What to Eat When: Foods for Slimming, Sleeping and Satisfying

Aug. 9, 2009— -- Milk builds strong bones, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Common wisdom, but turns out the important thing is not just what to eat, it's when to eat it.

"We cannot evaluate the health of a food based solely on its grams of carbohydrates, fats or calories," says nutritionist Kimberly Snyder. "We also have to evaluate how easily or not it breaks down and digests in the body, and what time of day we are eating will affect health and digestion."

Timing is everything, especially when it comes to food, says Snyder.

Don't Eat: Protein BarsThe one popular to-go snack to never reach for are prepackaged protein bars, says Snyder. The main ingredient is often soy protein isolate, which is a highly processed, genetically modified protein that is difficult to digest and can depress thyroid function.

Do Eat: AvocadosRun into a deli and grab a whole avocado. Avocados are a nonclogging plant fat with tons of minerals and fiber. Avocados give stomachs a "full feeling" and provide long-burning fuel for a jam-packed day.

Don't Eat: Fruit SnacksDon't feed kids prepackaged fruit snacks. Even though the snacks say "100% juice" on the label, they are often laced with sugar. The fruit snacks make kids' blood sugar spike, causing them to feel hungrier.

Do Eat: Almond Butter SandwichesAlmonds are a blood sugar stabilizer that will keep your kids calm. Avoid using peanut butter since most popular brands are loaded with sugar. Almond butter is a healthier alternative. Most almond butter is made without sugar, and almonds are full of vitamin E and protein. And be sure to toast the bread. Toasting is important because it bakes out the sticky starch qualities and makes it easier to digest.