Summer is quickly approaching here in NJ and with the beautiful weather comes shorts, bathing suits, outdoor activities and living a healthy lifestyle. Eating healthy will help you feel your best, have plenty of energy and control/prevent disease. Making informed food choices sometimes involves eliminating those foods that disguise themselves as healthy choices but in reality are anything but healthy. For me, this dilemma is especially true when trying to choose low calorie, nutritious snacks to munch on between smaller portion meals. How to select the right (diet healthy) snack? The experts say --read the labels, know what ingredients are in the snack and understand what portion of the snack makes a serving. Sounds pretty easy….right? Below are 6 snacks—four of which fall into the “Satisfying But Good For You” Category and weigh in at less than 200 calories. Can you pick them out of the group? How did you do? The WINNERS are: 1. Chocolate Waffles----YUMMY! Top an EGGO Nutri Grain Whole Wheat Waffle with a tablespoon of Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread. Nutritional information: 190 calories, 8.5 g fat, 2.5 fiber, 3.5 protein, 11.5 g sugar 2. Bean Tostada-----FILLING AND UNDER 200 CALORIES Spread ¼ cup fat-free refried beans on a corn tortilla with two tablespoons shredded light cheddar cheese. Heat in a toaster oven until cheese melts, top with tomato salsa Nutritional information for one tostada with two tablespoons salsa: 160 calories, 4g fiber, 8g protein 3. Scrambled Eggs and Salsa—WON’T SPOIL YOUR APPETITE Grab a frying pan; coat it lightly with cooking spray and scramble up two eggs (with the yolk, it’s good for you). Top with salsa. Nutritional information for two eggs and ½ cup salsa: 175 calories, 8g fat, 12g protein, 4g sugar, 2g fiber 4. Parmesan Popcorn—BIG QUANTITY----LITTLE CALORIES Avoid high-fat butter flavors and season with grated Parmesan instead. Nutritional information for four cups air-popped popcorn and 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan: approx. 190 calories, 3g fat, 8g protein, 7g fiber The RUNNER-UPS are: Veggie Chips - Contrary to what you might think, veggie chips are only about 10 calories less per serving than the average potato chip and offer no health benefits.

Granola - Yes, granola contains lots of fiber and nutrients but there’s often a lot of added sugar. Pour 1 cup of granola into your breakfast bowl and you’ll get close to 400 calories! Better Alternative: Go ahead and eat granola, just make sure you watch the serving size (and measure it out with an EatSmart Precision Pro Kitchen Scale) or use it sparingly as a topping on your yogurt - along with fresh fruit.

Crunchy, fresh vegetables with hummus and fresh fruit are always a safe bet but when looking for something a little different –consider one of the healthy snacks above and enjoy!

What is your "go to" nutritious, low calorie snack option?

About the Author: Maria Geronimo is the Public Relations Director at EatSmart Products.