Buying Granola at the Market
So what’s not healthy about it? It’s the calories we’re worried about — a single cup can have 600 or more. Many of those calories come from healthy nuts, seeds, whole grains and dried fruit, but packaged granola mixes also have tons of sugar.

First step: read the label! Avoid a granola that lists sugar in the top three ingredients. For homemade or store-bought options, portion control is key. Stick to 1/4-cup servings when you’re eating a full meal (say, breakfast) and two tablespoons if you’re just snacking. If you eat granola as your morning cereal, mix that 1/4 cup with another, low-calorie cereal.

Small portions mean you can stretch that box further. Of the packaged kinds, we like Nature’s Path and Cascadian Farms. Health food stores and grocers like Whole Foods sell granola (and nuts, oatmeal and more) from bins, where you scoop how much you want. Look for an ingredient list on the container so you know what you’re getting and, again, stick to 1/4-cup portions.

Making Your Own
A box of packaged granola can set you back $5 or $6; it’s definitely cheaper to make your own. You can tweak the ingredients to include favorite nuts or fruit and work around allergies. When mixing some up, keep these tips in mind:

• Choose old fashioned oats for a crispy texture. Quick oats create a less-tasty, powdery bite.
• If you like clumpier granola, make sure to squeeze the cereal (or other ingredients) into small clusters before baking. A touch of water can help keeps the pieces together.
• Bake at a low temperature for a crispy, brown finish; go too high and you might burn it.
• Granola keeps in an airtight container for up to a month; stash it in a cool, dry place.

My granola typically has dried fruits (apricots, raisins, figs, cranberries) for sweetness and texture, nuts and seeds for crunch, and vanilla extract or apple cider to up the flavor. When picking your nuts, go for raw or dry roasted; some manufacturers roast their nuts in oil, which can add unnecessary fat.

Recipes to Try:
• Nutty Granola
• Crunchy Granola
• Maple Granola
• Cherry, Almond and Cinnamon Granola

Ordering Your Own
If you want custom flavor but don’t have the time, I found a couple new sites that can help. The well-named Mixmygranola.com lets you pick your ingredient faves or opt for one of their mixes. They ship it to you in a cool cylinder, which includes a nutrition facts panel that matches your ingredients. For my family, I chose the Apricot Granola Delight mix, one of their standards. The granola can be a bit pricey ($7 and up, plus shipping), but you get a lot in that 16-ounce container. Meandgoji.com is another custom cereal site. We haven’t tried it out yet, but looks like they have tons of mix-and-match options.

Snack Bars vs. Energy Bars
Unlike energy bars, snack bars are meant for between meals. Energy bars tend to be higher in calories and are meant to give more active individuals extra calories and energy — too much for just a snack.

Many snack bars are made with granola mixes — that is, a combo of oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit and small amounts of sugar and fat. Some packaged granola bars also add in chocolate, fudge and pieces of candy (most of those wouldn’t make our approval list). Dozens of granola and fruit bars are available these days and some are better than others (see our faves below).

Remember, these shouldn’t be your go-to snack all the time. Non-fat yogurt, fruit or a handful of nuts are also easy and portable alternatives. It’s important to rotate your snacks — and all foods, really — to get a variety of nutrients.

What to Look For
If you’re looking to lose weight, choose a bar with less than 150 calories. If you’re just looking to maintain, then go for one with 200 calories or less. There are a few of my favorites (ones marked with an * are a good choice for those trying to lose weight):

• Barbara’s Crunchy Organic Granola Bars — 190 to 200 calories per pack of two bars
• Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars — 190 calories per pack of two bars
• Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bars* — around 140 each
• Kashi Bars TLC Chewy Granola Bars* — around 110 to 140 each
• Larabar Fruit & Nut Bars — look for those between 180 to 200 calories
• Larabar Jocolat — any flavor, between 180 to 190 calories each

Make Your Own
Of course, creating your own low-cal snack bars is often better. You get to pick your ingredients and flavor combos — plus, less packaging waste.

Recipes to try:
• Fruit and Pecan Granola Bars
• Nutty Granola
• Walnuts and Dried Cherry Bars

[Photo: Tom Censani]

These days, snacks often mean cookies, candy, chips or even donuts — that is, nothing nutritious! If he could, my seven-year-old son would live on junk foods alone, but as the adult (and a nutritionist mom of three), it’s my job to make sure the right choices are available for my family. Check out these tips for creating healthy, kid-friendly snacks.

The Purpose of Snacks
Kids are growing and have very high calorie needs, which snacks can help meet by providing nourishment between meals. Typically a child should eat between two-to-three snacks daily. Choose nibblers that contain protein for growth, iron for blood and calcium for bones. Fiber, vitamins A and C are also important nutrients to get. This does not mean that the occasional “junk food” snack is forbidden — just be sure there’s a balance for good.

Snack Basics
Here are some basic healthier options for kids. You may need to modify snacks based on your child’s age — for example, slice grapes in quarters for toddlers so they don’t choke.

• Sliced or whole fresh fruits: Apples, bananas, kiwi, mango, grapes, berries, melons, peaches, pineapple and plums. Applesauce, dried fruit and fruit leathers are also good choices (make sure they’re 100% fruit).
• Sliced or whole fresh veggies: Carrot sticks, broccoli, cucumbers, radishes, baby corn, olives, bell peppers and string beans.
• Dairy: Cheese slices, Babybel, string cheese, skim or 1% milk or yogurt (remember, cows don’t make purple yogurt! Try Stonyfield’s Yo Kids).
• Protein: Edamame, deli meat (i.e. turkey or chicken breast), hard-boiled egg
• Starches: Unsalted pretzels, mini bagels, pita wedges, graham crackers, dried cereal (make sure sugar isn’t listed as one of the first four ingredients) and granola bars.

“My kids won’t eat fruits and veggies!?!”
I’ve lost count on the number of times I’ve heard that statement. There are ways to convince kids to enjoy these foods without driving you nutty. Believe me, my son is a picky eater but I work with him, not against him. You want to lead by example — show your child that you too eat fruits and veggies. You also don’t want to make faces at a food you don’t enjoy. Even if you’re not a big fan of a certain vegetable, you should offer it and smile when you do.

Forcing a child to take one bite typically backfires and can make the child angry or uncomfortable. Create an enjoyable atmosphere, offer small amounts at a time and continue to offer the food until the child realizes that fruits and veggies are “normal” things to eat. It typically takes 20 times for a child to come to like a food — so don’t give up so easily!

Fun, Kid-Friendly Snack Recipes
Some kid-friendly favorites are fruit on skewers, smoothies, vegetable sushi rolls and sliced veggies dipped in hummus, guacamole or a low-fat dressing. Cheese and whole-wheat crackers, apples dipped in peanut butter or even a scrambled egg in a four-inch pita pocket are other options to try.

Plus, try these recipes to jazz up snack time:

• Mexican Tortilla Pita
• Zucchini Snack Pizzas
• Banana Pops
• Rainbow Fruit Skewers (shown above)
• Blueberry Blast Smoothie
• Raspberry Fool
• Breakfast Cookies

And check out this New York Times article about common mistakes parents make when feeding their kids.

TELL US: What kind of healthy snacks do your kids love?

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 >>

100-Calorie Pack Attack
These small snack-sized packaged foods have gotten very popular lately — you see them at the grocery store, sold in bulk packs and in snack machines. Products such as Nabisco’s purple packs, Hostess cakes and popcorn all come in these mini packets. Problem is these products may not taste like the “real thing” — for example, the 100-calorie Oreo packs don’t have the classic cream-filled cookie but instead have thin, wafer-like crisps. Worse still, when you’re stuck in a snack craving, one packet may quickly turn into three or four. (Of course, if you want to eat the healthiest, fresh fruits and veggies should be your first snack source.)

Buy Less, Pay More
While these snack packets are meant to help reduce overeating, the price of them can also thin out your wallet. According to the Center for Public Interest (CSPI), these calorie savers can cost 16% to 279% more per ounce than the versions in regular packages. Check this comparison chart for your favorite 100-calorie snacks.

A Better Solution
Make your own 100-calorie packs using healthier crackers or cookies. CSPI suggests stashing four Nabisco Ginger Snaps or two Fig Newton’s in a reusable plastic container or resealable sandwich bag — you can tuck these into your purse or a desk drawer. If you do decide to go for the 100-calorie packs, just have one. If you’re not sure you can resist, just skip them altogether. And again, it’s always better to just have some yogurt, a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts.

[Photo courtesy of Kharizmarae82 / Flickr]

TELL US: What are your favorite low-cal snack solutions?

Handy Portions
Most chip labels mark a serving size as a single ounce, but unless you have a scale around, it’s hard to figure out how many to have. Stick to a good old handful — about 10-12 chips. This easy measure keeps portions reasonable and fat and calories under control.

Lighter Options
Light and reduced fat chips are lower in calories, but that doesn’t mean endless munching. A serving of reduced-fat plain potato chips has only 20 fewer calories and 3 grams of fat less than the regular kind. Beware of fat-free chips made with Olestra, an oil substitute that literally goes right through you (side effects include diarrhea, gas and abdominal cramping). It’s not worth it as far as I’m concerned. Labels come with this warning. You will be much better off choosing chips made with more wholesome oils such as corn, safflower or canola. Baked chips contain some oil but are lower in fat than other options.

If you are watching your sodium intake, “lightly salted” chip versions are available –- they have about half the sodium of regular chips. I have even found unsalted chips.

Potatoes or Bust?
Your chip choices don’t end at potatoes. Unique varieties include sweet potatoes, taro and other root vegetables such as beets and parsnips. I like to snack on corn tortilla chips (corn is a whole grain, you know). Trader Joe’s Soy and Flax Seed Chips have a nutty flavor and, of course, that salty crunch — plus, they have a small amount of Omega 3 fats.

To Snack or Not to Snack?
Healthy eating is not about deprivation. When you want some chips, have some — but only a handful.

In less than five minutes you can sink into a tasty combo of peanut butter, dried fruit, honey and brown rice cereal. This delicious recipe makes a great bedtime snack with a glass of warm milk or herbal tea. Enjoy!

Get the recipe >>