Who hasn't spent way too much moolah on a box of those cleverly packaged 100-calorie baglettes of cookies or crackers? Even though you know they cost roughly twice what a regular bag does -- not to mention that all of that packaging is a mini environmental disaster -- they do limit temptation.

Save your dough and satisfy your snack attacks with one of these treats. Lots are single servings; nearly all the rest can be popped into snack-size plastic bags and thrown into a pocket or backpack. No willpower needed.

5 Hershey's dark chocolate Kisses or, if chocolate's gotta be Dove for you, 2 Dove Promise dark chocolate miniatures

2 fresh figs or 1 juicy pear

English muffin toasted with just enough cheddar to meltingly cover the top

1 heaping cup of cherries

12 almonds

12 dried apricot halves 

1 Dannon Light & Fit Raspberry Smoothie 

1 Klondike Slim-a-Bear fudge bar

48 Rold Gold pretzel sticks

2 Dole frozen fruit juice bars (Go wild and have 3 if you like -- at 30 calories a pop, who cares?)

1 Starbucks 8-ounce Caramel Macchiato, made with nonfat milk

And if you're pregnant and craving nothing but pickles, you can happily munch and crunch through 8 medium dills.

Counting calories? Calculate the nutritional content of your favorite fare with this Food Evaluator.

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Spices. Wars have been fought over them. Great explorers have sailed in pursuit of them. And gifting history was made by three wise men bearing them. Turns out that the ancients were on to something. Research is now showing that five spices we've long savored just for their flavor are also nutritional powerhouses. Toss these overachievers into your salad or sauce and get a whopping dose of disease-preventing antioxidants along with a flavorful punch.

1. Cinnamon: This natural germ-fighter also helps lower blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels -- one-quarter teaspoon a day is a healthy goal. Sprinkle a little of the powder on freshly ground coffee beans when making your morning java, or try these irresistible Cinnamon Baked Apples for a low-cal dessert.

2. Thyme: It makes it into recipes for marinades, grilled poultry, and fish by virtue of its minty, lemony flavor; it makes it onto the RealAge list of healthy herbs by virtue of its anticancer potency. It's also long been used as an antiseptic -- yep, that could be thyme oil in your mouthwash. If you've got a fresh bunch, mince some into your vinaigrette. Yum.

3. Cumin: Concealed in your humble chili powder is one of the world's most popular spices (it's a key ingredient in Indian curries, too) and another anticancer soldier. Go exotic and add cumin to rice, grain salads, and marinades, or try this heart-healthy Ultimate Beef Chili made with chunks of fat-trimmed meat.

4. Oregano: Thank our GIs for bringing oregano home from Italy after WWII. A food-world superpower, leaves of the herb boast 42 times more antioxidants than apples. Wow! Use oregano to add a delicate flavor to salad dressings, garlic bread, and omelets, as well as your favorite pastas.

5. Turmeric: Called the "Queen of the Kitchen" by Indian cooks, turmeric (and its active ingredient, curcumin) has earned its crown. Studies show promise in fighting cystic fibrosis, colon cancer, arthritis, and even Alzheimer's -- is there anything this golden gal can't do? For an earthy flavor and yellow coloring, add a pinch of turmeric to rice, stew, or lentils -- hey, it might even help you remember where you left your keys last night.

Did you know that certain spices may stave off diabetes? Learn about them here.

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More and more parents are reverting to packing lunches until school cafeterias clean up their junk-food acts -- but here's the catch: It's easy to sabotage your own good intentions. Avoid these lunch-box fillers like the measles -- they're not good for your kids' health or their waistlines!

1. Juice drinks: We all know that soda is as nutritious as sugar water, but drinks "made with real juice" aren't much better. Just 1 ounce of raspberry or peach punch, iced tea, and other sweetened fruit drinks can contain over a teaspoon of high-fructose corn syrup -- and it's about as healthy as trans fat. Among other things, the syrup seems to throw off the body's weight-regulating mechanisms. If you wouldn't feed your children pure sugar, think twice about dropping these drinks into their lunch bags.
Better choices: Water, low-fat milk, V8 juice, one of the fruit-veggie juice blends (Vruit, Juice Plus+), or a small container of 100% fruit juice. Real fruit juice is better than juice drinks, but it's still high in sugar and calories, so watch quantities.

2. Cold cuts: Meat sandwiches, although they are the most common lunch-box entrée for elementary school kids, shouldn't be everyday fare. Bologna and other processed meats -- yes, even turkey Lunchables -- are brimming with saturated fat (9 grams, nearly half the recommended daily value), sodium (1140 milligrams, about half the daily max), and preservatives.
Great replacements: Check out these easy, kid-friendly lunch ideas.

3. Fruit-topped whole-milk yogurt: Although yogurt is filled with protein, calcium, and vitamins D and B12, whole-milk yogurt has lots of fat, too -- much of it saturated. What's more, yogurt that's topped (or bottomed) with a jam-like fruit mix can pack almost as much sugar as a candy bar!
Far smarter: Choose low-fat yogurts and pack a container of berries or fresh fruit chunks for your child to dunk or stir in.

4. Fruity roll-ups: Two problems here, unfortunately. First, many brands have only a smidgen of fruit and maybe some fiber. A puree of apples or pears from concentrate makes up about one-third of a roll-up; the other two-thirds are additives and sugar. Second, these stretchy fruit strips are so sugary and sticky that they cling to teeth long after they're eaten, creating the perfect environment for cavities -- especially if your child doesn't brush after lunch. (Do you know one who does?)
Better bet:  If your child loves roll-ups, buy all-natural brands, and reserve them for after-school treats -- followed by a brushing.

5. The obvious (or maybe not) potato chips: No matter how much we wish that potato chips counted as a serving of veggies and cheese puffs were a form of dairy, these snacks are as bad as it gets. Consisting mostly of fat and sodium, they're actually worse than empty calories. But that's not the surprise. This is: Potato chips are the #1 lunch-box snack among little kids -- they're given to 55% of K–5 students.
Savvy substitute: Try a new, crispy-thin snack we just taste-tested called Garden Harvest Toasted Chips. Made by Nabisco, these have a satisfying chip-like crunch, are made from whole grains, and have the equivalent of a half serving of veggies or fruit. So why would kids go near them? Because they don't taste, you know . . . healthy.

Your reward for making all those lunches?  Kids who get into the habit of eating fiber-rich foods now -- which include all fruits and veggies -- are likely to stick with this healthy habit as adults. If they do, by age 32 their RealAge could be only 29.

Learn how to keep your kids healthy from breakfast time to bedtime with more tips from the RealAge Parenting Center.

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It's like there’s something in the air every autumn that makes you itch to shape up your looks. Here are two easy ways to start, even if you're not part of the back-to-school crowd:

Body Confidence 101 -- If you're not already drinking OJ that’s fortified with vitamin D and calcium, fall is the season to switch. As daylight hours become scarce, and eating at your desk replaces summer's al fresco lunches, it's way too easy to run low on D -- which in this case also stands for Domino Effect. Here's why: Your body needs sunlight to make vitamin D, and it needs D to utilize calcium, and it needs calcium to build bones. Lack of D equals thin, brittle bones. And there's nothing beautiful about a cast or painful back, my friend. Not a juice fan? The same bone goodies, minus the vitamin C boost, are in fortified milk or a calcium + D supplement.

Snap Course in Weight Loss -- Every time you hit the grocery store, bag a fresh supply of crisp apples and sweet pears. They never taste better than now, and they're high in fiber, jammed with vitamins, low in calories, and more portable than squishy bananas.

But you knew that. Here's the surprising part: Dieters who eat a small apple or pear before each meal lose more weight than people who eat the same meal minus the fruit appetizer. So if you're fighting a few extra pounds, become a frequent fruit eater. It's a beautiful thing.

Pick up personalized beauty pointers with the RealAge Skin Care Assessment.

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Did your mom ever slip grated carrots into the spaghetti sauce? It was a total win-win. She knew you were eating your vegetables . . . you didn't. Now, food manufacturers are being just as sneaky -- packing loads of extra nutrients into old faves like yogurt and new faves like tortilla chips. What's next? Healthy Twinkies?

Good Things Come in Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids keep your heart, brain, and eyes healthy; unkink your joints; help fight some cancers; relieve depression; calm monthly cramps; and glam-up your skin and hair. Not surprising, then, that these wonder fats are turning up everywhere, from OJ to chips. The best natural sources of omega-3s are fatty fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts. But for a change of pace, try these value-added foods:

· Salba Organic Tortilla Chips pack 400 mg of omega-3s into just 12 chips -- the next best thing to salmon tacos.

· Tropicana Healthy Heart with Omega-3 orange juice isn't fishy tasting, even though it gives you 50 mg of anchovy-based omega-3s per serving.

· Kashi GoLean! Crunch Honey Almond Flax cereal (try saying that fast three times) has a whopping 500 mg of omega-3s (and just 200 calories) per cup.

· Iam's Smart Puppy kibble includes omega-3s for your new best friend.

Probi-what?
Probiotics are friendly bacteria that are thought to boost immunity, help ward off stomach woes caused by antibiotics, soothe irritable bowels, and maybe fight flab. Some foods are now being fortified with these good-for-you “bugs.” And most yogurt contains some probiotics, but not always enough of the right kind. Here are three probiotic-rich products to try:

· Stonyfield Farm churns out yogurt supercharged with six different healthy bacteria, proving you can't get too much of a good thing.

· Dannon’s Activia brand of yogurt features specialized designer bacteria meant to keep you, uh, regular.

· Attune's wellness bar, which claims to have five times more friendly bacteria than yogurt has, is good for the dairy-averse. Comes in a variety of flavors and has only 100 calories.


Antioxidants: The antiadditive
Fruits, vegetables, and -- happily -- chocolate are naturally rich in free-radical-destroying antioxidants. Now, thanks to the wonders of science, so are lots of other foods. Here's a look at some of them:

· Kellogg's Smart Start Antioxidants cereal boasts tried-and-true antioxidants like vitamins A, C, E, and zinc.

· Glaceau Vitaminwater XXX sounds sexed up, but it's actually a wholesome blend of H20 and three superantioxidants -- hence the 3 Xs -- from acai, blueberry, and pomegranate.

· Whole-wheat pizza dough could soon make an even healthier crust, because food scientists have just figured out how to bring out its natural antioxidants.


Got nutrients? Use this tool to tap into the best sources of essential vitamins and nutrients.

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Somewhere in America, right now, a student's science fair project is demonstrating cola's ability to eat through tooth enamel. It's not pretty. But soda isn't the only food that does a number on your grin. Here are some of your smile's worst enemies -- and best friends.

The Enemies List

Soda, fruit juice, and sports drinks: They’re not only sugary but also acidic, and that creates a perfect home for the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease -- especially if you tend to sip all day on one or another of these drinks. Acid-neutralizing saliva just can't keep up.
The realistic fix: Nobody's saying you have to go cold turkey, but for all-day swigging, choose water. Reserve the pick-me-ups for once-a-day use. And buy some straws -- sipping through them (try this trick) reduces the amount of time your teeth are exposed to a drink.

Sticky stuff: We're not just talking gooey caramels or fruit roll-ups. Bread, crackers, chips, sweet rolls, and other refined carbohydrates are nearly as likely as a Tootsie Roll to cling to teeth -- and they hang on for at least 20 minutes. Not good.
The realistic fix: Try to say no to sticky sweets and carbs when you can't brush afterward. Alternatively, slosh some water around in your mouth or chew a stick of sugarless gum that's sweetened with xylitol. The gum helps remove sticky food particles from your teeth, and xylitol curbs cavity causers and increases healthy saliva.

Your Smile’s Best Friends

Cheese, please: Eating a bit of cheddar (or whatever) at the end of a meal helps protect teeth. It stimulates the production of cleansing saliva, and the calcium in cheese helps harden teeth.

Crunchy things: Crisp apples, celery, and carrots are nature's little toothbrush alternatives. Not only do they help rid your mouth of food particles, but also their rough, fibrous texture actually scrubs away as you chew, slightly brightening your smile.

Have a cuppa: Drinking tea after eating can help destroy the germs that cause cavities, gum disease, and less-than-fresh breath. That goes for both green and black teas.

Shiitake mushrooms: These delicate, delicious flavor boosters contain lentinan, a plant substance that's anything but a lightweight: It fights both tooth plaque and the bacteria that live in it.

Here’s how caring for your kisser could preserve your smile and your heart. 

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