Despite the best efforts of food companies to convince consumers otherwise, 100-calorie packs aren’t a magic-bullet solution to healthy eating, experts say.
“You’re not getting much quality food, and it’s not really filling,” said Indi Maharaj, a registered dietitian at Erlanger’s Lifestyle Center. “It’s Dieting 101 for lazy people.”
About five years ago, snack food manufacturers such as Nabisco (Oreo, Chips Ahoy! and Ritz Crackers) and Frito-Lay North America (Cheetos, Fritos and Sun Chips) began producing lines of individually packaged, 100-calorie snacks.
Experts said a healthy snack should weigh in at less than 400 calories. While 100 calories falls well under that limit, crackers, cookies and chips have low nutritional density, which doesn’t improve by coming in a smaller pouch.
When used properly, a snack can help stave off hunger and maintain metabolic activity between meals. The carbohydrate- and fat-rich foods found in many 100-calorie packages can spike insulin, however, which impedes fat absorption, said Shawn Jones, doctor of chiropractic and physical therapy at the Clinical Nutrition Center on Vance Road.