Dear Chef Kathleen,

I just found out that I'm pregnant. I've never had a child. All my OBGYN told me about nutrition was to "eat healthy and often." I could stand to lose some weight but I realize now is not the time to diet. My problem is that I'm a snacker. I have a long commute. What kinds of snacks are best?

Chelsea


Dear Chelsea,

I encourage you to make an appointment with a dietitian. Perhaps your doctor's office will have some recommendations.

Once you have an idea of what your body will require nutritionally each day, it's easier to determine what foods you're more likely to consume during meals and what foods will be more convenient to work in as snacks.

For pregnant women, the National Women's Health Information Center (www. 4women.gov) advises:

• Four or more servings of fruits and vegetables for vitamins and minerals per day.
• Four or more servings of whole-grain or enriched bread and cereal for energy per day.
• Four or more servings of milk and milk products for calcium per day.
• Three or more servings of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, dried beans and peas for protein per day.

I like to think of snacks as an opportunity to work in foods I'm not getting enough of at meal times. Technically speaking, there isn't room in any diet for empty calories, but most of us consume them anyway to greater and lesser degrees. Phasing back on empty calories is important for anyone trying to achieve optimum health.

Go through the list of foods you need to consume each day and pick out the ones you're less likely to work in at meal times. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 80 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 54 don't consume enough fruits and vegetables daily, which makes snack time the perfect time to make up for lost fruits and vegetables.

Don't be fooled: "Tricked you, tricked you, now I'm gonna get you!" I wish I could give you a list of super-delectable, healthy-sounding snack foods that would please the inner junk food demons lurking within us, but it would be a list of false promises.

Gimmicky quick fixes and candy bar-sized healthy-sounding snacks sometimes seem more exciting to grab, but the bottom line is that a lot of snack foods are high in sodium, sugar and empty calories—and they leave you hungry for more.

Fruit roll-ups often contain lots of sugar. Some granola bars, nutrition bars and breakfast bars are riddled with hidden sugars and fats and are often super caloric. A lot of chips, crackers and cookies offer so little nutrition that they should be moved into the once-in-awhile treat category.

Mom knows best: Mother Nature is the world's largest supplier of perfectly packaged, grab-and-go snack foods. Yes, I'm talking about fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains.

Grapes, berries, apples, bananas, pears, sectioned citrus and stone fruits such as peaches, plums and cherries are super easy to eat on the run. Pack them in sturdy containers so they won't get smooshed.

Microwaved vegetables serve you time-wise and nutrition-wise. You can buy a lot of veggies already chopped, sliced and diced.

After dinner or before you head out to work, microwave some, toss them with a healthful dressing if you like, or leave them plain. Pack them up in little containers or snack-size baggies and you're good to go.

Broccoli, cauliflower, carrot coins, green beans, snow and snap peas are really easy to eat on the run.

Happy trails: Dried fruits, nuts and whole-grain cereals can be tossed together for custom-made trail mixes. Go for raw, unsalted nuts. Salty nuts inspire you to eat more, especially if you wash them down with soda. Even if it's diet soda, before you know it, sweet tooth and salty craving are dueling it out at your expense. Try unsalted nuts and cool, refreshing water.

Second time around: Leftovers are a great way to ensure tomorrow is a success too. Plus, they're a great way to work in whole grains. Leftover brown rice is easy enough to turn into brown rice salad by adding diced dried fruit, a few toasted chopped nuts, a drizzle of bottled dressing, grated carrots and leftover chicken.

When you're in the kitchen making dinner, prep extra. Then package up the leftovers into little plastic containers, picnic-style, with plastic utensils and wipes.

A half portion of a healthy entree makes for super-nutritious snacking.

Before you head into the car for the long commute, take 10 minutes and enjoy your leftovers. You'll be able to keep your energy up long enough to get home and get a sensible dinner on the table.

Your just desserts: Peanut butter truffles are nutrient-rich and really hit the spot when you're in need of a pick-me-up. They take about 10 minutes to whip up and require no cooking!

To prepare: in a food processor or in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder, 1/4 cup wheat germ, 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats and 2 teaspoons of honey. Pulse or mix until thoroughly combined. Roll into 16 round balls and serve.

So you're not tempted to eat too many, wrap them individually. They will keep one week refrigerated and up to a month frozen.

kd@chefkathleen.com