|
|
|
Written by Donovan Henderson
|
|
Tuesday, 26 December 2006 |
|
|
|
|
Our glassy reflection stares back at us amid the rows and rows of delicious-looking, foil-wrapped snacks. Chips. Candy. Cookies. Cola. Gum. Nuts. The stuff you would never eat as a meal anxiously awaits its order to descend with a loud thud into the bottom of the vending machine.
What to choose? What to choose?
Admittedly, the imposing contraptions that populate breakrooms and communal kitchens in workplaces across the country aren't hotbeds of highly nutritional sustenance -- although they have evolved past simply being the candy shoppes of decades past.
"Usually, there's not a whole lot of choice," says Lona Sandon, a registered dietitian at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Of course. But what if you're really, really hungry? What if you skipped lunch? What if you can't get out of the office for a piece of fruit? What then!?
Here's seven things Sandon says to think about when trying to decide on a snack that won't land with a thud in your stomach.
___
1. Get baked. If you're craving something savory, stay away from fried stuff, such as cheese-coated nacho chips or regular ol' ruffled potato chips. Instead, go for bites like baked chips and pretzels. You'll be consuming smaller amounts of calories and fat.
2. Just say no to candy. There really isn't anything good -- other than the taste -- about chocolate-covered, caramel-coated candy bars. They're filled with extra sugar and fat. If you really want to eat something sweet, look for dried fruit or trail mix in the vending machine.
3. Maybe you just need a stick of gum. Sandon says some people can make it through snack time without ingesting copious amounts of empty calories. Chewing on gum or sucking on mints might be enough to trick your mind into making it to the next meal without a candy bar or bag of chips.
4. Go nuts for nuts. Sandon says the best snack out of a vending machine is a bag of nuts, which are filled with heart-healthy fats. Select unsalted or dry roasted instead of salted or honey roasted. Humans don't need extra salt in their diet. Almonds are better than peanuts, but any nuts are healthier than candy.
5. Granola bars aren't necessarily better. You make think something healthy is dropping into your hands, but special bars billed as healthy and nutritious probably won't fill you up, according to Sandon. Instead, you should choose food that will satisfy your hunger. (No, that doesn't mean a Snickers bar.)
6. Skip the super-sizes. You're not royalty, so don't select king-sized snacks. Try to manage your portions as best as possible with small servings. Press your face against that glass to find specially marked snack packs with calorie amounts clearly advertised, an easier way to control calories than guessing.
7. Don't drink empty calories. If you're thirsty instead of hungry, the watercooler is your best bet. But if you're craving something sweet to sip, choose juice or soda without caffeine. And Sandon says java isn't totally bad -- it's the unnecessary sugar and creamer that causes coffee to be a calamity.
___
Derrik J. Lang is an asap reporter based in New York and blogger for The Slug. He'd rather eat a five-course meal than out of a vending machine. | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
