May 31, 2006 —
These
days, quite a few snack foods are available in
100-calorie packs — like Pringles chips, Nutter
Butter cookies, and even the 8-ounce mini Coke
serving size.
These portion-controlled
servings may be convenient, but they typically
cost more per ounce than larger serving
packages.
Are 100-calorie bags worth the
cost?
"We are a nation on the go,
looking for convenience and used the right way,
there is nothing wrong with them," said
dietitian Julie Walsh. "Used the wrong way and
you are going to pile on a lot of additional
calories that don't add a lot of nutrients to
the diet."
I recently bought snacks in all
sizes and flavors — chips, cookies, pretzels and
soft drinks. The first thing I noticed was that
there wasn't much in each serving.
"One of the downsides is that
the serving size for 100 calories isn't a lot,"
Walsh said. "Now that may not fill up … too many
people."
You're going to pay more for the
packaging, too. With a full bag of pretzels, the
cost is about 17 cents an ounce. Divided into
100-calorie packs, the same pretzels cost nearly
40 cents an ounce, more than double.
According to Walsh, "Whenever
you pay for convenience, there's going to be a
higher price."
What else can you eat that is
100 calories? A container of yogurt or an apple
flavored with a tablespoon of peanut butter,
which is a much healthier snack, Walsh said.
"The problem with some of the
snack chips is that there is not, not much
nutrition, not much fiber," Walsh said. "So
you're not getting anything that's going to fill
you up."
Many of the 100-calorie pack
items are free of trans fats and low in sugar,
but don't confuse them with a nutritious snack,
experts say. That's because they're highly
processed, and not nearly as good for you as
fresh fruits and vegetables.
Christi Myers is the
Healthcheck reporter for ABC affiliate KTRK-TV
in Houston.
