SNACK IT UP

They come in all forms -- the coffee break cruncher, the noble nibbler, the super snacker -- but most Americans must have a little bite to eat between meals once in awhile.

It's OK. Dietitians agree there's a place for snacks in everyone's diet. It's what you eat and how much that counts, and there's no better time to survey snacks than in February, National Snack Food Month.

The Snack Food Association recently released a study illustrating Americans' snack-eating patterns. They found four groups:

-- Coffee Break Crunchers. Working women, ages 25-44, snack at the office to escape workday pressures. They eat things brought from home or purchased from a nearby vending machine or convenience store.

-- Noble Nibblers. As the most health conscious group, the nibblers eat things low in fat, cholesterol and sodium. They usually resort to pretzels, popcorn or for reduced-fat versions of other treats.

-- Nighttime Noshers. These are men, ages 35-44, who enjoy snacking in the evening in front of the television. They prefer to watch sports, news or late-night shows and don't like to eat alone.

-- Super Snackers. For this group, munching is part of everyday life. They love to snack, savoring the flavors and textures of various foods. Most of them have children.

Local experts say every group may have problems, except the noble nibblers. Nurse Linda Lawrence teaches the Don't Eat Your Heart Out class at St. Francis Medical Center. Her students are hospital patients and members of the public who worry about their heart's health.

"A high-fat diet contributes to a lot of heart trouble and cancers of the colon and breast," Lawrence said. "I teach the class that 30 grams of fat per day for a woman and 40 grams for a man is the recommended maximum."

Her students still can snack away without compromising their health. Baked potato crisps have two grams of fat in 11 chips. Two regular potato chips have one gram, so a bowlful would easily fill half a woman's recommended daily fat intake.

Any food, no matter what the fat content, is "legal" as long as the snacker reads the nutrition information and stays within his fat budget.

Dietitian Lisa Elfrink, director of food services for Cape Public Schools, said many parents know about good nutrition and send healthy snacks to school with their children.

"I'm one of these people who eats snacks -- we all do -- but I try not to go overboard," she said. "If you have a sack of chips for lunch, eat grains, fruits and vegetables at dinner."

Elfrink said her favorite snacks are chips and salsa or low-fat fruit dip.

Cape Girardeau snackers ranged from the most health-conscious to the most taste-conscious. Eugene Parsons, a salon owner, said he loves low-fat yogurt and low-fat chocolate pudding. Rebecca Payne, executive director of Safe House for Women Inc., nibbles plain baby carrots and the occasional pretzel.

Robert Stein, who sells Toyotas, said his true addiction is rippled chips and french onion dip. A desire to drop 40 pounds changed things, and now he eats a lot of low-fat raspberry yogurt.

Then there's Gayle Gorham, public relations director for AmeriFirst Bank. She wears a tiny size four, but still eats the things she likes.

"I'll be on a salt kick for awhile, and then a chocolate kick," Gorham said. "Right now I have to have ranch dip with plain potato chips. The secret is to just have a bite, and I only eat one big meal a day."

Scott Moyers, college student and managing editor of the Capaha Arrow, takes the cake and almost anything else. His favorite snack is peanut butter cookies.

"Even when I was a little kid, I could eat those things by the pound," Moyers said. "All I eat is junk food because I never have time for a home-cooked meal."

But isn't that a little unhealthy?

"Why don't you illustrate this story with a side view of my gut?" he said.