The Case for Snacking
Positive snacking can support your diet
Snacking can be a good thing, especially when you consider how so many of us do it. Today Americans snack more than ever, twice as much as we did in the late 1970s. And we’re taking in more calories, too. So how can snacking be good for you?
The answer is found in what you eat and when you eat it. Snacking on items that are healthful, whole, and full of nutrients, and eating smaller amounts once or twice a day between smaller meals, can be a real win. Snacks can help provide sustained energy, mental clarity, and an overall feeling of well-being. Spreading out the food you eat throughout the day also has been shown to improve digestion and lessen the desire for sugary and salty foods. That’s because blood glucose remains steady — if you’re eating the right snacks.
On the other hand, if you choose to eat highly processed, refined foods like chips, candy, fast food, cookies and ice cream, you may experience the opposite effect.
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Food type matters
While experts debate the value of snacking, especially as it impacts weight loss, nearly all agree that to reap any benefits, it’s more about what you eat than when.
One recent study, published by Food and Nutrition, tracked 233 adults in a worksite wellness program. Results showed that when participants snacked on nuts, fruits, and vegetables, they not only enjoyed a higher quality diet, but a lower body mass index than groups who snacked on sweets and sugary beverages.
Eating whole, unrefined foods in small quantities throughout the day does yield important gains in three basic categories:
- Better satiety — the feeling of fullness after eating that prevents overconsumption — especially if snacks are well-balanced and high in protein and fiber (e.g., yogurt, dried plums or prunes, and popcorn).
- More reasonably portioned meals.
- And, depending on our food choices, the opportunity to get more nutrients into our bodies. Overall, snacking contributes up to 25% of our daily nutrients.
Snacking in practice
If snacking fits your lifestyle, consider some of the ways to make it work for, not against, you. Here are some tips:
- Know your why. Instead of grabbing for an unhealthy snack for the wrong reasons (e.g., to address an unhealthy craving, emotion, or boredom), make sure you’re snacking to satisfy hunger or as part of a well-balanced plan. Then, pay attention. Eat mindfully and in moderation.
- Snack strategically. Choose clean foods like fruit with nuts, turkey and bell pepper roll-ups, veggies and hummus or dip, whole-grain pretzels or crackers with mustard, or low-fat cheese, berries and dark chocolate, to name a few. The more protein the better, since research shows protein and fiber increase satiety. In fact, one study points to Greek yogurt, with 24 grams of protein per serving, increasing fullness and delaying subsequent eating.
- Watch portions. Limit them to the actual serving size, which you can find on the food label. After all, it’s easy to ingest a small tub of hummus at one sitting without realizing how much you’re taking in, especially in light of the recommended portion size of one to two tablespoons. If you’re looking for quantity, stick with lower-calorie options like raw veggies that are also full of vitamins and minerals.
- Beware of the “variety effect.” The more options you have, the more you’ll consume. Regulated by both monotony and “sensory-specific satiety” (e.g., the palatability of a specific food that declines as it’s eaten), think of it like this: If you’re eating from a bowl of chocolates and there’s just one kind, you’ll tire of the same consistency, flavor, and texture more quickly and stop. But, if there are several kinds, you tend to keep going. Limit the variety of your snack food choices to control how much you eat.
- Don’t skip breakfast. An all-too common practice, it can often lead to cravings later. Instead, try front-loading your day with well-balanced foods that satisfy. For example: a whole-grain muffin with trans fat-free peanut butter and a spinach omelet; an apple, string cheese and hard-boiled eggs; gluten-free pancakes with bananas and almond butter; or nonfat yogurt with berries and oatmeal and sugar-free juice are among your many choices.
- Time it right. Experts recommend eating four or five meals a day, including one every three to four hours, to keep your blood sugar level throughout the day.
Finally, remember to do what’s best for you in terms of how snacking makes you feel. Set your own pace. Consider your activity level, food preferences, and overall health as you create a daily eating plan, replete with snacks between meals. Commit to choosing healthful options that not only feel right in terms of taste and texture, but fuel your body and ability to enjoy life whether you’re sleeping, putting in a full day of work, training for a marathon, or relaxing on the sofa with your favorite streaming service.
Now, pass the kale chips.