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Cracking The Code On 100 Calorie Snacks

By Lee Smith Jr.

If you're like me, you may be one of the millions of individuals in the world who's on the go a lot.

Being on the go all the time makes it more difficult to get the quality nutrition you need to keep your body healthy, especially if you're on a diet.

Enter small, healthy 100 calorie packs.

Most dieters are very good at counting or estimating their daily calorie intake. And for most people, being able to enjoy their favorite snacks without feeling guilty is just what they've been looking for. Certain food companies have recognized this and have introduced some of your favorite tasty snacks such as Pringles and Chips Ahoy in their newest creation, 100 calorie packages. This means you can now enjoy cookies, chips, and other small snacks without worrying about how many calories you take in.

But, are they really all they're cracked up to be?

When I was growing up, my mother always made me choose fruits over cookies because they were healthier and I think that advice still stands good today.

The one thing that stands out to me about these snacks is the fact that they're highly processed. I mean think about it - these snacks are usually high-fat, high sodium, and tons of calories for 6 or 7 chips usually. So now you're telling me you can get an entire package for less than 100 calories?

Hmm...

Let's think about this - just how healthy are potato chips and cookies? Seriously, just because you're not eating smaller portions of these foods doesn't make them any more healthy. It just means you're not eating smaller portions of junk than you usually would.

These 100 calorie packs aren't any more nutritious than they would be if you were eating regular candy and snacks. But does the 100 calorie limit make a big difference?

You bet your candy it does...

Here's where the big selling point of this product lies - the majority of fitness experts and people know that weight control is a matter of calorie control. If you want to gain weight, you increase calories and if you want to lose weight, you reduce your calories. Simple, right?

But what they don't look at is the macronutrient profile of the calories themselves. You see, the macro-nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) all yield a certain amount of calories per gram. Proteins and carbohydrates yield 4 calorie gram a pieces. So if you have a food that contains 6 grams of protein or carbohydrates, you have 24 calories from those foods. Fats however are a different story.

Fats have a calorie yield of 9 GRAMS per gram per calorie. So for every calorie that fat yields, you're getting 9 grams of fat. So if you have a 100 calorie snack with only 5 grams of fat, you're looking at half of the meal (5 grams of fat yields 45 calories) being nothing but FAT!! So yes, you're eating only 100 calories, but half of your calories are from FAT.

And who wants that?

Although the 100-calorie snack is a good idea, don't fool yourself into thinking that just because it's 100-calorie means it's healthy. Take the time to understand precisely what you're eating, how it's going to affect your body and eat accordingly.

About the Author:

Lee Smith, Jr. is a Las Vegas based corporate fitness expert and author of the informative "Strategic Fitness Newsletter". To find out more about his effective methods for fat-loss and health for small business entrepreneurs, corporate executives and employees, and more receive FREE tips like these, visit his website at http://www.strategicfitnesssystems.com