Is it okay to eat snacks?

Psst- Central Florida bloggers - check the end of the post for a great offer!


If you were told that you couldn't snack for an entire day would you make it?


I don't think I would.  I need my snacks.  I would become, as Tuesday's speaker at the FDA symposium said, a "hissing cat". A hungry, grumpy mess.


Tara Giudus gave such a great talk at the FDA about snacking that I had to share. I have always been on "team snack", but it was enlightening to hear how a dietitian related snacking to her clients.


Here is Tara's sample map of how a day of food should be set up:

1. A meal should be enough food to last you 2-4 hours.
2. A snack should be enough food to last you 1-2 hours.


If you eat a banana and are hungry 1 hour later. That's okay. Don't blame the banana. He got you "one more hour" and he did his job.


Tara suggested that we think of snacks as a bridge from one meal to the next. I like that.

Low glycemic snacks were also recommended. If you're not down with the 411 on the glycemic index think of this. Fiber, fat, and protein keep you full. Pick snacks with some combination of that.


I always love when science supports my habits. Snacking can help you curb cravings, binges, and eat less throughout the day.  I'm a snacker.  Are you?


How many snacks do you have a day?


I typically have 3-4 and they are around 200 calories with my meals in the 300-400 range.

Fueled by snacks.

I have been very lucky to attend two great conferences in the last several weeks - FHBC in Denver and the Florida Dietetic Symposium in Orlando.  As I said in my "why should I go to a conference" post the networking, tips, and swag you get is unbeatable.


The first conference I attended as a young blogger was the Central Florida Bloggers Conference and it really helped my blog grow.  What I learned was invaluable and I made several blogging friendships (Julie, Michelle, Katy). The conference is perfect for newbies and blogging veterans alike.

This year's Central Florida Bloggers Conference is on September 15 at the Orlando Science Center and I can't wait to go again!


The great folks at the CFLBlogCon would love to see you there too and I have a special discount for Fit2Flex readers. Use the code CFLfit at checkout for 20% off your registration fee. Click here to register now.

Nametag on. Conference mode.

And finally...I know I teased about a big announcement coming this week...check the blog on Saturday for the news...here's a sneak peek -

Love and nibbles,
Carissa & Kyle