Ahh, summer. It is a time for sunshine, more daylight, time outside, and yummy treats. With all the seasonal celebrations, travel, and changes in routine, it's easy to fall into less structured eating habits. Many summer favorites—lemonade at picnics, trips to Dairy Queen, campfire s'mores, and popsicles—are loaded with added sugars. However, by incorporating lower-sugar snacks between these seasonal sweets, we can balance our meals and fuel our bodies for those long summer days.
Anatomy of a Snack
Snacks play an important role in keeping us energized and regulating our appetite. They also allow us an opportunity to provide our bodies with more nutrition. Both kids and adults can benefit from snacks during long gaps between meals. For a snack, pair carbohydrate-dense food with protein or healthy fat food to boost energy and satiating power. Something like cheese and crackers generally gives us more sustained energy than a bag of chips or a chewy granola bar. When considering added sugars, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends keeping added sugars to less than 10% of our daily calories. Typically, foods with added sugars don't provide us with sustained energy on their own. Check out some of our favorite balanced, low or no-added-sugar snack options below:
- Sugar snap peas or carrot sticks with hummus
- Cottage cheese and a fruit cup (canned in 100% juice) or fresh fruit
- Greek yogurt with berries and nuts
- Tortilla chips and mashed avocado dip
- Celery sticks or apple slices and peanut butter
- Whole grain crackers and sliced hard-boiled eggs
- Edamame
- String cheese and a handful of grapes
What About "No Sugar ADDED" Products?
When considering lower-sugar snack options, it might seem straightforward to choose products that list "no sugar added," "zero sugar," or "sugar-free." Some examples of these products on the shelves are sugar-free lemonade, zero-sugar sodas, and no-added-sugar popsicles. While these products can be helpful options for those with blood sugar management concerns and are usually lower in added sugar and calories than their counterparts, it is important to keep balance in mind with these foods. Often, products with a sugar claim on the packaging utilize non-nutritive sweeteners (Stevia or Monk fruit), artificial sweeteners (Sweet N Low, Equal, Splenda, etc.), or sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, etc.). Food manufacturers use these additives or ingredients to maintain sweetness without increasing the calories or carbohydrates in the food. Get this-- sweeteners are usually 200-700x sweeter than sugar!
In contrast, sugar alcohols (which are not alcoholic) come from carbohydrates that are sweet but lower in calories than sugar. While sweeteners and sugar alcohols are recognized as safe by the FDA, some research is looking into how these sweeteners may negatively affect our gut microbiome and if they play a role in chronic disease development. Including them as part of an overall balanced diet is key. In addition, sugar alcohols are considered a food ingredient; they can be challenging to digest and can lead to unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms, especially in those with sensitive stomachs.
Take Summer Snacking Up a Notch!
You can elevate our snacking game by including seasonal produce. Many of our favorite fruits and veggies are more readily available at the grocery store, farmer's market, or even in our backyard in the summer months. Check out the following protein and carbohydrate recipes for some next-level summer snacking!
Melon "Fries" and Coconut Dip
Adapted from AAbbey'sKitchen.
Ingredients:
- Watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew, rind removed, cut into French fry shapes
- 1 cup coconut yogurt (either non-dairy yogurt made from coconut milk or a coconut-flavored yogurt such as Chobani or Siggi's)
- Zest and juice of 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp coconut sugar or to taste
Instructions:
- Mix yogurt, lime juice, lime zest, and coconut sugar in a bowl. Serve as a dip with the melon "fries".
- Optional: Sprinkle some tajin seasoning onto the melon fries for an added kick.
Everything Bagel Cucumber Bites
Adapted from runninginaskirt.com.
Ingredients:
- Sliced cucumber
- ½ cup whipped cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- Everything but the Bagel Seasoning
Instructions:
- Mix cream cheese and Greek yogurt. Place a dollop on each cucumber slice.
- Sprinkle with Everything but the Bagel Seasoning, and enjoy.
Fresh Peach Pops
Adapted from Amysnutritionkitchen.com.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 Tsp vanilla
- 4 ripe peaches
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint
Instructions:
- Blend yogurt, vanilla, ripe peaches, honey, and mint.
- Pour the peach mixture evenly into a popsicle mold. Cover and insert a popsicle stick.
- Freeze popsicles until set, typically overnight or about 6-8 hours.
- Serve and enjoy!
Sources:
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/artificial-sweeteners-fact-sheet
https://jenkinsmedicalcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2.3.10-Sugar_substitutes.pdf
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/high-intensity-sweeteners