Remember SnackWell’s snack cakes? Think back to the mid 90s and you might remember the distinct green packaging and popularity of their Devil’s Food Cookie Cakes. Nabisco SnackWell’s came along in 1992 and grew enormously popular as the go-to brand for low-fat snacks. Unfortunately, other brands caught on to the low calorie snack craze and forced SnackWell’s to stop advertising in 2005.
Now SnackWell’s is reintroducing the brand with several new snacks that are higher in calories than the popular 100 calorie portioned snacks that are widely available. The new offerings from SnackWell’s will have a very different packaging and will vary in calories but range from 130 to 150 calories per serving.
Although these snacks offer a low calorie count, all calories are not created equal. This product line is still very highly processed. The new products from SnackWell’s include Cinnamon Raisin Cereal Bars, Peanut Butter Cereal Bars, Chocolate Cereal Bars, White Fudge Drizzled Caramel Popcorn, Fudge Drizzled Caramel Popcorn, Vanilla Crème Brownie Bites, Fudge Crème Brownie Bites and Fudge Drizzled Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. A closer look at the ingredients on these new products reveals that most of them have brown sugar, sugar, maltitol syrup and corn syrup listed in the first five ingredients. They also include things like fructose, which is also a form of sugar, and partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil which is trans-fat. The products are still allowed to make the claim of being trans-fat free if they contain less than 0.5 grams per serving, which is the case with the SnackWell’s products. This new product line proves the importance of reading nutrition labels.
These new products draw attention to healthy snacking for weight loss. While some diets explain that snacking is absolutely necessary, others discourage it. Those wanting to lose weight may find that eating two scheduled snacks of about 200 calories each is a great remedy for keeping blood sugar levels even throughout the day. Hunger is the enemy when you’re trying to eat a healthy diet, so having properly portioned, portable snacks available can be very helpful by putting you in total control of the snacks you eat to avoid making bad decisions due to limited options.
The typical recommendation for snacks is one around mid morning and one in the afternoon. You may find that snacking helps you achieve effective weight loss. While you may decide to go with SnackWell’s for the occasional treat, remember that a nutritious snack is always the best option. Yogurt and fruit, vegetables with low-fat dip, low fat cheese and whole wheat crackers are full of protein and fiber which will keep you fuller longer, while providing you with much needed vitamins and nutrients.
Via The New York Times