Yum-mega Treat

As regular Small Bites readers know, I am a big fan of snack bars.

I can't tell you how many times they have saved me -- and my wallet -- from junk food hell (i.e.: Bronx Zoo, Six Flags, Broadway intermissions.)

I also like to name names, which is why I have given very high praise to Lara bars, Clif Nectar bars, Pure bars, GNU Flavor & Fiber bars, and Kashi's "Tasty Little Crunchies" granola bars.

Although each of those bars is uniquely different from the others, they all provide high-quality nutrition in a delicious way.

Today, my list expands to include Nana's Omega-Fiber Cookie Bars.

These bars are most reminiscent of Flavor & Fiber, and even have a similar ingredient list.

Each bar offers 130 calories, 1 gram of saturated fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 8 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of fiber.

Certainly a great lunchbox treat -- and an even better snack to have handy at the office when thoughts of the King Size Crunch Bar in the nearby vending machine start to take over.

Here's the ingredient list for the double chocolate flavor (vanilla almond is my favorite, though!):

Fiber Mix (Whole Wheat Flour, Oats, Wheat Bran, Psyllium, Flax Seeds, Millet, Chicory Root), Fruit Juice (Apple, Pear, Grape), Rice Dextrins, Chocolate Chips (whole grain malted barley and corn, unsweetened chocolate, soy lecithin as an emulsifier, and pure vanilla), Dutched Cocoa, GMO-Free Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Dried Apples, Raisins, Rice Crisp Cereal, Rice Syrup, Vegetable Glycerin, Baking Powder (non aluminum), Natural Flavors

I do have two suggestions for the Nana's team, though:

1) No need to advertise your bar's Omega-9 content. It is not an essential fatty acid, so we don't need to particularly seek it out in food.

2) The 250 milligrams of Omega-3 are great, but it would make them a lot more absorbable if you included ground -- rather than whole -- flax seeds in your fiber mix.

Still, these are certainly worth making room for in your pantry.

Out With The Old, In With The New

Many moms and dads all over the United States know what the start of the school year means -- packing a lunch for their children!

So how do you pack an interesting and tasty lunch (which, for this posting's sake, I will assume can not be heated in school)? Here are a few ideas.

INSTEAD OF: Cutting a sandwich into two triangular pieces
TRY: Shaped sandwiches

Next time you make a sandwich, get your cookie cutter out. Forget the traditional diagonal slice and instead turn that square slice of bread into a star, a cat, or even a gingerbread man.

PS: If your kids don't dig whole wheat "brown" sandwiches, try a "halfie."

A sandwich made with one slice of 100% whole wheat bread and another of white bread still packs in 3 to 4 grams of fiber.

INSTEAD OF: Packaged chips
TRY: Making your own pita chips

Here's a kid-friendly way to boost a bagged lunch's fiber content.

Buy 100% whole wheat pitas and cut each one into eight small triangles. Brush a thin coating of extra virgin olive oil on them, sprinkle a little salt (and, for an extra kick, either some paprika, rosemary, or oregano), and toss them in the oven (350 Fahrenheit) for approximately 20 minutes.

For a sweet twist, sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of sugar (a mere 16 calories) over them.

Make a big batch on Sunday afternoon for the rest of the week.

INSTEAD OF: Sugary puddings
TRY: A Super Smoothie

In a blender, mix two of your child's favorite fruits with 2% milk. Add a tablespoon of flaxseed, another of oat bran, mix, and pour into a thermos!

These two ingredients add nutrition and texture to the smoothie but don't affect the taste one bit.

INSTEAD OF: Chocolate brownies or cookies
TRY: A homemade choco-mix

Mix a low-sugar, whole grain cereal (like Cheerios), a handful of mixed nuts, and a few chocolate chips or M&M candies into a small zip bag. This way, little bursts of chocolate are surrounded by fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals (as opposed to white flour, sugar, and unhealthy fats.)

You Ask, I Answer: Salba

Do you know anything about Salba?

It seems to be getting quite popular (I accidentally ordered a raspberry salba square at my local coffee shop the other day), and I'm not sure whether it's a fad or not.

Is it actually a whole food or is it processed?

Where does it come from?

Is it as good as the makers of it claim?

-- Meredith (Last name unknown)
Via the blog

The folks at Core Naturals sure are working hard to hype up Salba.

No clue what I’m talking about? Let me break it down.

According to manufacturer Core Naturals, the salba seed is pretty much the greatest food ever created.

Dubbed by the company as “nature’s perfect whole food,” the press release pushes it as a one-stop shop for some of the highest quantities of fiber, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, folate, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Then there are statements such as this:

“Because of Salba's ability to absorb several times its weight in water, it may also help to curb hunger.”

That’s wonderful, but that’s simply what all soluble fibers do – the same ones found in oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

Core Naturals even make reference to one nutrition PhD at a Toronto-based university who, after conducting research, confirmed that Salba’s advertised properties truly exist.

You know something is slightly off, though, when the bragging rights about the doctor go something like this: “[He works at] the same university where in 1921, Dr. Frederic Banting discovered insulin and won the Nobel Prize for Medicine.”

Errrr.... okay?

Besides, there is something very suspect about having only one professional analyze your food. If Core Naturals is so sure that what they have is -- for all intents and purposes -- manna, why not send it out to a variety of independent food laboratories to have their goldmine validated?

Anyhow, Salba is just a white chia seed – with the exact same nutritional profile of all other chia seeds (which are usually black).

So, yes, it is an unprocessed whole food, in the same way that fruits, vegetables, nuts, and a plethora of other seeds are.

Don't get me wrong. Chia seeds have a neat nutritional profile – they are a good source of fiber, phosphorus, manganese and Alpha Linolenic Acid – but by no means is Salba a powerfood, nor does it offer the same Omega-3 profile as 28 ounces of salmon (as Core Naturals advertises.)

That is a very easy statement to debunk, by the way. Remember, salmon offers EPA and DHA, two Omega-3 fatty acids not present in seeds.

This situation with Salba and Core Naturals would be paramount to a company patenting Granny Smith Apples, calling them something different and claiming they were nutritionally superior any other apples.

Considering that Salba retails for anywhere from two to three times as much as standard chia seeds, I don’t really see a reason for purchasing it.

File it under "F" for fad. No, make that "FF" for... flimsy fad.

You Ask, I Answer: Omega-3 Fatty Acids

I'm pregnant and my OB/GYN has suggested that I eat a lot of wild salmon for the health and nutritional benefits of the Omega-3's.

Only problem is, I gag at the smell and sight of fish right now.

So I've been trying to use ground flax seed sprinkled in other foods I can manage, like yogurt, fruit salad, toaster waffles and cereal.

I know the flax seed needs to be ground in order to be absorbed, but how much do I need to consume each day in order to get the same benefits as eating a serving of fish?

Are there other good sources of omega-3's that I should try?

-- “My Eggo is Preggo”
White Plains, NY

First of all -- congratulations!

Your question is a great one, since it deals with the different varieties of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Although we often refer to "Omega 3 fats" as one general category, there are three different types -- Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA), EicosoPentaenoic Acid (EPA), and DocosaHexaenoic Acid (DHA).

ALA is found exclusively in vegetable sources, including walnuts and flaxseeds.

EPA and DHA, meanwhile, are found in large quantities in cold water fish. Grass-fed beef also contains a little.

One concern with getting Omega-3's solely from vegetable sources is that many people are unable to convert ALA to EPA and DHA.

Fetuses are absolutely unable to make this conversion, so they must get EPA and DHA directly from the mother (DHA is particularly necessary for eye and brain development.)

Even if you, as the mother, are able to convert ALA to EPA and DHA, you need approximately 10 grams of ALA just to make 600 milligrams of EPA and 400 of DHA.

To put that into perspective, 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed contains slightly less than 2 grams of ALA.

One tablespoon of flax oil, meanwhile, delivers 7 grams (one good way to incorporate that into your diet is by adding it into a smoothie).

It's also important to realize that as good for us as Omega 3 fats are, they do not work alone. Vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium are involved in the conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA.

If you are not consuming enough of those nutrients, your will not convert quite as efficiently (so, say, you might need 15 or 17 grams of ALA to make the quantities of EPA and DHA mentioned above.)

In your situation, I suggest taking an EPA/DHA supplement.

That doesn't mean you should stop eating ground flaxseeds, though -- they are a nutrition all-star!

You Ask, I Answer: Ground Vs. Whole Flaxseeds

My question is about Kashi and Nature's Path products that claim to have Omega 3’s from flaxseed, but clearly only have whole flaxseeds in their products.

Don't they need to be ground for our bodies to receive [nutritional benefit[s]?

I've always been puzzled by this. Thanks!

-- “Glidingcalm”
Via the blog

Yes, only the ground-up form provides all the wonderful nutrition packed inside those tiny seeds.

If you were to thoroughly chew each flaxseed you would theoretically also be getting the same amount of nutrition, but it is very easy to swallow them whole (particularly when they are part of a waffle or cracker), in which case they pass right through the digestive system without contributing their Omega-3 fatty acids or lignans.

To ensure you are getting the most out of this great seed, have ground flaxseed ready to go in your refrigerator or buy whole ones and pulverize them in a coffee grinder.

Keep in mind, though, that many Kashi products (i.e.: their thin crust pizzas) are made with ground flaxseeds.

Similarly, some Nature's Path cereals (like their flax plus cold cereal with raisins) list "flax meal" as an ingredient, which refers to ground flaxseed.

And so it comes down to a common theme on Small Bites: always read the ingredient list!

You Ask, I Answer: Flaxseeds

I have been looking at the articles you've tagged with flaxseed and it looks like you wholeheartedly encourage the addition of ground flaxseed meal to foods.

However, I wonder if doing this is ultimately beneficial - as you point out, men at risk for prostate cancer should watch their consumption of ALA [alpha linolenic acid].

Additionally, omega-3 or not, adding fat to foods will increase the calories... for those watching their weight, is this really a smart decision?

On the other hand, as a vegan, I can attest to difficulty getting nutrients like vitamin B12.

Do you think that, for vegans, the addition of flax meal is a good idea (even with a diet that incorporates a lot of nuts [in particular, walnuts] and -for cooking- canola oil)?

-- Christine (last name unknown)
Via the blog

Keep in mind that most of the findings about high ALA intakes and prostate cancer risk mostly relate to flaxseed oil (which contains very high levels of ALA -- approximately twice that of fish oil, and certainly much more than a tablespoon ground flaxseed), not flaxseeds themselves.

It's also interesting to note that lignans -- the phytochemicals present in flaxseeds but not in flaxseed oil -- are believed to play a protective role against some cancers.

In any case, I stand by my suggestion of adding a tablespoon or two of ground flaxseed to one meal or snack every day.

It's worth stressing that the benefits of ground flaxseed far outweigh any caloric concerns.

If someone is interested in cutting calories, flaxseed should be at the absolute bottom of that totem pole, since two tablespoons -- which pack in a lot of nutrition -- only add up to 70 calories.

It is always important to keep the concept of "nutrient density" in mind.

In other words -- consider the caloric content of a food in relation to everything else it offers.

Those 70 calories in two tablespoons of flaxseed are keepers -- they contain a lot of vital nutrients not commonly found in a lot of other foods!

Instead of cutting out the flaxseed, have a few less bites of a less nutritious food eaten later in the day.

Trust me, you won't find too many other "real" foods that provide 4 grams of fiber in just 70 calories!

As far as veganism is concerned, if walnuts and canola oil are consumed on a regular basis, then there is a decent intake of ALA and there isn't a need to also consume ground flaxseeds.

That is certainly a minority we are talking about, since 98% of the United States population is not consuming the recommended amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids?

So, yes, you bet I am a proponent of adding ground flaxseed to foods.

It's, at the very least, a start for some people whose Omega-3 intake is currently at zero.

I am glad you asked this question, though, because it once again goes back to the idea that "more is not better."

ALA is a wonderful thing to have in the diet, but overdoing is not healthier than getting the necessary amounts.

Survey Results: Economical Eating

The most recent Small Bites survey asked visitors to classify eating healthy on a budget as:

"Possible and easy" (27%)
"Challenging, but doable" (58%)
"Very hard" (13%)
"Impossible" (1%)

I am very happy to see that a solid 85% of voters consider it to at least be “doable.”

The truth is, healthy eating (which I defined as “balanced, nutritious, and meeting most nutrient daily values”) does not need to be a wallet-buster.

Let’s clarify a few issues.

1. Healthy eating does not need to be organic.

If you can afford organic, go for it. If your budget doesn't allow for it, that doesn't mean you can't have a perfectly healthy and balanced diet.

Whole wheat pasta will always contain at least 5 grams of fiber per serving, organic or not, and both organic and conventional peanuts are a wonderful source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

Besides, as far as our bodies are concerned, there is no difference between an organic and conventional 400-calorie chocolate chip cookie.

2. Healthy eating does not need to be exotic.

Every few months some new “miracle” fruit comes along.

I am sure you are familiar with the process by now.

It is usually from another continent and, after being profiled in the mass media, is quickly turned into a juice drink packed in a beautifully shaped glass bottle (displaying a brand name with an accented vowel) that retails for a ridiculous price.

Here's the thing: ALL fruits are healthy.

Yes, some offer more nutrients than others, but there is no such thing as a fruit that is unhealthy or should be avoided.

Similarly, I don't like to label any food as a "miracle" or "superior" one.

Besides, acai berries are exotic in the United States, but as run of the mill as apples are to us in their native Brazil.

3. Nature is cheaper than major food companies.

Instead of tortilla chips with flaxseeds (which aren’t even grounded up, meaning you aren’t absorbing any lignans,) buy ground flaxseed and sprinkle it onto different foods.

A standard bag of ground flaxseed retails for $5 (almost as much as gourmet tortilla chips) and lasts for months if you only use up a tablespoon each day -- which is plenty.

Remember, what drives up food costs isn't so much nutrition as it is convenience.

A six-pack of single-serving applesauce containers may be convenient, but for that same amount of money you can buy enough apples to make five times that much applesauce.

I specifically mention apples because they can sit in a fruit bowl for days before they start to rot.

They are portable, delicious, and you don't need any utensils to eat them. Talk about convenient!

A Luna bar may be convenient, but so is packing a small Ziploc bag of peanuts and raisins to snack on later in the day (the latter is also significantly cheaper.)

4. Sometimes a big name isn't a good deal.

Many foods (canned beans, plain oatmeal, raisins, and frozen vegetables) are equally nutritious whether they are made by a generic or well-known brand.

5. Speaking of beans...

... they are a wonderful and inexpensive way to get protein and fiber.

Use them for vegetarian chilis, bean salads, or even to make your own hummus at home (it’s simple – just blend together chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt!).

In conclusion...

Junk food is very financially accessible, but so are many nutritious foods.

PS: I'm interested in reading YOUR tips for eating healthy when money is tight. Post away!

Summer Eatin'

The latest video posted on the Small Bites YouTube channel offers tips and advice for a healthy and nutritious summer.

Is mayo a microbiological bad guy? What's a tasty and refreshing replacement for ice cream? Are you preparing your salad in such a way to ensure maximum absorption of nutrients?

Find out more in this short video, where I also introduce you to a key player of the Small Bites team!

Five Must-Have Foods

The latest video on the Small Bites YouTube Channel singles out five must-have foods.

Having these in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer will make healthy eating simple, quick, and convenient.

This is not an end-all-be-all "five healthiest foods on the planet" or "five superfoods that reverse aging" list, but rather just one of many practical ways in which nutrition can have a place in your kitchen.

You Ask, I Answer: Fiber

I eat fresh veggies and hardly any processed food, whole wheat bread, fruit, salad, etc.

Since logging my food intake daily on the Daily Plate.com, I see I am significantly under my daily requirements for fiber.

How can I increase fiber without adding a lot of extra calories? I already know about eating brown rice, whole grains, etc. I also eat steel cut oatmeal often as well too.

-- Laura Lafata
Miami Beach, FL

Since fiber is free of calories, replacing low-fiber carbohydrates with ones higher in fiber will not increase your caloric intake up.

I am not sure what your totals are, but I will say that if your diet is low in calories, you will find it difficult to reach your fiber goals.

However, here are some tips on increasing your daily fiber intake.

If you are a cereal person, grab one that provides 4 or 5 grams of fiber per serving.

When it comes to bread (whether it's for toast or a sandwich), always go for whole grain varieties offering at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.

For quick on-the-go snacks, try out Lara, Clif Nectar, Pure, or Gnu bars (Gnu bars offer 12 grams of fiber; this may be too much at once for some people, so you can try having half a bar with breakfast and the other half after lunch.)

Beans and legumes are great sources of fiber. If you're having soup, opt for black bean or lentil rather than minestrone, tomato, or chicken noodle.

Similarly, add half a cup of chickpeas or kidney beans to salads and wraps.

For an extra fiber boost throughout the day, sprinkle ground flaxseed on soups, salads, yogurt, smoothies, and cereal.

Two tablespoons provide 4 grams of fiber and more than a day's worth of Omega -3 Alpha Linolenic Fatty Acids in a 70-calorie package.

Due to the presence of these polyunsaturated fats, be sure to keep ground flaxseed meal in the refrigerator to slow down rancidity.

In The News: Revising the Food Pyramid

The folks over at the Harvard School of Public Health -- led by Walter Willett -- don't think the traditional USDA food pyramid (officially known as MyPyramid) doles out the best advice.

So, they proactively designed their own version -- The Healthy Eating Pyramid.

You can see a nicely drawn PDF version by clicking on the link above.

I prefer this version over the USDA's, but have a few critiques.

Although I like the inclusion of "daily exercise and weight control" at the base, I would prefer that section be titled "daily exercise and portion control."

Additionally, the "healthy fats/oils" category should place more of an emphasis on fats higher in Omega-3 (i.e: olive oil, walnuts, flaxseed) and less on ones offering very high Omega-6 levels (ie: soy and corn).

As I have discussed in the past, an improper Omega 6:Omega 3 ratio has its share of health implications.

Lastly, I strongly disagree with the inclusion of potatoes in the "eat sparingly" pyramid tip (accompanied by red meat, refined grains, sugary snacks, and salt).

It is one thing to eat potatoes in their nutritionally void skinless, deep fried version.

However, a baked potato, eaten with its skin, is a great source of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, folate, and magnesium.

Clearly, current obesity and diabetes rates can not be blamed on the ingestion of healthily prepared potatoes.

Your thoughts?

Perfect Pickings: Frozen Waffles

In a breakfast landscape full of high fiber cereals and “energy bars”, waffles are often thought as a nutritionally inferior twice removed cousin.

Not so!

Depending on what waffles you purchase – and what you top them off with – you could very well take care of a third of your daily fiber needs before noon.

When purchasing waffles, there are two values you want to pay special attention to: fiber and sugar.

Although calories can indeed vary between different products (anywhere from 130 to 240 calories per serving), it is usually what waffles are topped off with that significantly raises these figures.

Buying frozen waffles offering 130 calories per serving but drowning them in 400 calories' worth of syrup and whipped cream defeats the initial purpose of seeking a lower-calorie alternative.

Anyhow, a fiberless waffle (one or two grams per serving) is not much of a power breakfast. You might as well be eating a slice of white bread with some butter on top.

Aim for five or more grams of fiber and no more than six grams of sugar per serving (usually two waffles).

Always think of frozen waffles as simply – and literally! -- the base of a highly nutritious breakfast.

Here are some topping ideas:

To sneak some calcium into your day, cover each waffle with two tablespoons of non-fat or, even better, low-fat plain yogurt (vegans: soy yogurt also does the trick).

This is a great opportunity to get a fruit serving in. Think bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, peaches, kiwis – any fruit you like, really.

Not only do these toppings provide nutrition, they also offer such an array of flavors that you will need very little – or no – syrup on your waffles.

Ground flaxseed is something I think everybody should have in their refrigerator or freezer.

Since it is virtually tasteless, you can add it to anything! Sprinkle a tablespoon on your waffles to start your day off with lignans and some Omega-3’s.

Remember – flaxseeds must be ground up if you want to reap the full nutrition benefits.

You can either buy ready-to-eat flaxseed meal -- Bob’s Red Mill is a popular brand -- or purchase whole flaxseeds, which you should then demolish in a coffee grinder.

Therefore, don’t be fooled by frozen waffles containing whole flaxseeds – you aren’t getting very much extra nutrition for the extra buck.

You Ask, I Answer: Vegan Child's Nutrition

I have a picky eater at home, an 8-year-old I adopted last year from another country.

She is still very suspicious of new foods, and I have taken to sneaking supplements into her diet wherever I can.

She's vegan and I'm vegetarian; I open up iron supplement capsules and sprinkle small amounts of iron into her food; same with B-complex capsules and multi-vitamin caps. I

She gets plenty of protein and fiber, since she's happy to eat tempeh, beans, quinoa, peanut butter and lots of vegetables and fruits.

I'm mostly concerned with her iron, B-complex, calcium and Omega-3 intake.

The last two I can handle with flax oil, wakame powder and various calcium supplements.

Actually, I still think she could be getting more calcium if she'd drink milk, but she won't.

-- Jennifer Armstrong
Saratoga Springs, NY

Although I understand your concerns regarding your child’s nutrition, I believe she is doing just fine based on the eating patterns you describe above.

First of all, I am impressed that an 8 year old appreciates the taste of quinoa and tempeh – nutritious foods that many adults shun, or downright don't even know about.

Most people with children your age are concerned about the increasing consumption of Doritos, Oreos, and soda!

Alright, let's discuss the specific nutrients you inquired about.

As far as iron is concerned, there is no absolutely need to provide capsules.

An omnivorous 8 year old should get 10 milligrams of iron a day; since your daughter is vegan – and therefore consuming solely non-heme sources – I would place her requirement at 15 milligrams.

Note that between the ages of 9 and 12, this requirement will lessen to approximately 12 milligrams.

Considering the iron amounts in these vegan foods, you’ll see why iron pills are basically a waste of money:

Quinoa (1 cup): 6.2 milligrams
Soybeans (1/2 cup): 4 milligrams
Lentils (1/2 cup): 3.2 milligrams
Kidney beans, chickpeas, black eyed peas (1/2 cup): 2.5 milligrams (average)

And don’t forget enriched and fortified grains.

Half a cup of fortified oatmeal provides 6.5 milligrams of iron, and a cup of enriched cereal (say, Cheerios) provides 9 milligrams!

In terms of calcium, she currently needs 800 milligrams a day, but this will jump to 1,300 from age 9 to 18!

Again, though, no need for supplementation.

It does take more planning than an omnivorous diet, but it can be done.

Check out these values:

Calcium-fortified orange juice (1 cup): 300 milligrams
Soy yogurt (1 cup): 300 milligrams
Soymilk (1 cup): 300 milligrams
Tofu (4 oz.): 260 milligrams
Collard greens (1/2 cup): 175 mg
Almonds (1 oz): 80 mg

Although Vitamin B12 is often cited as an issue in vegan diets, fortification has made this former problem a lot easier to manage.

Many popular cereals are fortified with vitamin B12.

Let's go back to the Cheerios example -- 1 cup provides a third of a day’s needs.

A cup of some (fortified) soymilks, meanwhile, contains 40 percent of a day’s worth of B12!

Wakame – a kelp – is also a great source. It’s one of the few seaweeds that contains human-active B12 (as opposed to the analog type, which is useless in our bodies).

In the event that B12 needs can not be met through food, I do recommend supplementation. Make sure it is specifically a B12 supplement and not a multivitamin containing B12 (vitamin C, vitamin E, and iron can impede absorption).

Omega-3 fatty acids are the most difficult to get from a vegan diet, since walnuts and flaxseeds only contain alpha linoleic acid (they do not contribute EPA and DHA, the two essential fatty acids found in fish).

However, Omega-3 supplements made from algae are vegan and contain EPA and DHA!

While we're on the topic of supplementation, I think everyone -- carnivore, vegan, and everywhere in between -- should supplement their diet with vitamin D.

One last thing – don’t get discouraged by your daughter’s adverse reactions to new foods.

Research has determined that it takes approximately eight to ten tries for a new food to be accepted by a young child.

The key is slow integration.

For instance, let’s say your daughter enjoys baby carrots but the first time she tried celery she wasn’t too keen on it.

Rather than outright swap carrots for celery pieces overnight, throw in four or five chopped bits of celery next time you pack some baby carrots in her lunch box.

This subtle addition of a new flavor will be less intimidating to her and less of a shock to her palate.

Do this another five or six times. The results might surprise you!

You Ask, I Answer: Late Night Snacking

The only real issue I have with dieting is stopping late-night snacking.

I tend to snack on toast and butter, or olive oil and garlic, or cottage cheese... anything creamy, crunchy, and warm. I will usually have 2 or 3 snacks after dinner.

They are cravings I am having a hard time dealing with. I am sure I could lose weight if I simply eliminated these cravings.

I am trying to see what triggers this and the only thing I can figure out so far is that my bedroom seems to be set up for everything, not exclusively sleep. I will eat at 6:30 or 7 pm and tell myself, "this is my last meal," but it never works.

I have small snacks starting at 9 pm, which continue until around 11 pm. Each small snack delivers a powerful oily punch to my calorie count!

What do you think?

-- Marta (last name withheld)
Miami, FL

Snacking is a very sharp double-edged sword.

On the one hand, many people find it helpful to gnosh on something small in between meals to prevent hunger attacks that result in high-calorie binges.

Snacking also adds calories to your day, though.

Hence, one of the many weight management debates is, "Is snacking an effective tool?"

I personally vote a resounding "yes." While research and studies are a great way to support theories, I don't need to read a journal to come to this conclusion; I simply base it on personal experience.

An 8 AM breakfast followed by a 10:30 AM snack leaves me perfectly satisfied until a 1 PM lunch. Leave out that mid-morning snack, though, and I am famished by lunch. Result? I not only eat more, but also crave greasier, unhealthier foods.

I don't think your issue, Marta, is late-night snacking itself, but the types of after-dinner snacks you are enjoying.

Toast and butter (or olive oil) can be very high in calories and do not help you feel as satiated as other options.

A cup of non-fat Greek yogurt is a great snack. Despite being fat-free, it has a surprisingly creamy texture that will trick you into thinking you are eating a much more decadent snack.

Sprinkle some ground flaxseed on top and I guarantee it will very likely be the only snack you have before going to bed.

Creaminess in a low-calorie package can also be achieved by topping fruits with two tablespoons (only 30 calories' worth!) of Cool Whip Lite.

If it is crunch you are seeking, I recommend investing in a hot air popcorn popper. Each cup of popped kernels registers at a mere 31 calories!

So, two cups of popcorn accompanied by a cup of strawberries adds up to only 100 calories and delivers 5 grams of satisfying fiber.

Baby carrots are great for dipping -- especially in savory hummus. One ounce of corn chips (about 12 of them) add up to 140 calories. Meanwhile, a cup of baby carrots only contributes 52 calories!

Also, if you are up until 11 PM, I would recommend having dinner a little later than 6:30. It is not at all surprising that you would feel hungry four hours after finishing dinner!

Celebrity Diet Secrets: Hillary Swank

Oy. Here we go again with ridiculous nutrition statements by celebrities. This time, it's Hillary Swank's turn to talk nonsense.

In a recent interview with W Magazine, Swank proudly boasts that she takes 45 supplements a day! That's right, in 24 hours.

"This is my Aloe C, which I dissolve in water. Here's my flax. This one's for my immune system, and this one is my BrainWave -- it's great, like if I have a lot of lines to memorize," she explains to the reporter.

All this advice comes from Dr. Oz Garcia, nutritionist to the stars, who Hillary credits with changing her life.

Before I go on to talk about Hillary's pill regimen, allow me to shed some light on Dr. Garcia.

Specializing in "progressive nutrition, life extension, and anti-aging", Dr. Garcia caters to Hollywood's A-list and has had his number of television appearances. He also oversees nutritional services for Equinox Fitness Clubs.

Between that bio and his splashy website, you might think this guy knows his stuff.

Well, as we all witnessed with the Dr. Jan Adams debacle (who, despite being a media darling and even having his own show on The Discovery Health network, turned out to lack board accreditation and had a long history of malpractice claims by several patients), not everything is as it appears.

For starters, a 1987 Time magazine article describes Dr. Garcia as a "self-taught" nutritionist. That same article states that Dr. Garcia claims he can tell someone what to eat after analyzing a strand of their hair.

As far as I know, a strand of hair does not give you the same information as a blood test. Would Dr. Garcia advocate a high-protein diet to someone simply based on a hair sample, not knowing one of their kidneys is malfunctioning (and, therefore, need to be on a low-protein diet)?

Dr. Garcia predictably hawks his own water, described as "99.9%" pure and containing "three times the electrolytes found in sports drinks".

The electrolytes in drinks like Gatorade are two minerals you all have heard of -- sodium and potassium. Since Gatorade provides approximately one percent of a day's potassium requirement, then this special water contains, at most, 3 percent of the daily requirement.

A much smarter idea would be to get this mineral in much higher quantities from food. A cup of cantaloupes provides 10 percent, as does half a cup of Swiss chard or butternut squash. Throwing in half a cup of black beans into a salad provides 9 percent.

Dr. Garcia also sells colon cleansing, fat-burning, and even anti-aging products, all in pill form.

If this is the man Hillary Swank looks up to, it's no wonder she thinks nothing of swallowing 45 pills a day.

The excess of vitamins and minerals she is consuming is simply being excreted.

Just for the record, let me note that there are no mentally-sharpening magic pills that help anyone with memory.

Lastly, why is Hillary Swank taking flax in pill form? How about just sprinkling some milled flaxseed into a smoothie, salad, soup, or cereal bowl?

The wonderfully healthy properties of flaxseed (i.e.: phytochemicals known as lignans, which have been linked to a decrease in bad cholesterol) are not replicated in a flax pill.

And then we wonder why Kevin Trudeau's books become bestsellers....

You Ask, I Answer: Omega-3 Fats

Why is fish always credited as a good source of Omega 3 fats when walnuts and flaxseed have plenty also?

-- Diane Grant
Tucson, AZ

Although we often refer to "Omega 3 fats" as one general category, there are three different types of Omega-3 fatty acids: Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA), EicosoPentaenoic Acid (EPA), and DocosaHexaenoic Acid (DHA).

ALA is found exclusively in vegetable sources, including walnuts and flaxseeds.

You might have heard some people talk about the Omega-3's in dark, leafy green vegetables.

However, they are so low in fat to begin with that, although nutritious in many ways, I don't consider them to be a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

EPA and DHA are found in large quantities in cold water fish. Grass-fed beef will contain a little, as well.

One concern with getting Omega-3's solely from vegetable sources is that some people are unable to convert ALA to EPA and DHA.

Even if you are able to convert ALA to EPA and DHA, 10 grams of ALA are needed to make 600 milligrams of EPA and 400 of DHA.

Considering that current recommendations call for 1 gram of EPA and another of DHA, that's a lot of ALA to consume -- and convert!

And while ALA is indeed good for us, there is, as always, too much of a good thing. Several recent studies have linked very high intakes of ALA among men with a higher risk of prostate cancer.

It's also important to realize that as good for us as Omega 3 fats are, they do not work alone. Vitamin C, zinc, and magnesium are involved in the conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA.

If you are not consuming enough of those nutrients, your conversion will happen at an even slower rate.

Walnuts and flaxseed are nutritious and have their share of health benefits. However, for optimal Omega-3 fat consumption, it is highly recommended to include sources of EPA and DHA in your diet.

Say What?: Top Chef Misses the Mark

As a self-confessed reality show and food fanatic, I am sure it would not surprise you to know I am an avid Top Chef watcher.

In brief, it is a competitive reality show on Bravo in which 15 contestants -- ranging from professional to self-taught chefs -- compete in a series of tasks.

This week's main challenge consisted of giving classic comfort foods a modern and healthy spin. Some of the dishes included meatloaf, fried chicken, and pork chops with applesauce.

To my dismay, the only criteria contestants were given as to how to make their dishes healthier was simply to lower the amount of cholesterol in them.

I literally groaned when I heard this guideline and then contestants explaining, "I'm using turkey sausage instead of pork sausage to lower the cholesterol in my dish."

One contestant took a risk and made a dish with lobster -- a food moderately high in cholesterol that also offers healthy fats and other nutrients -- making the case that people shouldn't be so afraid of cholesterol.

"Right on!" I thought.

The judges, however, reprimanded him.

Were they regular Small Bites readers, they would know that dietary cholesterol does not affect blood cholesterol as much as saturated and trans fats.

Additionally, lobster contains omega-3 fatty acids, which provide a wide array of health benefits, including lowering the risk of developing atherosclerosis (the hardening of arteries)!

Here's another perfect example. Three ounces of shrimp contain 166 milligrams of cholesterol (more than half the recommended daily maximum) but only 0.2 grams of saturated fat.

People going on a low-cholesterol diet would shun them and instead opt for a lower-cholesterol protein food like lean top sirloin. Hey, you can get twice as much (six ounces) and only get 95 grams of cholesterol. But here's the catch -- you are also getting four whole grams of saturated fat!

So, the lower-cholesterol option is actually the one that will worsen your blood cholesterol!

If you are truly concerned about your blood cholesterol levels, forget cholesterol in food and instead pay close attention to your saturated and trans fat intake.

Quick refresher: saturated fats are found in animal by-products (except those that are fat-free), while man-made trans fats are mainly in baked goods and shelf-stable processed foods.

Additionally, be sure to consume foods high in soluble fiber (oat products, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds).

Which bring me to another faux pas. One contestant made a flatbread with whole flaxseeds, for which he was commended. "Flaxseeds lower cholesterol," the dietitian-free panel explained.

I, however, was not satisfied with that erroneous statement. Remember, in order to enjoy all the benefits of flaxseeds, we need to consume them in their ground (or "meal") form. Whole flaxseeds pass through our digestive systems completely undetected!

I'll definitely leave opinions on whether a vanilla bean or pomegranate reduction goes better with a rhubarb tart up to the Top Chef experts, as long as they promise to bring on a nutrition consultant for their next season.

You Ask, I Answer: Flaxseed

I bought a package of linseed just yesterday, thinking I might add it to my morning cereal. I hadn't read your entry then, however, and purchased whole seeds rather than ground ones. If the shell is undigestible will I be getting any benefits from eating this other than the fibre they provide? It sounds like all the good stuff's locked away behind that tough shell.
-- Anonymous

In order to get flaxseed's nutritional benefits, we need to break its shell. If not ground, flaxseed will simply pass through our digestive system completely undetected. What a shame!

However, all is not lost. If you have a coffee grinder, you can use it to turn your whole flaxseeds into ground flaxseed meal.

Once grounded, flaxseed spoils quickly, so be sure to eat it right away (and store the rest in the refrigerator).

If this is your first time consuming this wonderful food, start off slowly. Too much too soon can make an unexperienced body feel bloated.

With that out of the way, enjoy! I'm sure you will make flaxseed a staple in your kitchen.

All-Star of the Day: Flaxseed

I can't think of a simpler and better way to get more nutrition in your diet than by adding flaxseed to your meals.

Even the pickiest of eaters approve of their non-intrusive flavor and consistency.

Since flaxseed's highly healthful contents are protected by a thick shell, the best way to eat -- and easiest way to buy -- it is as a milled or ground product.

Whereas the outer shell passes undigested through our body, the center is much more easily absorbed -- and offers some powerhouse nutrients.

Two tablespoons of flaxseed provide 4 grams (20 percent) of fiber and almost 150% of the omega-3 fatty acids we need in just 95 calories!

You might have heard a lot about omega-3 fatty acids (they have replaced whole grains as the new “hot topic” in nutrition).

Let's do a little "Omega 101," shall we?

Omega-3's are wonderful essential fatty acids (yes, 'wonderful' and 'fatty' can be in the same sentence!).

Why? It has amazing anti-inflammation properties (and thus a strong defense against asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and migraine headaches) and helps prevent the formation of blood clots (thereby decreasing our risk of heart attacks and strokes).

The newest research on omega-3's has also shown a link between their consumption and the slowing down of bone loss, especially among pre-menopausal women.

Although omega-3' are often linked with fatty fish like salmon, flaxseed have lots of alpha linoleic acid, the precursor to eicosapentaenoic acid (the omega-3 found in fatty fish).

Omega-3's are essential, meaning the body can not produce them on its own (unlike cholesterol, which we make on a daily basis and thus do not need to get from our food).

However, the average adult in the United States is consuming 1.6 grams of Omega-3 fats a day -- falling way short of the recommended minimum of 2.85 grams a day set forth by the American Heart Association.

That is not all flaxseed has to offer, though. High in the mineral magnesium, it is a good nutritional tool to combat asthma symptoms and keep blood pressure stable.

Flaxseed is also high in special plant compounds named lignans.

Women should pay special attention, since lignans contain phytoestrogens, an estrogen-like hormone that, in several studies, has been shown to decrease the formation of cell mutations related to the onset of breast cancer. One specific phytoestrogen in flaxseed known as SDG successfully ceased the formation of mammary tumors in rats.

In fact, a study published in the February 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggested that just one ounce of ground flaxseed every day over a 4-month period raises breast cancer protective hormones.

No matter what your sex, the insoluble (digestive-system-cleaning) and soluble (bad-cholesterol-flushing) fiber in flaxseed is worth raving about.

Remember, though, they are "all-star", so they also offer a special type of soluble fiber called mucilage which functions as a natural laxative.

Here is the easiest part: all you need to do is buy ground flaxseed meal (sold at many commercial supermarkets and health food stores).

Even if you are unable to boil water without screwing up, you can add flaxseed to your diet. Sprinkle it on cereal, oatmeal, soups or salads, blend it into smoothies, or mix it with yogurt.

Be sure to store flaxseed in the refrigerator once opened, though, since it spoils quickly and loses its nutritional properties if left out at room temperature once opened.

Flax all, folks!