Snacks That Help Not Hinder

Do you often find yourself standing at the vending machine, weighing the pros and cons of choosing one nutritionally void snack item over another? Do you wonder why vending machines for hospital staff never seem to offer any healthy options? With the wealth of nutrient-dense, tasty and healthy snack items available on the market today, there is no reason why you should be stuck at work with nothing good to eat. The best way to beat the vending machine blues is to get in the habit of keeping great snack items on hand, both at home and at work. Here is a comparison between some typical vending machine choices and their healthier counterparts.

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Doritos *GUILTY*
Your basic vending machine bag of Doritos is just a bundle of mystery ingredients. During a busy shift, do you think your body needs hydrogenated fats, preservatives, artificial colors and something called “corn syrup solids”? Calories: 150
Fiber: 1 g
Fat: 8 g
Protein: 2 g

Soy Crisps *GUILT FREE*
A 1.3 oz bag of Glenny’s Soy Crisps might not be a vending machine option yet, but with its low fat, high protein combo, it’s worth bringing from home. Plus, there’s no mystery about the crisps’ four simple ingredients.
Calories: 140
Fiber: 3 g
Fat: 2 g
Protein: 10 g

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Nutri-Grain Cerial Bar *OK*
The Nutri-Grain Cereal Bar is highly processed, then re-fortified with the vitamins removed during processing. It contains high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners, artificial flavor and numerous unpronounceable ingredients.
Calories: 130
Fiber: 2 g
Sodium: 135 mg
Protein: 2 g

Larabar *BETTER*
Larabars contain 100% whole, raw food, no more than 6 simple ingredients per bar. While higher in calories, this bar offers more fiber, more protein, less sodium and is a great source of mono and polyunsaturated fats (the good kind).
Calories: 190
Fiber: 4 g
Sodium: 0 mg
Protein: 4 g

Breyer’s list of over 40 ingredients includes high fructose corn syrup, food starch and preservatives. Breyer’s yogurt is made from low fat milk with no mention of
hormone usage.
Sweetener: 27 gm of sugar
Fat: 2 g
Protein: 6 gm

Chobani Nonfat Bueberry Yogurt *BETTER*
Chobani’s Greek yogurt is strained of excess water, making it richer and creamier than regular yogurt. It is also made from non-fat synthetic growth
hormone-free milk.
Sweetener: 20 gm of cane syrup
Fat: 0 g
Protein: 14 gm