Try these tips to manage your taste for fun foods:

• Get enough quality sleep—snack attacks often reflect a lack of energy from poor sleeping habits rather than an addiction to salt and sugar!
• Include a good source of fiber-rich carbohydrate, lean protein, and a little healthy fat in each main meal to prolong feelings of fullness and satisfaction and cut down on midafternoon munchies. read more »

The following suggestions can help those of you with a sweet tooth to have your cake and eat it too:

• Limit regular soft drinks, “fruit” drinks, and vending machine beverages— they are chock full of calories and essentially devoid of nutrients.
• You needn’t cut out candy, cookies, donuts, cakes, and pies completely; simply enjoy them less frequently or in smaller portions. Many people find it helpful to keep only one variety of dessert in their homes—this eliminates the “gotta have a little of everything” syndrome. read more »

The following suggestions can help you fine-tune your fats and oils:

• Stir-fry vegetables in a bit of olive or canola oil; the fats enable your body to absorb nutrients from the vegetables more efficiently.
• Toss cooked pasta with a little olive oil, fresh basil leaves, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese, if desired. Add cooked beans or shrimp for a complete onepot meal. read more »