Small Snacks Can Pack Powerful Calorie Punch
The holidays are more of everything. More expensive, more stressful and, yes, even more calories.
An easy way to cut back on excess calories is to limit all the extra eating and snacking during the holiday season. Even though it's not a meal, it doesn't mean there aren't a lot of calories in holiday snacks. These snack attacks can hit at the work place, at the grocery store or even a dinner party.
By Andrea Nisley, UNL Extension Educator Dawson County
The holidays are more of everything. More expensive, more stressful and, yes, even more calories.
An easy way to cut back on excess calories is to limit all the extra eating and snacking during the holiday season. Even though it's not a meal, it doesn't mean there aren't a lot of calories in holiday snacks. These snack attacks can hit at the work place, at the grocery store or even a dinner party.
Eating some things like a broken cookie and Christmas candy adds up quickly. There are 30 calories in half a cookie and another 80 calories in just a piece of peanut brittle. Even fruit, especially when dipped in chocolate, will contain a high calorie amount; a single chocolate-covered cherry contains 60 calories.
At the grocery store, even the simplest little samples can increase a calorie intake. Hungry while browsing, eating a couple crackers with a little spread amounts to 40 calories. Thirsty? Even a fourth of a cup of holiday coffee contains 20 calories. But a real boost to the calories comes from egg nog, a classic holiday drink. A half-glass of egg nog amounts to 200 calories.
At the grocery store, even the simplest little samples can increase a calorie intake. Hungry while browsing, eating a couple crackers with a little spread amounts to 40 calories. Thirsty? Even a fourth of a cup of holiday coffee contains 20 calories. But a real boost to the calories comes from egg nog, a classic holiday drink. A half-glass of egg nog amounts to 200 calories.
Holiday dinner parties are another excellent opportunity to add calories. A few chips with some dip is 75 calories. The last few spoonfuls of candied sweet potatoes are an additional 60 calories. Even just a preview taste of dessert would amount to 70 calories.
If all of these snacks took place on the one day the total additional calorie intake to a regular three meals a day would be 635 calories. Eating those additional calories on a consistent basis would make it possible to gain a pound a week. On average, it takes 3,500 additional calories to gain a pound.
© 2008-2012 agNET. All rights reserved
