MyPyramid PodCast #6 – Snack Attack

Brian Wansink: [Talking to vending machine] Give me my money back! 

[Talking to camera] Hi! I’m Dr Brain Wansink. I’m the Executive Director for USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. Do you ever find yourself out of time and trying to grab something to eat real fast? You can do this and still be smart about it. We talked to some people who do.

Brian Wansink: ...find yourself most likely to just grab food?

Person #1: When I, all of a sudden, have a lot of meetings together and I don't have time to eat my lunch but I need to have something in me to keep me going through the day.

Brian Wansink: So what are some of the types of things you usually buy when you're grabbing food and you want to still eat healthy?

Person #1: I look for, like, low-fat crackers. I look for pretzels... maybe a granola bar. Something that'll just fill me up and satisfy me but not have too many calories.

Person #2: I mean if you don't plan ahead you can usually find some place... you have a nearby store where most people are now serving fruit or something that's relatively easy... salad bar...

Brian Wansink: When do you find yourself most likely to grab food during the day?

Person #3: Usually about 10:30, 11 am.

Brian Wansink: So what did you buy today that was so healthy?

Person #3: I bought some bottled water and I bought the little mini bag — the 100-calories pack — of popcorn.

Brian Wansink: So here's how people eat in the real world. It's not like I always dreamed I would eat. Hmmm. But that's just a dream. In the real world, we're often way too busy to eat our dream meal. So when you find yourself in those circumstances, take some tips from people who do it right. First — choose beverages without a lot of added sugars. Good choices are water, low-fat milk, or 100% fruit juice. Second — Choose baked instead of fried snacks. And when you can, make it whole grain. Finally — go for the fruit whenever you can. Bring it from home, stock the desk. If you're down at the local snack shop, look for fresh, canned, or the dried stuff. 

For more great ideas, check out MyPyramid. You can find it at MyPyramid.gov. Now that’s what I’m talking about!