If eating healthier is one of your goals for 2009, I have some good news for you about snacking. Nutritionist Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, encourages folks to eat two healthy snacks a day. In fact, it is one of her 12 healthy habits. Today, she explains the science of snacking. Stay tuned for more tips, and be sure to enter our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway for a chance to win a personalized nutrition plan created by Alexa, along with many other amazing goodies.

Now, for Alexa's snacking advice:
Aim for a midmorning and a midafternoon snack every day in addition to your three regular meals. This may be the single most important tip out there. So many of us think that calorie restriction is the way to lose weight and so try to not eat in between meals. In reality, your body needs fuel consistently through the day for energy and to keep your metabolism working for you. Incorporating two healthy snacks each day, one midmorning and one midafternoon, is the key to fueling your body and staving off cravings that lead to overeating at meals or late at night and subsequent weight gain.

To see Alexa's suggestions for snacks, read more.

Make it simple — choose two of these three snacks every day for optimal health: a single-serving yogurt (I love nonfat Greek with fruit), an ounce of nuts (I love almonds and pecans), and/or a piece of fruit or a cup of cut fruit or berries. Not only will these snack options improve your weight profile (I promise) — they will also add to your nutrient profile by giving you the fiber, calcium, and vitamins your body needs, and from whole foods, not supplements.