Snack of the Day

Today's Snack of the Day is brought to you by the National Dairy Council. Did you know that they recommend eating at least 3 servings of dairy a day? Did you also know that doing that can help you lose weight?

My friend Crystal over at Everyday Food Storage is exploring the world of homemade yogurt over the next two weeks. She posted a video about some of the health benefits of yogurt and other dairy products and referenced a study she'd read by the NDC where they tested two groups. One group increased exercise and decreased caloric intake. The other group increased exercise and decreased caloric intake, but in their daily intake they had to consume at least 3 servings of either yogurt, cheese, or milk. And what do you know? Those people lost a considerable amount more weight than the other folks.

I am a huge fan of dairy products! So here is a breakdown of some of my favorite dairy snacks:

1) String Cheese: Hallelujah! There's a cheese that isn't a bazillion points. :) String cheese is a great snack because it's already portioned out for you, individually packaged, and low in fat. Depending on what brand you buy it ranges anywhere from 1-3 points on the WW Points Plus scale. I love pairing a string cheese with some raw almonds. Yum!

2) Yogurt: My daughter is obsessed with yogurt so we've always got a good supply of it on hand. Now, yogurt can be tricky. Some yogurts say they're low-fat or 99% fat free and taste amazing right? Well that's because they added a truck load of aspartame or other unhealthy sweeteners to that yogurt to make it taste good. Even whole fat yogurt can be that way. Some of my favorite yogurt gets 60% of it's calories from sugar and that's just no bueno. My current favorite: Greek Yogurt! I love the thicker texture and if you get the right flavor/brand it tastes pretty darn amazing. The points on this vary so make sure and check that before you buy it to make sure it's worth it.

3) Low-Fat Cottage Cheese: Hello, I just went through a Costco size thing of this in a week and a half, that's how much I love it. One half cup of this deliciousness is only 2 points, not bad huh? I love eating it plain for a snack, or paired with almonds (can you tell I love me some almonds?). I love eating it at breakfast with some fruit. At lunch I like to make a salad and use the cottage cheese as a "dressing" of sorts. Really, it's so versatile and delicious you need to check it out. And now I'm sad because I'm all out and can't go eat some right now after writing this.

Well folks, there you have it. Dairy is good, dairy is your friend. It will keep your bones healthy and your waistline small. What's your favorite healthy dairy snack?