The days of three square meals may be a thing of the past. Busy daily schedules, limited time for cooking and the ever increasing popularity of smoothies, juices, protein bars, power bowls and the like are packing many nutrients into quick, on-the-go options. Bigger than snacks, these “mini meals” nourish us throughout the day and have the potential to work together to satisfy our nutrient needs.
As we explore the best ways to make use of a mini-meal strategy, you will learn:
- The difference between snacking and grazing.
- How snacking and the rise of “mini meals” are impacting our overall food intake and how this influences our day.
- The importance of balancing mini meals and ensuring they are providing the nutrition we need to create a healthful day.
- How to address the challenges to remaining conscious and mindful about our eating when we choose mini meals over traditional meals.
- How to “build” the ideal mini meal or snack.
Resources
- Snacks Worth Snacking On
- Summer Snacking Guide
- Post-Workout Snacks
- Snack Healthy: Mini-Meal Chart
- Snack Healthy Pinterest Board
Featured Recipes
Your Hosts
Allison J Stowell MS, RD, CDN uses her background as a food and nutrition expert to help others adopt healthier living. She frequently speaks to community groups and leads seminars on nutrition, balanced diet, and disease prevention. As Guiding Stars’ Dietitian, Allison supports Guiding Stars partners in using Guiding Stars algorithms to educate the communities they serve. Her thoughts on nutrition can be found in her Guiding Stars health and wellness blog.
Allison also serves as a Retail Dietitian for Hannaford Supermarket, a Guiding Stars retail partner. Additionally, her professional journey includes maintaining a private practice that emphasizes a non-diet approach and increasing mindful eating to help her clients sustain positive health changes. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two children and her dog Josie.
Kitty is a member of the Guiding Stars Scientific Advisory Panel, a panel of experts in the fields of nutrition and public health, formed to develop a set of criteria which resulted in the design of a now patented algorithm used to analyze food products. Kitty is also a food and nutrition communications expert and the owner of NutriComm Inc., a marketing and communications company that services food manufacturers, trade groups and public relations firms nationwide.
Previously on the editorial staff at Good Housekeeping magazine, she has written many magazine articles and contributes regularly to a variety of publications and websites, including the Guiding Stars blog. Kitty is also the co-author of several cookbooks. A member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and several of the association’s practice groups, she served two terms of service as the president of the Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Kitty is also an adjunct instructor in the nutrition department at Southern Maine Community College. A mother to two young adults, she resides in Lisbon, Maine with her husband.
