What You Need to Know About ... Dairy & Snacks

By David Bjerklie

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS

Milk, cheese and other dairy products are terrific sources of protein and calcium--the latter a crucial building block of bones and teeth. That's why kids especially but adults too, should eat plenty. Yet dairy foods are also full of saturated fat, which are bad for your heart. Here's how to resolve the conflict:

COMFORT-FOOD FOLLIES

A nightly bowl of Haagen-Dazs may help smooth out the day's frustrations, but it also gives you 12 grams of saturated fat, 330 calories and 85 mg of cholesterol in a 4 oz. serving. You can satisfy your craving almost as well with low-fat frozen yogurt. The dairy case is also packed with low-and nonfat milk, yogurt and cheeses. Aim for two to three servings a day, says the USDA, and remember that serving sizes may be a lot smaller than you think.

SNACK SMARTER

The way many of us pig out between meals, you would think snacks were a vital food group that included such high-calorie staples as potato chips, cheese curls, buttered popcorn, cookies and soda. No wonder we're obese. But between-meal cravings can be tamed without loading up on the fat and processed sugar that most of these foods contain. Fruits and vegetables are far less fattening, and as a bonus they are actually good for you. Even nuts are fine in moderate portions.

SECRET FORMULA

The basic ingredients in a lot of sweet snacks are sugar, trans fats and refined starch, all fattening and low in nutrition--but also so cheap that it costs almost nothing to double the size of a product. You may think that getting 12 more ounces for only half the price is a real steal, but it sure is no dietary bargain.

16.9 Pounds of potato chips munched each year by the average American

49 Average calorie increase in one serving of salty snacks from 1977 to 1996

152 Pounds of sugar-based sweeteners the average American consumes yearly