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and 10 being "stuffed to the gills." Many people get used to feeling very full after a meal and snacks. However, a snack's job is to tide you over until your next meal . . . not necessarily to make you feel completely full. A good rule of thumb is to eat something small and allow yourself to feel neutral or just comfortably full. If you feel stuffed to the gills after a snack, you probably ate too much.

With a mindful, planned snack, you can change this scenario. Substitute a small coffee, an ounce of nuts with an apple, and a yogurt for the Peanut M&M's, large latte, and bag of chips. These simple, preplanned swaps bring your snack total down to just 380 calories, and the choice of low-glycemic foods helps you feel more satisfied.

You have many low-glycemic snack options to choose from, whether you want to find something quick or make something at home. Here are some healthy grab-and-go snack ideas that take either no or little time to prepare:

8-ounce lowfat yogurt, fruity or plain

1 ounce of nuts with a piece of fruit (such as an apple or orange)

1 ounce of trail mix with dried fruit

Mozzarella cheese stick with a piece of fruit

1 ounce of peanut butter spread on two celery sticks

1 ounce of peanut butter spread on one small sliced apple or half of a banana

1/3 cup lowfat cottage cheese with fruit

2 tablespoons of hummus with sliced bell peppers and carrot sticks for dipping (you can buy premade hummus at the grocery store, or you can use the Traditional Hummus recipe found later in this chapter)

2 tablespoons of hummus spread on half of a whole-wheat pita

2 cups of lowfat air-popped popcorn

10 baked corn tortilla chips with black bean dip (either store-bought or my Yummiest, Ugliest Black Bean Dip recipe, found later in this chapter)

Making Low-Glycemic Snacks at Home: Recipes for Success

Although store-bought snacks are handy to have on hand, you can actually prepare many tasty recipes in the comfort of your home. I'm a big fan of having fresh snack foods on hand. The following recipes are some gat ones to make for your family or to bring with you for munching at work.

Yummiest, Ugliest Black Bean Dip

Don't let the color of this recipe scare you. Even though this black bean dip turns out a strange gray color, it tastes fantastic. Great for the family, you may not want to serve this dip at a party without warning your guests about the color (unless maybe you're hosting a Halloween party).

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 8 minutes

Refrigeration time: 3 hours

Yield: 16 servings

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion

1 teaspoon canola oil

Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Juice of 1 whole lime

2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds

1 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons water

1/3 cup medium salsa

1 In a large nonstick skillet, cook the garlic, green and red bell peppers, and onion in the canola oil over moderately low heat, stirring continually, until the onion is translucent. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside.

2 In a food processor, blend the black beans, lime juice, spices, and water until smooth, adding up to 2 tablespoons more water if necessary to reach your desired consistency.

3 Add in the onion mixture and salsa, and blend until smooth.

4 Cover the dip and chill it for 3 hours. Serve with baked tortilla chips.

Tip: To simultaneously pretty up your dip and add some more veggies, add chopped tomatoes to the top of it before serving.

Per serving: Calories 38 (From Fat 5); Glycemic Load 2 (Low); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 149mg; Carbohydrate 7g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 2g.

Grilled Zucchini Mini Pizzas

Veggies are great snack foods, and you can prepare them in a variety of ways. This recipe is quick