Nutrition challenge: snack on protein

Snack on protein

For the next seven days, include a source of protein in your midday snacks. Protein helps control how much food you eat during the day, by slowing digestion and making you feel full longer. The sugars from protein are also released more slowly into your bloodstream, which helps you feel energized during the day. You'll find protein in fish, poultry, meat, eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts and energy bars.

Here are a few snack ideas to get you started:

• Raw vegetables and hummus

• Yogurt and fruit

• Fruit and cheese

• Whole-grain crackers and a hard-boiled egg

• Soymilk or skim milk latte

• Fruit and a small handful of nuts

• Apple with nut butter

• Tuna with whole-grain crackers

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Her website is lesliebeck.com .