Dear Readers,

Elaine is a 30-year-old on the go, busy person who is a chronic in-between-meals snacker. She says she knows this is not the best meal plan but asks Lifeline to humour her by indicating some acceptable low-calorie snacks which taste good and are reasonable in cost.

She finds when she is well occupied, she can't find the time to eat proper meals as much but would like to keep some low-calorie, healthy snacks at home and at work instead of chips and cookies or patties.

An active life really does affect dietary intake as when people are very busy, they often don't have the time to eat meals. They tend to either skip them completely or eat anything handy, which often means junk food. It is really useful to have an idea of low-calorie snacks to purchase when snacks are being considered.

One big problem with snacks is that with little effort, they become the size and calorie content of another full meal! When snacking, stick to the following rules:

Keep the caloric count of snacks to below 150 calories. This would, therefore, not include a chocolate bar!

Beware of foods like cookies, which are labelled "low calorie". Because of the label, people tend to eat more of them and end up eating more calories than they would have normally. Stick with similar quantities as if the item was full fat.

Don't eat directly from a snack bag. Usually, more food will be consumed this way. Instead, pour out the snack amount and put away the rest.

When eating nuts, pour only an amount which would fill the palm of the hand once. Nuts are good protein and good fat but are high in calories.

For those who like vegetables, snack on raw vegetables. Cherry tomatoes, carrots, green peppers, cucumbers, and cauliflower can be eaten as is or can be dipped in non-fat yoghurt or low-calorie cheese.

Snack on four whole grain crackers with a small amount of peanut butter.

Cook chopped vegetables with beef or chicken stock (bouillon) and eat a filling low-calorie soup.

When the chocolate craving occurs, allow yourself one small square.

Fruit smoothies are nutritious, cool, low calorie and filling. Use a half of banana, plus one cup plain, non-fat, yoghurt and maybe artificial sweetener and blend. Or try pineapple juice, apple juice, and orange juice blended with ice.

Eat an apple. This is nutritious and full of anti-oxidants.

Snack on one pack low-fat string cheese.

Eat a slice of avocado pear with four low calorie wheat crackers.

twenty-five jelly beans.

Eight ounces lemonade frozen as popsicles.

twenty-five pistachio nuts.

one cup rice krispies with half cup skim milk.

Eight ounces skim milk with two teaspoonfuls of chocolate syrup.

Protein shakes. One scoop protein powder with eight ounces of water.

One soft egg with one slice whole wheat toast.

Cook and curry one sweet potato.

one cucumber sandwich.

Eat a carrot and raisin salad. Use one cup shaved carrots with two tablespoons of raisins and a little vinegar.

Apples and peanut butter. Use half of an apple sliced and dipped in one spoonful of peanut butter.

Generally, apples, bananas, kidney beans, lean sirloin, multi-grain bread, pita bread, cauliflower, callaloo, carrots, bran cereals, oats, low-calorie cottage cheese, chicken breast (meat only), fish, tuna fish in water, pork loin, brown rice, non-fat milk, sweet peppers, baked sweet potato, plain yoghurt, mustard, and low-calorie jams are some of the food items which can safely be included in both low-calorie snacks and low-calorie meals. The portions used must always be taken into account.

Lifeline hopes that Elaine and other Lifeline readers will find this list of fairly inexpensive low-calorie snacks (and possible meal options) useful. The ingredients are readily available and easily prepared by the busy person who is on the run! Remember, these are snacks and not balanced meals!

Also remember that healthy lifestyles are a must for quality survival. When eating a quick snack, also spend two minutes breathing slowly and relaxing, listening to inspirational music, saying a quick prayer, calling a loved one and saying "I love you".

Write to

LIFELINE,

PO Box 1731,

KGN 8

AJM