The concept of the 100-calorie pack seems ideal. You get your favorite snack foods premeasured and conveniently packaged in to-go packets. Most of these foods are still highly processed snacks that contain added sugars, refined flours and excessive salt. They also contain minimal vitamins, minerals and fiber, but come with an excessive price tag. An occasional 100-calorie pack will not endanger your health, but many better snack choices exist.
Types
Over 20 companies, including Nabisco, Frito Lay and Pringles, produce 100-calorie packs. The foods in these packs range from chocolate bars, chips, popcorn, nuts, ice cream, snack crackers and cookies. Even if there are only 100 calories in each pack, these are not foods with a lot of nutritional value. They may help you indulge a craving for junk food, but they should not replace healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy.
Sugar and Sodium
The 100-calorie packs containing cookies and candies usually contain between 7 and 9 g of sugar, about 2 tsp. per pack and over 30 percent of the snacks' total calories. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar to just 6 tsp. per day for women and 9 tsp. per day for men. Many of the savory snacks, especially the snack crackers, contain over 200 mg of sodium per pack.
Considerations
The packs give the illusion that they are diet foods, and may lead you to overeat. A study in the "Journal of Consumer Research" published in October 2008 found that when faced with small packets of food, people ate more food and calories than from larger packets. If you choose 100-calorie packs instead of healthier foods at snack time, you are missing out on important nutrients. For 100 calories, you could easily eat an apple, a low-fat string cheese, a banana, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a glass of skim milk or 2 1/2 cups of cut-up vegetables, all foods that provide nutrients like vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and protein. The 100-calorie packs are short on all of these benefits.
Taste and Cost
Many of the 100-calorie pack versions do not resemble the originals. In order to fit into the 100-calorie parameters, Oreos are flat crackers instead of cream filled cookies and chips shrink in size. Due to the extra packaging and because of the 100-calorie gimmick, the snacks cost between 16 and 279 percent more than those in larger packages.
References
- Consumer Reports; The LowDown on 100-calorie Packs; Dec. 2008
- "Journal of Consumer Reserarch;" The Effects of Reduced Food Size and Package Size on the Consumption Behavior of Restrained and Unrestrained Eaters; Maura L. Scott, Stephen M. Nowlis, Naomi Mandel, Andrea C. Morales
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: 100-Calorie Pack Cost Comparison
- ABC News; 100-Calorie Snack Packs: Do They Help With Weight Loss?; Christie Myers; May 31, 2006
- NabiscoWorld.com: Nabisco 100 Cal
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