The high cost of junk food.

Here's a two-part quiz for you:

What's the most popular snack food in the United States?

What's the number-one drink of choice among teens?

The answers probably won't surprise you. "Potato chips and soda," says Ann Svendsen, Director of Nutrition Services, Houston Independent School District (HISD). "And it's not diet soda they're drinking; they choose regular soda - with caffeine and sugar. In fact, a lot of our young people have potato chips and soda for breakfast," she added.

Many teens think if they eat less food, they won't gain weight, says Svendsen. "They look at the single can of soda and the small bag of chips and say, 'But I'm not eating very much!' They don't realize that the foods they are eating are loaded with fat and sugar and contain very little nutrition value."

Convenience Costs

Where do most school kids buy their snack foods? At vending machines located on school property. Why can't they simply change the kinds of snacks offered in these vending machines? "If we change all the snacks in the vending machines to healthier items," said Svendsen, "the kids just go off school grounds to buy them at the neighborhood convenience store. Same with school lunches. If we only offer healthy foods, they go to a nearby fast food restaurant and get their burgers and fries. There has to be a middle ground. By adding items such as lean deli sandwiches, low-fat frozen yogurt, and low-fat chocolate milk to the menu, we're giving them healthier choices that still appeal to them."

Svendsen, along with the school nurses and teachers, tries to spread the word about good nutrition to the 255 schools in the Houston school district. "These kids are smart," she explained. "They watch their grandparents die of heart attacks. Many of them are worried about what's going to happen to them. When you take the time to explain the facts about good nutrition - that they should watch their fat intake and increase their intake of fruits and vegetables - many of them are willing to listen."

Snack Attack Defense

What's the best line of defense against a junk food snack attack at home? "Have a wide variety of foods that are accessible, easy to prepare, and that taste good," says Mimi Kerr, cooking instructor and co-author of Young Chef's Nutrition Guide and Cookbook. "It's so easy to prepare fresh foods, fast - for instance, a warmed tortilla with cheese, lean cold cuts rolled and secured with a toothpick, and cut up fresh fruit that can be threaded onto skewers - these foods can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or as a snack.

"Because more moms are working outside the home now, kids are taking more responsibility for what they eat. And when it comes to preparing meals and snacks, they're more interested in the decision-making process," Kerr adds. "Kids these days are sharp. Once they are given a responsibility, along with some education and guidance, they become smart consumers."

Join the War Against Junk Food

If you're fed up with TV advertising that promotes a steady diet of junk foods, perhaps you should join forces with Kids Against Junk Food (KAJF). KAJF is a nationwide effort of kids and teens, between the ages of 5 and 18, who are committed to promoting healthy eating. If you'd like to get involved, write to: KAJF, Suite 300, 1875 Connecticut Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20009.

For More Information

American Heart Association 1-800-AHA-USA1

Booklet: "Nutritious Nibbles, A Guide to Healthy Snacking"; single copy free.

Consumer Information Center Dept. 149A Pueblo, CO 81009 Booklet: "Making Healthy Food Choices," $1.50; make check or money order payable to "Superintendent of Documents."

CSPI/CHOW! (Children for Healthy FOod and a Healthy World) 1875 Connecticut Avenue NW, #300 Washington, DC 20009 Handbook: "CHOW! Club"; handbook and club membership information, $3.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Cost of a Typical Junk-Food Day

                        Dollar Cost   Nutritional Cost

Breakfast:

Soda pop                      $.50    10 tsp sugar; 46 mg caffeine
potato chip                    .45    10 gm fat; 133 mg sodium

Lunch:

soda pop                       .50    10 tsp sugar; 46 mg caffeine
cheese crackers                .55    10 gm fat; 422 mg sodium

Snack:

soda pop                       .50    10 tsp sugar; 46 mg caffeine
candy bar                      .55     4 tsp sugar; 15 gm fat

Total for one day =          $3.05    35 gm fat; 138 mg caffeine;
                                      34 tsp sugar (almost 3/4 cup);
                                      555 mg sodium

The Cost of a Typical Fast-Food Day

                        Dollar Cost   Nutritional Cost

Breakfast:

egg sandwich                 $1.55    16 gm fat
soda pop                       .99    10 tsp sugar; 46 mg caffeine

Lunch:

1/4-lb cheeseburger           2.39    32 gm fat
fries                         1.19    12 gm fat
soda pop                       .99    10 tsp sugar; 46 mg caffeine

Snack:

fries                         1.19    12 gm fat
soda pop                       .99    10 tsp sugar; 46 mg caffeine

Total for one day =          $9.29    72 gm fat; 138 mg caffeine;
                                      30 tsp sugar (almost 2/3 cup)

Total for one week =         x5       More than 3/4 pound fat;
                            $46.45    690 mg caffeine; more than
                                      3 cups sugar

Total for one month          x4       More than 3 pounds fat;
                           $185.80    2760 mg caffeine;
                                      12 1/2 cups sugar

Total for one                         More than 30 pounds of fat;
school year =                x10      27,600 mg caffeine;
                         $1,858.00    125 cups sugar

What Do These Figures Mean?

The nutrition label guidelines, based on a 2,000 calorie diet, recommend no more than 65 grams of fat and 260 mg of caffeine a day. Sugar is considered "bad" only when it replaces foods with nutritional value - for example, when you drink soda pop instead of milk.

The key here is balance. If you choose to continue keeping junk food and fast food in your daily diet, you'll want to balance this with a lot of grains, fruits, and veggies. Of course, the dollar costs pose another problem - almost $2,000 for a 10-month period. That's a lot of dough to sink your teeth in!

RELATED ARTICLE: Low "Cost" Choices

Instead of Buying:

Regular potato chips Ice cream treats

Try These Recipes:

Parmesan Potato Sticks Frozen Yogie Sandwich

Other Snack Ideas:

Frozen fruit, such as grapes and berries Fresh vegetables with yogurt or bean dip Fresh fruit and fruited yogurt dip 100% fruit juice in a box Veggie pizza slice Mini-bagel with peanut butter and all-fruit jam Mini-waffle with low-fat cream cheese and apple butter Single portion box of cereal, either dry or with skim milk

Parmesan Potato Sticks

2 large baking potatoes, scrubbed 4 tsp olive oil 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 1/8 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. On cutting board, cut potatoes in half, lengthwise. Place potato halves flat side down, and cut each into 4 sticks.

3. Place potato sticks on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil. Toss lightly with hands to coat potato sticks.

4. Bake for 35 minutes, turning the potato sticks over once after 15 minutes with a metal spatula.

5. Sprinkle potato sticks with cheese and salt, then return them to the oven for 2 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Serve hot.

"Frozen Yogie" Sandwich

1 large graham cracker (2 1/2 x 5 inches) 2 Tbsp low-fat raspberry frozen yogurt (softened)

1. Break graham cracker in half crosswise.

2. Carefully spread frozen yogurt onto one graham cracker half. Cover frozen yogurt with the other half.

3. Tightly wrap the sandwich in plastic wrap. Freeze.

NOTE: You can substitute your favorite flavor of yogurt for raspberry. Make several sandwiches to keep on hand for snacks or dessert.