Broadlands Naturally

Fruity Spring Snack

Contributor — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:41:33 +0000

Coming up with snack options have always been tricky for me since I wasn’t sure how it will effect the appetite for the meal time. Usually the list is short in our house but when we went to the Ashburn Farmers’ Market yesterday we picked up a lot of fresh, ripe and juicy strawberries. I had to quickly find some options to use them so they don’t go to waste. Well this is after we ate much of them right away so here is a recipe to make it a snack or freshly baked breakfast with the leftovers.

Strawberry-Stuffed Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 medium strawberries, halved
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 24-cup minimuffin tin with paper liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla.

3. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir just until well blended. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Top each with a strawberry half.

4. Bake muffins until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before glazing.

5. In a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar with lemon juice and stir until smooth. Drizzle muffins with glaze and allow to cool completely.

Makes 24 mini muffins

Recipe from Start Fresh, by Tyler Florence. Read more: Nutritional Benefits of Strawberry

Meet the Wiggly Hungry Worm

Contributor — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:06:13 +0000

Kids Love Hands On Activities & Learning

Date: Saturday, June 8^th Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm

Ready for some hands on fun learning experience!

Kids will have a chance to meet Wiggly Family and learn how they can eat almost everything and make something we feed to our plants. Wow!

Let’s set up our own worm composter and get a seed starter to take home.

This Free Program Brought to by the Broadlands HOA

Broadlands Nature Center - 21907 Claiborne Parkway, Broadlands, VA 20148

Phone: (703) 729-9704

Healthy and Lush Gardens Begin Here!

Contributor — Fri, 03 May 2013 02:23:51 +0000

Let’s Start to Compost

Our friends from BigWormz will show you how you can set up a worm composter and start feeding your garden with the best and organic fertilizer. Nature Center will have its own composter all set!

Set Up A Rain Barrel – Free Water

Join us as we demonstrate how you can set up your own rain barrel. Save money and water. Your plants will love it too! Did you know that in 15 minutes of good rain you easily can capture 50+ gallons of water to use for your garden?

Date: Saturday, June 8th Time: Noon – 1:30pm

Location: Broadlands Nature Center - 21907 Claiborne Parkway, Broadlands VA 20148

Phone: (703) 729-9704

This Free Program Brought to by the Broadlands HOA

Bring Monarchs Home

Contributor — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:16:25 +0000

Raise and Release Monarch Butterflies Program

Date: Sunday, June 16
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Address: Broadlands Community Center 43008 Waxpool Rd, Broadlands
Available space: 25/All ages (free)

HANDS ON WORKSHOP

LEARN WHAT TO PLANT AND HOW TO ATTRACT MONARCHS TO YOUR GARDEN AND RAISE THEM:

Raising and releasing butterflies is a great experience to experience the life cycle of beautiful Monarch Butterflies while seeing the direct relationship between plants and animals.

Tips for finding eggs and caterpillars and for raising and releasing Monarchs through the summer.

Rearing cages and the book “How to Raise Monarch Butterflies” will be available for purchase.

Questions: contact Jill Miller at jmiller@loudounwildlife.org

Register Here – It’s Free but Required

KEEP KIDS LEARNING OUTDOORS THIS SPRING!

Parents are always looking for the most unusual, interesting activities to give their kids that the children will feel excited and learn at the same time. Raising butterflies is truly an educational experience that every child will want to do over and over again.

You can take the kids on a hike to search for butterfly eggs and collect them, then make a home for them.

Did you know that the monarch butterflies that live in North America migrate?

Monarch butterflies are the only insect to migrate up to 2,500 miles to get out of the cold weather and hibernate. But not all monarch butterflies migrate; only the fourth generation of monarchs can migrate each year because the first three generations die after about six weeks from escaping their chrysalids.

Did you know that monarch butterflies go through four generations each year? The first three generations hatch from their chrysalis state and live for up to six weeks, but the fourth generation continues to live on for up to nine months so that they can migrate to a warmer climate, hibernate, and then start a new first generation in the spring time.

Are you ready to experience this yourself?

“The Bug Man” Brings Mother Nature’s Miracles

Contributor — Thu, 02 May 2013 02:01:54 +0000

Up Close & Hands On

“The Bug Man”, will showcase incredible and jaw dropping displays of world-wide insects, many of which are the largest species in the world!

This exciting program will introduce you to ecology and basic entomology of insects. You will learn about their importance, followed by their coolest defense strategies and life cycle.

Date:Saturday, July 13th
Time: Noon- 1:30 P.M.
Location: Broadlands Nature Center
21907 Claiborne Parkway, Broadlands, VA 20148

Cost of Saturday Family Programs
1 adult and one child: $5.00 resident/$7 non-resident
Family up to 5 members: $10 resident/$12 non-resident
Additional family members: $2.50

This Family Program Brought to by the Broadlands Nature Center

Broadlands Nature Center
21907 Claiborne Parkway, Broadlands, VA 20148
Phone: (703) 729-9704

Annual Sunscreen Safety Guide

Contributor — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 01:57:09 +0000

More Good Sunscreens to Choose From this Summer

EWG’s 6th Annual Sunscreen Guide Recommends 1-in-4

Washington, D.C. – Consumers can have confidence in about one quarter of the sunscreen products on store shelves this year, according toEnvironmental Working Group’s review and ranking of more than 1,800 products. Last year, only 20 percent got EWG’s best ratings, and only 8 percent scored well in 2010.

Still, the U.S. sunscreen market remains stuck in the Stone Age of sun protection. Half the sunscreens in EWG’s database that comply with the Food and Drug Administration’s “broad spectrum” regulations would not be sold in Europe, because they don’t offer strong protection against one of the two main types of solar ultraviolet radiation. European manufacturers voluntarily comply with a European Union recommendation that sunscreens provide meaningful protection against UVA rays that contribute to skin aging as well as against UVB rays that cause sunburn.

EWG’s survey shows that more products made specifically for children use safe, effective ingredients, relative to sunscreens marketed for the general public. About 60 percent of almost 180 sunscreen products marketed for children contain mineral ingredients, compared to 40 percent of other sunscreens. Children’s products are less likely to contain oxybenzone, a hormone-disrupting chemical, and “fragrance” – undisclosed mixtures of chemicals that can include some known to trigger allergic reactions.

“FDA’s decades of foot-dragging has brought us a marketplace of mostly subpar sunscreen products,” said Environmental Working Group senior analyst Nneka Leiba, M. Phil., M.P.H. “While we’re grateful to see the general market improve, we wish we could assure consumers that 100 percent of sunscreens sold in the US are effective and safe. We can’t.”

After more than 30 years of delay, the FDA released its sunscreen regulations last June. However, the agency’s new regulations still allow the sale of sunscreens that contain potentially hazardous ingredients, make exaggerated sun protection claims and provide weak protection against UVA radiation.

To add insult to injury, just last week, the agency extended the deadline to December 17, 2012, as the cosmetics industry requested. The industry complained that a year was not enough to meet new testing requirements and remove marketing terms like “block” and “waterproof” that had been deemed misleading by the FDA.

“You shouldn’t need a medical degree to determine if your sunscreen is safe and effective. For too long the FDA has allowed the industry to get away with unscientific and even inaccurate claims about sun protection. While I am disappointed the FDA is delaying new and improved labeling standards, it is good to know Environmental Working Group is providing consumers with the facts about the effectiveness of sunscreen products that are currently on shelves,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), who for years has pushed the FDA to improve sunscreen labeling standards.

In response to last week’s decision by FDA to delay implementation of the final sunscreen safety standards,EWG filed a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request with FDA, requesting any and all documented communications between it and officials with the industry’s trade associations.

To find safe and effective sunscreens, consumers should:
• Check out EWG’s online 2012 Sunscreen Guide to more than 1,800 products.
• Choose those with active ingredients zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or 3 percent avobenzone.
• Avoid oxybenzone and vitamin A (retinyl palmitate).
• Use creams or lotions, not sunscreen sprays or powders.
• Buy sunscreens without bug spray. Apply bug repellant separately if needed.

While sunscreens are an important part of a full sun-protection routine, they should not be used as the first or only line of defense. Seeking shade, avoiding the sun during peak hours and wearing sun-protective clothing, including hats and sunglasses go a long way to minimize exposure to harmful rays.

# # #
EWG is a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC that uses the power of information to protect human health and the environment. http://www.ewg.or g

CONTACT: EWG Public Affairs, (202) 667-6982; alex@ewg.org or leeann@ewg.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 16, 2012

2012 Hall of Shame

Children’s Sunscreens That Fail the Test

EWG’s research into this year’s crop of sunscreens revealed that many products advertised for babies and kids are formulated with safer, more effective ingredients than those in other products.

Still — buyer beware! There are still many children’s products that don’t meet the mark. Here are a few shameful trends and products in the 2012 sunscreen crop:

Hormone-disrupting chemical in children’s sunscreens

Some 65 sunscreens advertised for babies and kids contain oxybenzone, a synthetic chemical that absorbs the sun’s rays but also readily penetrates the skin. It can disrupt the body’s natural hormones. It can also cause allergic reactions.

Experts warn that children are at greater risk from oxybenzone and other hormone-disrupting substances than adults. They absorb more of the chemical relative to their weight. They may not excrete it as easily. And their developing bodies are particularly sensitive to hormonal changes.

Typical offenders:

Banana Boat Kids Quik Blok Sunblock Spray Lotion, SPF 35 – 4% oxybenzone
Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 70+ – 6% oxybenzone

Plenty of safer sunscreen chemicals are available.

Sunscreens that boost skin tumor risk?

Foods rich in vitamin A are good for the body. But applied to sun-exposed skin, this common sunscreen additive may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions, according to government studies. Why is vitamin A (shown as “retinyl palmitate” or “retinol palmitate” on labels) allowed in sunscreens made for use in the sun? Good question.

Almost 40 sunscreens advertised for babies and kids contain retinyl palmitate, including:

Banana Boat Baby Tear Free Sunblock Lotion, SPF 50+
Arbonne Baby Care Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
Australian Gold Baby Formula Lotion Sunscreen, SPF 50+

The FDA has yet to rule on the safety of retinyl palmitate in skin care products, butEWG recommends that consumers avoid sunscreens with this chemical.

Skin cancer risk starts young

Sky-high SPF products may protect from sunburn, caused primarily by UVB rays, but they leave children vulnerable to skin-damaging UVA rays. Without the warning signal of sunburn, children stay in the sun too long, and UVA damage builds up. Parents who see a high-SPF label on the bottle may think it’s safe to allow their kids hours of sunburn-free beach time, but risks associated with sun exposure begin in childhood and accumulate over a lifetime.

The FDA wants to limit SPF claims to “50+” to cut down on the false sense of security higher numbers like this can impart:

Neutrogena Wet Skin Kids Beach & Pool Sunblock Stick, SPF 70

EWG recommends avoiding products labeled higher than SPF 50. Reapply sunscreen often regardless of SPF.

Sprays that could coat the lungs

Aerosol spray sunscreen packages will soon be required to display FDA-mandated warnings such as “use in a well ventilated area” and “intentional misuse… can be harmful or fatal.” These cautions highlight growing concerns that sprays pose serious inhalation risks. Spray sunscreens also make it too easy to miss a spot, leaving bare skin exposed to harmful rays.

Two aerosol sprays marketed for babies and kids:

CVS Kids Fast Cover Continuous Clear Spray, SPF 50
Rite Aid Baby Continuous Spray Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 50

A cloud of powder

Loose powder sunscreens emit a plume of airborne particles. When inhaled, they can potentially damage the lungs over the long term. If there’s a chance you can breathe it, don’t buy it.

Some brands of loose powder sunscreens contain particles of titanium dioxide, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” when inhaled. Powdered sunscreens may also contain nanoscale and micronized zinc oxide, which can cause lung inflammation and worse.

GO!screen Natural Mineral PowderBlock Brush-On Sunscreen, SPF 30 is advertised as “great for kids” on the front of the bottle. It contains zinc oxide particles.

EWG recommends that sunscreen users stay away from inhalable products – sprays and powders – and use creams and lotions instead.

Children’s products… sometimes better, but not always

For some brands, the only differences are on the label – not inside the bottle. We found that 16 brands in this year’s crop feature products that list the same ingredients for both baby and adult sunscreens – down to the exact amounts of active ingredients. Among them:

Aveeno Baby Natural Protection Mineral Block Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
Aveeno Active Naturals Natural Protection Mineral Block Sunscreen Lotion, SPF 30
Coppertone Kids Sunscreen Stick, SPF 55
Coppertone Sport Sunscreen Stick, SPF 55

Do sunscreen towelettes work? The FDA doesn’t know…

This baby sunscreen advertises “maximum allowable protection for babies” but comes in the form of a towelette. In its 2011 sunscreen rules, FDA says it doesn’t have data to know if wipes are safe and effective sunscreens.

Baby Blanket SunBlankie Towelette SPF 45+

15 minutes is not “immediate,” especially for children

The front of a Lavera sunscreen box claims the product is “effective immediately” and there is “no need to wait.” But the side panel warns, “apply… 15 minutes before sun exposure.” Which is it?

Lavera Baby & Children Sun Screen, Medium, SPF 20

EWG recommends that consumers read labels. Ignore claims, follow warnings and directions.

And for moms: beware of super-hyped, super-pricey moisturizers with sunscreen

La Prairie Cellular Radiance Emulsion, SPF 30 (retails for $267 per fluid ounce)

Consumers who shell out the bucks for pricey SPF-labeled moisturizers rarely get the sun protection they expect. There are plenty of sun care products that sell for less than $3 per ounce and offer better sun protection than those that cost up to 90 times more.

And a Sunscreen Hall of Shame wouldn’t be complete without –

The Food and Drug Administration

Starting December 2012, new FDA rules will bar sunscreen labels from using the terms “sweatproof,” “sunblock” and “waterproof.” Products that advertise “broad spectrum protection” must pass an FDA test. The agency is considering restricting SPF ratings to no higher than “SPF 50+. “

These actions might be impressive – if it were the 1990’s. But it isn’t. The FDA has more work to do to ensure that sunscreens meet the highest standards for safety and skin protection. We estimate that almost 90 percent of this year’s crop of sunscreen products can pass the FDA “broad spectrum” test with no reformulation. Half of all sunscreens that meet FDA’s standards for “broad spectrum” protection filter so little UVA radiation they would not be sold in Europe. There, manufacturers voluntarily comply with a European Union recommendation that all sunscreens provide meaningful UVA protection in relation to SPF.

Scouting Programs

Contributor — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 01:30:58 +0000

Audubon Naturalist Society at Broadlands Nature Center provides an easy fun-filled way to earn your nature and wildlife badges. We offer a variety of program led by our Naturalist. Come and explore our nature center, pond, creek and experience nature up-close!

Please contact Alexandra Blk, Broadlands Naturalist to schedule at 703-729-9704 or Naturalist@broadlandshoa.com.

Partipation is $5 per scout for a one hour program with a $100 minimum requirement for programs to be held. We can coordinate multiple troops to meet minimums.

Available Scout Programs:

Girl Scouts

Daisy Petal Program
- Using Resources Wisely
Brownies:
- Letterboxer
- Senses
- Bugs
- Gardener
- Household Elf
- Hiker
- Wow Water
- Home Scientist
Juniors:
- Camper
- Detective
- Flowers
- Animal Habitats
- Geo Caching
Cadettes:
- Trees
- Trailblazing

Cub Scouts

Tiger Cub Program
- Let’s Go Outdoors Achievement
Wolf Cub Programs
- Birds Elective
- Your Living World
Bear Cub Programs
- Take Care of Your Planet
- Sharing Your World with Wildlife
Webelos Programs
- Scientist
- Forester
- Naturalist
- Geologist

Non-Broadlands residents are welcome!

To register or for more information:

Contact Naturalist Alexandra Vlk at 703 729 9704 or naturalist@broadlandshoa.com.

“Local conservation heroes” honored in Northern Virginia

Contributor — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 18:06:47 +0000

Arlington, Va. – At an annual gathering of not-for-profit conservation and community groups today, leaders of Virginia’s largest environmental organizations will recognize elected officials and volunteers for their work to promote “green communities” in Northern Virginia.

Jay Fisette, a member of the Arlington County Board of Supervisors was named a guest of honor for his work as president of Virginia Municipal League. In that role, Fisette spearheaded the creation of the GoGreen Initiative (http://www.gogreenva.org/), a friendly competition among local governments and school districts to improve recycling rates, energy efficiency and environmental performance. Fisette also played a leadership role in development of the Arlington County Energy Plan, a first-of-its-kind plan to provide cleaner, reliable power.

Former Alexandria councilman and newly elected member of the House of Delegates Rob Krupicka is being recognized for helping to launch Eco-City Alexandria (http://alexandriava.gov/Eco-City). The Eco-City program was designed with help from Virginia Tech’s School of Urban Affairs and Planning. It has helped Alexandria achieve a 48% recycling rate and extend Capital Bikeshare to Old Town. Eco-City Alexandria realized one of its major goals this month with the closure of an outdated and polluting power plant on the Potomac River.

Rounding out the list of honorees is a team of National Wildlife Federation volunteers who have established certified wildlife habitats throughout Fairfax and Arlington counties and in parts of Loudoun. Northern Virginia now has one of the nation’s largest concentrations of certified habitats, which require not only nesting and feeding areas but also public educational events (www.nwf.org/communityhabitats). The volunteers are: Scott Birdwell, Claudia Thompson-Deahl, Janine Finnell, Elenor Hodges, Kevin Holland, Robin Rentsch, and Oya Simpson.

“These men and women embody the spirit of community service,” said Nathan Lott, executive director of the Virginia Conservation Network. “They are living out the mantra ‘think globally, act locally,’ and by doing so they have shown that conservation improves property values, saves taxpayers money, creates healthier communities.”

American Beauties

Contributor — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 20:51:38 +0000

About American Beauties

The American Beauties™ collection of native plants makes it easy to use trees, shrubs, vines, grasses and wildflowers that are beautiful and good for wildlife. Native plant experts and wildlife experts have teamed up to create four gardens guaranteed to bring life to your landscape by providing food and habitat for a variety of desirable critters.

Garden Collections from American Beauties

American Beauties takes the guess work out of native plant gardening by creating four distinct theme gardens that attract beneficial wildlife and contain plants which grow well in varying conditions.

Bird Garden

The plants in this collection provide seeds, berries, nesting places and cover for all kinds of songbirds. Plus, there are lots of plants in this collection that provide interest four seasons of the year.

Butterfly

These colorful plants provide nectar and pollen spring, summer and fall for a parade of butterflies and other pollinators. If you like flowers and have a sunny location, you will be delighted with this collection of plants.

Dry Shade

Dry, shady conditions are a challenge for the most accomplished gardeners. This collection of tough, drought resistant native plants thrives in those conditions while providing great cover for all kinds of woodland creatures.

Moist Sun

Turn that troublesome low area with wet soil into a garden filed with colorful plants that hang tough in the hot sun. Frogs, dragonflies, birds and other critters will love the food and cover this collection provides.

American Beauties and NWF

Buying American Beauties brings life to your garden and helps a great cause. Every American Beauties plant sold benefits the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and their work to create better home landscape environments for you and the colorful garden critters you love. When you purchase an American Beauties plant, 25 cents, 50 cents or $1 will be donated to NWF to help fund their home habitat work and outreach programs.

The American Beauties Partnership

American Beauties, LLC is a partnership between Prides Corner Farms, Lebanon, CT, and North Creek Nurseries, Landenberg, PA, dedicated to promoting native plants to bring life to the garden. Since each region of the country has its own native plants, the eventual goal of the partnership is to grow and distribute American Beauties plants on a regional basis throughout the United States and help promote the message of NWF while doing so.

Regional Roll Outs

American Beauties was launched in spring 2006 in the Northeastern US. Plans are underway to make the program available in other parts of the country. Go to Where to Buy to find a retail location near you.

Alarmingly Unhealthy Snacks

Contributor — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 01:45:25 +0000

In a perfect world, everyone (kids included) would snack on carrots and kale chips. For those who do, hats off. But for everyone else, once you step away from the produce aisle, the choice of snacks can run the gamut from nutritionally vapid to downright deleterious. And sadly, consumers are often at the mercy of the processed food industry with its seductive yet unhealthy ingredients and powerful marketing machines. It’s all too easy to be swayed by items marketed specifically to children and parents — with enticing prices, misleading labels and the promise of convenience.

But when consumers start to dig a bit, they'll get a better picture of what’s going on inside the snacks they devour. Following is a snapshot of some of the worst offenders. The list is by no means exhaustive, but these examples provide some clues about what to look out for in the snack aisle.

1. Pop-Secret Homestyle Popcorn

Popcorn should be a great snack. It is a whole grain, naturally low in calories, and recent research has found that popped kernels are surprisingly high in antioxidants, even higher than many fruits and vegetables. So where did this super-snack go super-wrong? In the hands of food manufacturers, that’s where. How does this version compare to an order of McDonald’s Kids Fries? A serving of Pop-Secret has 70 more calories, 7 grams more total fat, 2 grams more saturated fat, 4.5 grams more trans fat, and 310 milligrams more sodium than the fried spuds.

Serving size: 2 tablespoons unpopped
Calories: 170
Total fat: 12 grams
Saturated fat: 2.5 grams
Trans fat: 4.5 grams
Sodium: 380 milligrams

2. Cheetos Puffs

Nobody ever said that oddly textured cheese snacks were exactly healthy, but something about the non-greasiness and airy quality of Cheetos Puffs (vibrant hue aside) seems like this product might more benign than, let’s say, super salty fried potato chips. But … look at that total fat! That sodium! That’s half the daily fat and sodium limit for many children, right there in 2 ounces of snack.

Serving size: 2 ounces (56 grams)

Calories: 320
Total fat: 20 grams
Saturated fat: 4 grams
Sodium: 700 milligrams

3. Yoplait Original 99% Fat Free (various fruit flavors)

Yogurt is another should-be healthy snack that has been hijacked by the food industry. Many yogurts are made to be low- or non-fat but are loaded with added sugar and other ingredients that are completely superfluous.

Whereas a product like Fage 0% is made of only “Grade A Pasteurized Skimmed Milk, and Live Active Yogurt Cultures,” Yoplait Original includes sugar, modified corn starch, high fructose corn syrup, kosher gelatin, and tricalcium phosphate — yet no live and active cultures, which is one of the main reasons to be eating yogurt in the first place!

Serving Size: 1 container (170 grams)
Calories: 170
Total fat: 1.5 grams
Saturated fat: 1 gram
Sodium: 85 milligrams
Sugars: 26 grams

4. Ritz Bits Cracker Sandwiches

Cheese and crackers sounds innocuous enough, but a single serving of these guys has more sodium and more than twice the saturated fat, as a small order of Chicken McNuggets — and more sugar than two Hershey’s Kisses.

Serving size: 1 single serve package (42 grams)
Calories: 220
Total fat: 13 grams
Saturated fat 4.5 grams
Sodium: 480 milligrams
Sugars: 6 grams

5. Auntie Anne's Pepperoni Pretzel Pocket

Whole-wheat low-sodium pretzels are a good snack. Pepperoni Pretzel Pockets are a disaster. With more sodium, saturated fat and calories than a Big Mac, this one snack comes close to serving up the daily sodium and total fat limits for a child, not to mention the equivalent of nearly 3 teaspoons of granulated sugar.

Serving size: 1 pocket
Calories: 650
Total fat: 27 grams
Saturated fat 12 grams
Sodium: 1,120 milligrams
Sugars: 11 grams

6. Mott's Original Apple Sauce

This applesauce might just as well be called "high fructose corn syrup sauce," given that HFCS is the second ingredient after apples. Why do that to perfectly good apples? Apples aren't sweet enough?

Serving size: 1/2 cup (128g)
Calories: 110
Total fat: 0
Sugars: 25 grams

Instead, opt for the Mott's Natural Apple Sauce (No Sugar Added) version, which has only 50 calories and 12 grams of sugar.

7. Hostess Chocolate Pudding Pie

With the right spin, some could argue that a piece of pie isn’t the worst snack in the world. A small homemade slice filled with fruit and a light crust has some redeeming qualities. But the Hostess Chocolate Pudding Pie may, in fact, be the worst snack in the world! Why? In addition to its high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, beef fat and artificial colors, it has almost twice the sugar and fat of a similarly sized slice of homemade blueberry pie. And with its cheap price and easy portability, it’s all too easy to scarf down much of your daily calorie requirement in a few bites before you’ve even left the store.

Serving size: 1 pie (128g)
Calories: 520
Total fat: 24 grams
Saturated fat 12 grams
Sugars: 40 grams

8. Winchell’s Cranberry Nut Muffin

What has the same amount of calories as four Winchell’s Chocolate Cake Doughnuts and nearly the same amount of fat as three hot dogs? One Winchell’s Cranberry Nut Muffin! To its credit, this muffin is not nutritionally void (5 grams of fiber and 14 grams of protein) but just beware: the calories, fat and sugar lodge this item more in the cupcake category than healthy snack family.

Serving size: 1 muffin
Calories: 670
Total fat: 37 grams
Saturated fat: 6 grams
Sodium: 640 milligrams
Sugars: 43 grams

How can you make better choices?

Look for snacks that are high in protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, but relatively lower in calories, total fat, saturated fat (no trans fat), sugar and sodium.

Look at the ingredients on the label. Most of us know that ingredients are listed in order from most to least, and we may look to see where something like sugars or fats are listed in the order. But ingredient groups aren't required to be listed together. So something could contain corn syrup, cane sugar, and malt syrup in seemingly minor quantities toward the bottom of the list — but if you combine them together in a general group of "sugar," they quickly move to the top.

If a label boasts a product was made with whole grains, check to see where on the ingredient list the word "whole" is. If the first ingredient is "whole" wheat flour (or other grain), that's good. Sometimes whole grains make up only a tiny fragment of the item, and that's not good.

Also, it helps to know recommended nutritional limits. Many adults know what their numbers are, and here's what Mayo Clinic recommends for kids:

Boys and girls 4-8: 1,200-2,000 calories depending on activity, 25-35 percent calories from fat, 1,200 milligrams sodium.

Boys and girls 9-13: 1,400-2,600 calories depending on activity, 25-35 percent calories from fat, 1,300 milligrams sodium.

Boys and girls 14-18: 1,800-3,200 calories depending on activity, 25-35 percent calories from fat, 1,500 milligrams sodium.

Total fat for the categories above: 33 to 47 grams for 1,200 daily calories; 39 to 54 grams for 1,400 daily calories; 44 to 62 grams for 1,600 daily calories; 50 to 70 grams for 1,800 daily calories; 56 to 78 grams for 2,000 daily calories.

Source: MNN