photo: Jeff Brandsted
Handy Snacks
By Laura Kinch, Jayplay writer
When your momma told you to eat something, she didn't mean a candy bar. Try these healthy snacks instead.
It's 2:20 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon and you're starving. You ruffle through your backpack looking for a piece of gum or candy but come out empty handed. You would go to the Market in the Kansas Union and spend your last $7 on a sandwich and chips, but you just remembered that 1. you're broke and 2. you have another class in 10 minutes. As you hear your stomach growling and feel your head begin to throb from the lack of vital nutrients, you wonder if you'll survive until the end of the day.
Don't worry. You don't need to waste away. With some morning preparation the afternoon's fasting regimen can be a thing of the past. Just remember to pack your bag with healthy snacks that have the staying power to get you through the day.
Kristen Fellowswalker, manager at Hy-Vee's HealthMarket, 4000 W. 6th St., says students run into problems when they don't prepare a snack in the morning and, instead, eat junk foods from campus vending machines. "Sugar plays a major factor in blood glucose levels. When you eat a candy bar you get a sugar high and an hour later you feel like you're in a slump again," she says.
Product: Snapple a Day
Cost: $1.59 for an 11.5-ounce bottle
Where to get it: Hy-Vee, Dillions and The Community Mercantile Varieties: Flavors such as strawberry banana, peach and tropical Why it's good: A fruity meal replacement drink that does not need to be refrigerated.
Product: Luna Bar
Cost: $1.39-$1.50 per bar
Cost: $1.39-$1.50 per bar Where to get it: Hy-Vee, Dillions and The Community Mercantile Varieties: Flavors such as chocolate pecan pie, peanut butter and jelly, key lime pie, chai tea, sweet dreams and caramel apple Why it's good: The bars have a crunchy rice crispy treat texture and are easy to throw into a backpack and run out the door.
Product: Good Sense Snacks
Cost: $2.19-$3.69 per 6-ounce package
Where to get it: Hy-Vee
Varieties: Sunflower nuts, soynuts, yogurt raisins,yogurt pretzels,dried cherries, dried bananas, dried cranberries and assorted trail mixes Why it's good: The snacks are yummy,nutritious and prepackaged.
— Laura Kinch can be reached at lkinch@kansan.com.