If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen at least a dozen this week – magazines and television advertisements touting the newest, most amazing health and weight loss secrets. How does one know what to believe? During National Nutrition Month, the American Dietetic Association urges consumers to look beyond the myths of nutrition, focus on the facts and remember the theme for the month, Nutrition: It’s a Matter of Fact.

When looking for quick, healthy snacks, try these ideas:

Dairy

String cheese and fruit (canned or fresh)
Nonfat cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit
Smoothies with milk or yogurt and sliced bananas or strawberries
Whole-wheat crackers with cheese or peanut butter
Yogurt with fresh fruit or granola
Low-fat chocolate milk
Scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt with fresh berries

Fruits and Vegetables  

Raw vegetable sticks with low-fat yogurt dip, cottage cheese or hummus
Apples and cheese - pears and other fresh fruits work too!
Baby carrots
Fruit salad
Applesauce cups (unsweetened)
Frozen fruit bars
Dried fruit, such as raisins or plums and nuts

Grains

Cereal - dry or with milk
Baked potato chips or tortilla chips with salsa
Pretzels (lightly salted or unsalted) and a glass of milk
Bagels with tomato sauce and melted cheese
Flavored rice cakes (like caramel or apple cinnamon) with peanut butter
Popcorn - air popped or low-fat microwave
Whole-grain crackers or English muffin with peanut butter
Vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, graham crackers, animal crackers or fig bars and a glass of milk

For a more substantial meal ideas, try these:

White Chicken Chili

For more variety in flavor, color and texture, add several different beans, including kidney, garbanzo or black beans, or add more chopped vegetables, such as carrots and celery. If you add these vegetables, increase the amount of chicken broth to accommodate the added ingredients.

1 can (10 ounces) white chunk chicken
3 cups cooked white beans
1 can (14.5 ounces) low-sodium diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
½ medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
Cayenne pepper, to taste
6 Tbsp. shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
Baked tortilla chips

In a large pot, add chicken, beans, tomatoes and broth. Cover and simmer over medium heat. Spray nonstick frying pan with cooking spray; add onions, peppers and garlic; saute until vegetables are soft about 5 minutes. Add onion and pepper mixture to the pot. Stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with cheese and cilantro. Great with baked chips on the side.

Apple and Spinach Salad

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
¼ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
8 cups fresh baby spinach
1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

Combine juices, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together. Place onions and spinach in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss together. Top with blue cheese.

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