’ll feel like a new person. Vegetables contain fiber, which helps you feel full and also helps stabilize blood sugar throughout the day — meaning no gnawing hunger pains. Try a minestrone or bean soup for additional protein. If you’re feeling extra hungry at snack time, add one or two whole-wheat breadsticks or a small whole-wheat roll.

Portion: 1 cup vegetable soup
Total: 100 calories, 4 grams protein

3) Low-Fat Cottage Cheese and Fruit
With its good balance of protein, carbs and fat, cottage cheese is one of the most underappreciated foods. Add fiber with fresh fruit, such as berries, melon, pears or pineapple, for a perfect snack. A 1/2-cup serving contains 7% of your daily calcium needs, which is important for healthy bones.

Portion: 1/2 cup low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese with 1/2 cup sliced or 1 medium piece of fresh fruit
Total calories: 140 calories, 14 grams protein

4) Hummus with Sliced Veggies
This Middle Eastern chickpea spread is packed with protein, fiber and heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Veggies like carrots, bell peppers and broccoli make great dippers and add good nutrients, including beta-carotene, vitamin C and, of course, more belly-filling fiber. Two tablespoons of plain hummus has 50 calories and 3 grams of fat, so you’re probably better off measuring out two to three tablespoons instead of sitting down with the entire container.

Portion: 3 tablespoons of plain hummus plus 1 cup of sliced veggies
Total calories: 120 calories, 7 grams protein

5) Trail Mix
Almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts or pecans are full of healthy fat, fiber and protein. A delicious homemade trail mix is simple: Portion out a handful of nuts and mix in two tablespoons of dried fruit like raisins, cranberries or apricots. To minimize calories, choose nuts that are dry roasted or raw. For a change of pace, throw in whole-wheat pretzels or some of your favorite cereal (I’ve been on a Puffins kick lately). Packing your trail mix in plastic bags or containers makes it easy to grab and go. If you find yourself plowing through your snack mix, try using shelled nuts that will take longer to eat.

Portion: 15 nuts plus 2 tablespoons of dried fruit
Total calories: 170 calories, 7 grams protein

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From Make Your Own Applesauce:
“When I make applesauce, I go to the farmers’ market and buy an assortment of apples. Then, I core and peel them. I add about 1/2 to 1 cup of water into a 5 to 8 quart dutch oven pot and boil until they break down. Then I use an immersion blender and blend, but I like it chunky so I don’t do too much. When I let it cool off, I put in a cinnamon stick and scrape the seeds only from a whole vanilla bean. The flavor is great. Remember to remove the cinnamon stick.” – Alane

“I also add fresh pears, fresh pineapple and AFTER it is cooked, I add fresh pomegranate. It’s delicious try it!” – Holly

From Safety Tip: Wash Those Hands!:
“If you’re worried about swine flu germs and your kids, my child came home from school the other day saying that they learned to cough and sneeze into their elbow with Germy Wormie, and I was totally taken aback. I always covered with my hands, but I went to the website and now I get it — hands touch, elbows don’t!! Kids can touch 300 surfaces in a half hour and they hate to wash their hands. This is a simple thing that can make a huge difference.” – Gues

From Katie’s Healthy Bites: My Ode to Apples:
“My favorites are Honey Crisp and Ambrosia. I can’t stand Granny Smith! For baking, I’ll use Golden Delicious, Cortland or JonahGold. I also throw in some eating apples a lot of the time when I’m baking. I love the different flavor they lend and they also add a different texture to the finished product.” – Kristina

From Peanut Butter: Good or Bad?:
“Best way to mix your natural peanut butter — turn it upside down at room temperature for about 24 hours. It mixes itself perfectly and no mess! My favorites are Trader Joe’s creamy peanut butter and Trader Joe’s raw crunchy almond butter. YUM!” – Mary

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Nutrition Facts
One tablespoon of peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) has about 90 to 100 calories, 4 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat. The majority of the fat is the heart-healthy, unsaturated kind; some peanut butter brands have more saturated fat depending on the added ingredients. Peanuts, which are technically legumes and not nuts, also contain healthy doses of niacin (good for your energy levels) and antioxidants like vitamin E and resveratol (the same one you’ll find in red wine). Experts say that peanuts rank right up there with fruits for their high antioxidant content.

What You DON’T Want
Sadly, most of the peanut butters at the market aren’t really peanut butters (at least according to my definition). They’re a mixture of peanuts, sugar and various oils. To keep the peanut spread thick at room temperature, manufacturers add artery-clogging saturated or trans fats. When shopping, scan the ingredients for “partially hydrogenated oil,” “hydrogenated oil” or “palm oil” — those are ones you want to skip.

Reduced-fat peanut butter may also seem like a smarter choice, but it often contains more sugar than the full-fat kind. While the fat content is lower, the total calories aren’t that much different.

What You DO Want
Real peanut butter has two ingredients — peanuts and salt! There’s no need for sugar or extra oils. The biggest complaint I hear about natural peanut butters are about the way the (natural) oils rise to the top. To relieve this “separation anxiety,” all you need to do is mix it up VERY well when you first bring it home and then store it in the refrigerator. A good brand will never separate on you again. Out of all the peanut butters I’ve tried (and there’s been lots of them), my favorite is Trader Joe’s.

The trick to making it a healthy choice is portion control — one tablespoon for a snack and two tablespoons for meal (like in a sandwich). You can also make your own. Some dry roasted peanuts, a sprinkle of salt and a few minutes in the food processor is all you need. If you want a hint of sweetness, add a little agave nectar or honey.

Bottom Line: Avoid all the extra sugar, fat and bad-for-you add-ins by choosing peanut butter made from just peanuts and salt. Period.

TELL US: What’s your favorite brand of peanut butter?

More Peanut-Related Reading
• Cracking the Threat of Nut Allergies
• Spotlight Recipe: Roasted Peanuts
• Discover Nut Butters

From Aisle By Aisle: Smart Picks For Condiments:
“You can add lots of flavor to things by dressing up condiments at home. A little garlic or lime in your mayo makes the flavor great, and you need less of the condiment. [It] also works with butter. Try chili lime butter on corn or honey butter on muffins. You may get some of the fat, but at least you’re not eating a laboratory of chemicals!” – Mary

“Homemade mayo: I usually use the dry seasoned packets from Kroger, use light German mayo and soy milk for the added ingredients that it calls for. It makes a huge taste difference than pre-made store-bought stuff, and it is healthier because you can control what is put in it.” – Erin, via Facebook

From Katie’s Healthy Bites: Pep Up Your Sandwiches:
“My all-time favorite sandwich is: two whole-wheat slices of bread with all natural peanut butter (with just peanuts as the ingredient), honey and slices of banana grilled on the George Foreman. It all melts together and creates a crisp outer layer that is fabulous to bite down on! I could eat this for every meal it is so delicious!” – Meredith

“You can really get creative with the PB sandwich…growing up my mom would make me PB with apples and raisins or bananas and chocolate chips for a treat…and I loved it ” – Katie

“I’ve always enjoyed spicy mustard with my peanut butter.” – John

From Market Watch: Grapes:
“I’m still confused on grapes not having seeds. Is this normal? Have they been altered in some way, and if so, how can this be safe to consume?” – Larry

Dana’s response: “Seedless grapes are special varieties that have been used by farmers for decades. They’re a product of good old-fashioned farming methods that involve cross-breeding and using cuttings from other plants — not genetic modification or harmful chemicals. These types of seedless grapes actually do contain very small edible seeds that don’t become hard or large enough to notice.”

Have a tip you think we’ll love, or a food question that’s been bugging you? Let us know on the blog, Facebook or Twitter.

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Kardea Gourmet Bars
I’m not a fan of many snack bars, so when I first stopped by this booth, I made my “yuck” face. The Kardea representative saw — poor guy! But once I tasted these bars, I couldn’t believe how yummy they were. I took extras home and snagged a few samples for Dana, too. At 150 calories, the bars contain 7 grams of fiber and are low in saturated fat. They’re also dairy-free and sweetened with agave syrup. I tasted four flavors: cranberry almond, lemon ginger, chai spice and, my favorite, banana nut. Gourmet Bars are sold at Whole Foods, but you can also order them online on the Kardea website.

Smart Balance Milk & Peanut Butter
The creators of the Smart Balance buttery spreads have several new offerings. First, there’s the fat-free milk that tastes like 2% milk (a competitor for Skim Plus — also at the meeting). The Smart Balance milk has added omega-3 fats and is antibiotic- and hormone-free. I also tasted their yummy new peanut butter, sweetened with agave nectar. (There seems to be a lot of love going around for agave nectar these days.)

Bob’s Red Mill: Gluten Free Line
We love giving shout-outs to Bob’s Red Mill, but did you know they have an entire “Gluten Free” line with more than 40 products? Oats, bread mix, brownie mix, pizza crust mix and pancake mix — I grabbed a pamphlet for my celiac-stricken, future sister-in-law. We’ll be baking the brownies and making those pancakes very soon!

Organic Bistro Whole Life Meals
I’m big on eating home-cooked food, but even I know the convenience of frozen meals can be hard to resist. Created with the help of a registered dietitian, Organic Bistro meals are made with lean proteins and contain at least 2 to 3 veggie servings per meal. They range from 320 to 450 calories per meal and are low in sodium. Guess what? They’re also gluten-free!

Adora Chocolate Calcium Supplements
Getting the right amount of calcium in my diet isn’t always easy. Sometimes I need a little extra boost. Rather than force down chalky pills, I found the most delicious chocolate calcium supplements. I’ve seen these coin-shaped supplements in previous shows, but this time they appeared in my goody bag. Adora supplements come in both dark and milk chocolate and can be found in specialty markets such as Whole Foods (or you can order them online).

Get the recipe »

We have a superstar in our midst! Dana — as in Dana Angelo White, one of our resident experts — stars in a new series of videos on Foodnetwork.com. In them, she shares prep tips and healthy tidbits about a few of her favorite quick snacks. Her green herb hummus is on my to-try list for the weekend. And what a lovely kitchen!

Check her out >>

The Foods
So far, the outbreak has been linked to six deaths — with almost 500 people affected and 107 hospitalized. The source is King Nut brand peanut butter, produced by Peanut Corporation of America. They distribute their peanut butter primarily to long-term care facilities, hospitals, schools, universities, restaurants, delis, cafeterias and bakeries. And while you may not have to worry about the jar of peanut butter in your cupboard, their peanut butter does get included in other packaged snack foods.

Doublecheck of your peanut-flavored cookies, candies, crackers, snack bars and ice cream. And don’t forget your dog’s peanut butter snacks — those have been recalled too. The FDA has a full database that lists the name brands and expiration dates to guide you. The American Peanut Council also released a list of foods not affected at this point.

Go Through the Pantry
If you have products from one of the affected brands or worry you might, discard them to make sure nobody else can eat them (and definitely don’t give anything to the dog). All products containing the bacteria have not been pinpointed, so the safest option is to avoid eating any foods that have peanut butter flavoring. If you’re not sure, call the manufacturer number listed on the product to get more information.

Signs You Might Have the Bug
The Salmonella bug lasts from 4 to 7 days. Symptoms, including diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps, develop within 12 to 72 hours after you eat the infected food. Older and much younger folks usually feel it the worst. If you think you got ill from eating a product containing peanut butter, the FDA and CDC suggest you consult your doctor. A lab test can check if you carry the harmful bacteria strain linked to the peanut butter recall.

Spreading the Bug
Beyond eating tainted foods, you can contract Salmonella poisoning from another person who may be lax with personal hygiene — particularly not washing hands after using the restroom. Pets that are ill carry it in their feces, so make sure you stock up on soap and use warm water to wash your hands. Someone who has the bug should refrain from serving food as they can pass it along.

Need the latest info about the outbreak? Check out the CDC site.