The Importance of Snacks to Weight Loss

Carrying snacks at all times has helped me remain in control of my appetite. I always have a box of Triscuits or Quaker Oat Squares in my car. I regularly carry apples, bananas, nuts and cans of V8 juice in my brief case. I find that if I don’t eat a snack when I first begin to feel hungry, I will get that out-of-control urge to binge within an hour or so.

After losing 40 pounds and keeping it off for 12 years, I realize that permanent weight loss is less about willpower and more about planning ahead.

I pride myself on always being in control of my appetite, but I know that this wouldn’t be possible without having access to my snacks.

Quaker has developed a new line of snacks that I have found to be very beneficial for my weight loss clients. These products are baked instead of fried, making them much healthier. They satisfy the urge for something salty that crunches without the excess fat and calories that are found in potato chips.

These new products include:

• Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks. They come in several flavors, but Cheddar Cheese seems to be the preferred flavor of my clients. One serving is 9 mini cakes with only 70 calories and 2.5 grams of fat.
• Quaker Potato Sticks. They are shaped like crinkle-cut French fries and come in Sour Cream and Onion or Chili Cheese Flavor. The Chili Cheese Flavor has quite a kick. One serving is 31 sticks and contains 110 calories and 4 grams of fat.
• Quaker Corn Rings. These rings can be compared in flavor to Cheetos. The flavors are Cheddar Cheese, Nacho Cheese and BBQ. One serving is 24 rings with 110 calories and 3 grams of fat.

I need to make healthy choices everyday to keep my weight where I like it. The 40 pounds that I lost 12 years ago is never far from my mind. Eating is one of my top five most enjoyable experiences in the world, with snacking being a large part of the calories that I consume daily.

The Quakes snacks are loaded with flavor and keep my fat intake under control, even if I do choose to eat more than just one serving. My favorite snack is the Sour Cream and Onion potato sticks. I will count out a serving size (31 sticks), put them into a bowl and put the bag away. I have found that this will prevent me from eating the entire bag.

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