A Day in the Life Clock

Afternoon Snack

You grab a cinnamon roll for the morning commute, chips from a vending machine for the mid-afternoon slump, a few cookies before bed . . . and you may have consumed more calories from "snacks" than from the day's meals.

To avoid this diet downfall, and still satisfy your hunger between meals and on the go, try some of the foods listed below. Include protein for a snack that will carry you through until the next meal.

Quick Nutritious Snacks

• Breakfast cereal, dry or with milk and fruit. Try low sugar, multigrain kinds. Keep single serving boxes on hand.
• No-sugar-added applesauce, sliced peaches in their own juice, and other single serving packaged fruits.
• Fresh fruit, such as pears, apples, oranges, nectarines, peaches, kiwi, grapes, strawberries, and bananas.
• Mixed nuts and a single serving can of tomato juice.
• Dried apricots, apples, nectarines, etc. Keep portions modest because dried fruits are packed with calories.
• Skim milk and a homemade or store-bought low-fat, whole grain muffin. Keep frozen and microwave muffin briefly before eating. Avoid jumbo-sized muffins.
• Popcorn (2-1/2 cups) with margarine (1-1/2 teaspoons)
• Turkey ham (1 oz.) and soft bread sticks with spaghetti sauce (2 tbs.)
• Saltine crackers (4) and part-skim Mozzarella cheese (1 oz.)
• A turkey kabob: turkey & cheese cubes (.5 oz. each) with pretzel sticks and skim milk (8 oz.).
• Packaged, ready-to-eat vegetables such as baby carrots, broccoli florets, and cauliflower pieces with a low-fat dip (2 tbs.)
• Chopped vegetables from your own kitchen such as red and green bell peppers, jicama, carrot and celery sticks, snow peas, button mushrooms, and/or broccoli with non-fat ranch dressing.
• Boost the nutritional value of any snack with single-serving beverages such as canned or boxed fruit juices (look for 100% juice), and boxed skim milk.

Great snack tips when you're short on time:

• Keep mixed nuts and vegetable juice boxes in your desk drawer and glove compartment.
• Keep a bowl full of fresh veggies and fruits on your kitchen counter.
• Look for pre-washed, pre-cut vegetables such as baby carrots and broccoli florets at the grocery store. Dip them in nonfat ranch dressing for extra zip.

Dinner

Cooking dinner can sometimes seem like a real chore after a full day of work, school activities, or errands. You don't have to get elaborate in the kitchen to make a healthy meal, though. Here are some quick entrees you can whip up in a flash with items you probably already have in your pantry.

• Make pizzas using a whole-wheat tortilla for the crust, tomato sauce, and reduced-fat mozzarella cheese. Top with your favorite vegetables—mushrooms, chopped onion, chopped green pepper, tomato slices, broccoli florets, artichoke hearts—whatever you like!
• Add steamed vegetables and cooked chopped chicken to Parmesan-flavored couscous.
• Top linguini with marinara sauce and minced clams.
• Make quick and easy chili with extra-lean ground beef or ground turkey breast, canned kidney beans, tomato sauce, chopped onion, canned chopped tomatoes, and chili seasoning packet.
• Stuff whole-wheat tortillas with canned black beans, lettuce, salsa, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.
• Microwave a potato and top with broccoli, cauliflower, and cheese.

Check out more of our delicious recipes.

To make any dinner healthier, add more fruits and vegetables. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables can help reduce your cancer risk. That's one reason the American Cancer Society recommends eating at least 5 servings of these foods every day. Here are some ideas you can try.

• Steam fresh broccoli, green beans, squash—or whatever vegetable you like—on the stove or in the microwave.
• Sauté fresh spinach with a bit of olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper.
• Keep canned or frozen veggies on hand for nights when you don't feel like chopping or your fridge is empty.
• Use bagged salad mix and pre-cut veggies from the produce aisle to whip up salad in a jiffy. Experiment with adding different fruits to your salad.
• Add veggies and beans to your favorite soups, stews, and casseroles.

Sometimes there's just no time to sit down to a meal and you have to have dinner on the go. Rather than pulling through a fast-food drive-through, try some of these suggestions.

• Toast whole-grain bread for a sandwich of natural peanut butter and fruit-sweetened jelly. Bring a calcium-fortified orange juice box.
• Experiment with variations on cheese and crackers: whole-grain, saltine, or reduced-fat crackers with part-skim string cheese, an apple, and bottled water.
• Fill pita bread with fat-free tuna salad, fresh spinach or romaine lettuce; take along a milk box and a couple fig-filled cookies.
• Make a dinner wrap using a whole grain tortilla. Fill with lean meat—like leftover grilled chicken—and cheese, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, sprouts, roasted red peppers, black beans and/or garbanzo beans,. To flavor and hold everything together, thinly spread low-fat cream cheese or hummus on the tortilla, or add a small amount of low-fat salad dressing.

Dessert

Everyone likes a little something sweet after a meal every now and then. Save rich cakes and pastries for special occasions and indulge in some of these healthier, lower-calorie options instead.

• Eat a frozen juice bar made with 100% juice. There are lots of varieties in the grocery store, or make your own at home by freezing juice in ice cube trays or popsicle molds.
• Top low-fat frozen yogurt with a ½ cup of berries, peaches, or other favorite fruit.
• Mix up a fruit salad using whatever's in season—melons, citrus, grapes, berries.
• Top a slice of angel food cake with fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries and a dollop of low-fat whipped cream.

Don't Forget the Physical Activity

Now that you've got your guide for eating well all day long, don't forget to get some exercise, too. Like eating well, regular physical activity can help reduce your cancer risk. The American Cancer Society recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on 5 or more days per week for adults. Kids should get 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity 5 or more days per week. For exercise tips and motivational tools, check out the Great American Get Active Challenge.