When the vending machine is your only option (sharing info)

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SmileSarah47
SmileSarah47 Posts: 11 Member
in Food and Nutrition
You still have smart-snacking choices from a vending machine: Pick fresh or canned fruit or low-fat yogurt, if available. If not, go for one of these better, but not ideal, options.

Dietitians' Picks
York Peppermint Patty: With only 140 calories and 1.5 grams saturated fat, this beats most candy bars.

SunChips: A source of whole grain, 2 grams of fiber and a mere 5% daily sodium value, packed into 140 calories.

Peanuts or almonds: All natural with good-for-you fats.

Fig Newtons: Yes, they’re a cookie, but they have a couple grams of fiber.

What to Avoid:
Pop Tarts: Basically a highly processed cookie with few vitamins and 400 calories for a 2-pack.

Twix: 11 grams of saturated fat you don’t want or need.

Combos Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Snacks: 240 calories with a quarter of your daily saturated fat limit and a third of your sodium limit.

Keebler Vanilla Sugar Wafers: A 390-calorie sugar-fest with nearly a quarter of your daily saturated fat limit.

Cheese crackers with peanut butter: Artificially colored, highly processed and 340 milligrams sodium all wrapped up in 220 calories.

Replies

  • ErinGiam
    ErinGiam Posts: 396 Member
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    Thanks for the info! Thats actually really good to know because I usually always go for the cheddar cheese combos at work if I'm a bit hungry. Guess I shouldn't do that anymore! :smile:
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
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    You must work where I work! That sounds like my vending machine. But I did learn something about Fig Newtons - one of my favorite treats! If you look at the ingredients three of the first five are sugar, corn syrup and HFCS. I don't understand why the company needs to put 3 different types of sugar in it. Isn't one enough??!!

    I also used to eat poptarts. Their commercial really gets to me because they advertise them as a good quick breakfast for kids!
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
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    Pretzels are another good option (high in sodium... but much better than many of the other choices!). If I could do over again the years I felt I had to eat from vending machines (full time job + grad school years!) then I'd be stocking up on fresh fruit to take along to class and buying pretzels or peanuts from the snack machine. :) Some have popcorn too, which is better than a candy bar, I'd guess!

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