| You'll never get an argument if you say, "We | | | | many beef stick products are almost all fat! |
| need to find healthier snack solutions." It's | | | | Truth be told, this is usually the case. In |
| not controversial to say "Unhealthy Snacking | | | | order to find a dried meat product that is |
| is among the top reasons for Americans being | | | | not all fat, you need to look at certain |
| overweight and obese in unprecedented, never | | | | types of beef jerky. |
| before seen in the history of the planet | | | | |
| numbers. That said, try to move forward and | | | | The bottom line in all of this is that you |
| then define what the definition of a "Healthy | | | | can't believe the hype. Don't buy into |
| Snack" is, and that's where the fireworks | | | | advertising slogans, jingles or whatever else |
| begin. | | | | the multi-million dollar industry has |
| | | | concocted to convince you of the merits of |
| Some people will point anything that says | | | | their product. There is only one source of |
| "all natural" as being a healthy snack | | | | truth, and that's the nutrition data printed |
| solution. But really, "all natural" says very | | | | on the back of the package. While there is |
| little about the nutrition quality of the | | | | not absolute for parameters of healthy snack |
| snack. Many juice boxes or fruit drinks are | | | | solutions, you can usually be safe following |
| "All Natural" and yet loaded with sugar. | | | | the CA SB-19 guidelines for snacks in schools |
| Going further on concept of sugar content, | | | | which state that snacks should be less than |
| many snacks are billed as "low-fat" or | | | | 35% fat, less than 35% sugar, less than 10% |
| "Reduced Fat." It's important to note that | | | | saturated fat and less than 250 calories per |
| many of these reduced fat items have more | | | | container. Short of simply saying "I'm only |
| sugar than their "Regular Fat" counterpart. | | | | going to eat carrots and celery, while |
| It's often the case that lowfat items have | | | | drinking only water," the above guidelines |
| more actual calories and sugar. They've | | | | are a good place to start. Since we all need |
| simply replaced one nutrition impediment with | | | | definitions and guidelines by which to |
| another. | | | | conduct our lives, and our eating, the 35/35 |
| | | | 10/250 description is an excellent goal to |
| Also beware of beef stick type products. | | | | aspire to. |
| People will often look at various beef sticks | | | | |
| and assume their healthy snack solutions. | | | | So go forth and spread the healthy snack |
| After all, they aren't candy! But these | | | | numerical mantra of 35/35/10/250. Become an |
| products fool people in a similar way to how | | | | educated snack consumer; watch the pounds |
| "Fruit juices" and "Fruit Snacks" do. While | | | | peel away from you as newfound energy come to |
| Fruit Juices are often loaded with sugar, | | | | you. |