Guilt-free snacks?

The email caught my eye..."guilt-free snacks for healthy habits." Sounded like something I would be interested in and it had all of the buzz words for today's consumer: "pure, natural, real, organic, gluten-free, and straight from nature."  Well, that last one is a lie because no processed snack food comes "straight from nature." I've never seen a chocolate hazelnut brownie coconut butter tree or a dark chocolate Brazil nut bush.

Never mind that, snacking is big business and many of us graze all day long, forgoing meals for snacks. So, how did these 3 "guilt-free" snacks fare on closer look? Spoiler alert....not so good.

For those of us 50+ adults, snacks should be nutrient-rich but not calorie-rich. Even for the most active among us, calories count and I've seen many older adults sabotage their weight and fitness goals by consuming too many "healthy" snacks. Snacks have calories and to avoid the weight creep of aging we have to be mindful of calories from all snacks. Let's take a closer look at these so-called "guilt-free snacks."

• Dark chocolate Brazil nuts. A 4-oz bag sells for $6.00 with 5 servings/bag. Each serving has 230 calories, 18 g fat, 7 g saturated fat, 12 g sugar, and 3 g protein. Let's face it, how many of you can stop at one serving? A pretty pricey snack, loaded with calories, fat and sugar and not much protein to promote satiety...that feeling of fullness that keeps you from eating more a few hours later.
• Chocolate hazelnut brownie coconut butter. This one costs $13.33 for a 12-oz jar. Two tablespoons comes with 220 calories, 20g fat and 3 g protein. Coconut butter is all the rage and we can debate the health aspects of it another time, but as a snack it packs a calorie and fat wallop.
• Crunch cluster almonds. A one-oz serving will set you back 160 calories and 13 g fat with only 5 g protein. And, a 9-oz bag costs $6.32.

To me, a guilt-free snack is affordable and delivers on nutrition and taste. Snacks that are much (much!) less expensive and more (more!) nutrient-rich include plain Greek yogurt (100 calories and 18 g protein) mixed with your favorite seasonal fruit or try cottage cheese (1/2 cup has 90 calories and 13 g protein) with a few whole grain crackers. If you like a creamy, cheesy snack, try a portion-controlled wedge (like The Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedges with only 35 calories per wedge) on crisp apple slices.

Don't be fooled by the health-halo surrounding "guilt-free" snacks. Eat nourishing, healthy snacks without the high price tag. I'll bet you have some in your fridge right now!