Newswise — HOUSTON — Adults can learn how to choose snacks that offer more cancer-fighting nutrients by using the new healthy snack combo infographic, created by experts at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
“Eating a healthy meal or snack every few hours refuels your body and puts you in better shape to fight off diseases like cancer,” said Mary Ellen Herndon, a wellness dietitian at MD Anderson. “It also helps keep your blood sugar and metabolism at healthy levels.”
Herndon suggests that adults eat a healthy snack if their next meal is longer than six hours away.
“A healthy snack has about 100-200 calories and includes an unrefined carbohydrate and a protein,” Herndon said. “Pairing these two together will help you stay full longer and keep you energized.”
Herndon shares examples of healthy snack combinations in the following infographic.
“Skipping meals might seem like a quick and easy way to lose weight,” Herndon said. “But starving your body of essential calories can actually lead to weight gain over time.”
Diet and physical activity, including being overweight or obese, contribute to one-third of all cancer deaths in the United States each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
To embed our Healthy Bites snack video, grab the YouTube embed code under the “share” tab.
Take Healthy Bites
This infographic is part of MD Anderson’s Healthy Bites 2013 challenge, which encourages adults to make healthier food choices to lower cancer risks.
“Maintaining a healthy diet can be difficult,” Herndon said. “That’s why we created the Healthy Bites program.”
People who join Healthy Bites will have access to additional MD Anderson nutrition materials, food journals, healthy recipes and expert tips.
For more information, including details on how to join the challenge, visit www.mdanderson.org/healthybites.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 41 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For nine of the past 11 years, including 2012, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in “America's Best Hospitals,” a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).