's Motd Thurs March 13, 2008 - Just 100 Calories

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JUST 100 CALORIES

Thursday, 13 March 2008

Oh, oh, oh...seems they're all at it. What do I mean? Well, it seems all of the big food companies in America have come up with a brand new idea. I'm sure you've noticed what I'm talking about as you walked down the aisles of your local Wal-Mart or seen ads for them on television.Yep, I'm talking about those 100-calorie snack-pack foods! But you can't buy just one of those little snack packs, oh no. They usually come in a multipack carton or bag of six, eight or even twelve!Those new snack-pack foods got me to thinking. See, when I was a kid, there was a potato chip brand called Dickey's. (Oh, how I loved them!) Besides the single or large bags, they were also sold in these packages that included several smaller bags of the chips. Back then, there were no ingredients listed or calorie and nutritional information included on the bag. There were just a lot more words about how delicious Dickey's potato chips were. Uh, okay...you've convinced me!

Hey, I didn't bother reading all of that stuff. Once I got those chips home, I would just dive in and eat one of those little bags of potato chips right away. And after I finished the bag and shook the last few crumbs into my mouth, I'd think, "Gee, that sure didn't seem like very many chips. I think I'll have another bag." And, I'm telling you, within about 15 minutes, I would have eaten every pint-size bag of those chips that came in the Dickey's multipack!Now, don't you think the food companies know that when someone brings home a carton of 100 calorie snack-packs that they're not going to eat just one snack pack, then stop? (Who's kidding who?) After all, these companies care about just one thing. And believe me, it's not your weight they care about...it's your money!

They know you want snacks and they know you're sort of watching your weight, too. And they also know that you're probably going to have more than one of those little snack-packs. So let's discuss those 100-calorie snack-packs in a little more detail, shall we?First of all, those snacks are mostly highly processed foods containing a lot of things your body just doesn't process properly. They usually contain fat and not just a teeny little bit, either. Most of them also contain lots of useless carbs and certainly not the good kind your body needs. So when you eat these snacks, the only thing you're satisfying, really, are your tastebuds!

But just think, for 100 calories, you can have some fresh fruit. Now there's a great snack. Or you can have an apple, a pear or a banana. And with foods like those, you're giving your body a lot more than just empty carbs, you're giving your body life!You can also make a healthy little salad for just 100 calories. Take some lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, celery and mushrooms and toss them together. Then top your small salad with a light, lo-cal dressing and there you have it, a healthy 100 calorie snack!For 100 calories, you can also have a few whole grain crackers and one of those silver packs of Laughing Cow cheese. You can have a cup of nonfat yogurt or one of those little packs of tuna in lemon juice. Or, my-oh-my, you could have had a can of V-8!All of the foods I mentioned above are healthy snacks you can have without costing yourself a lot of calories. And remember, calories add up. I mean, 100 calories here, 200 there, 500 calories over there and, before you know it...you've gained a pound! And hey, you don't even have to count calories anymore because I've figured it out for you with the FoodMover.

Yes, you can have snacks. But I want you to make the best choices and that means watching out for those extra calories. When you're looking for a little healthy snack, check just what you can have with the FoodMover and make the healthiest choices for your food plan, everyday!

Love,