Snacking: A Critical Boost or the Recipe for Unwanted Weight Gain?

Whether lacking the time or energy to cook, craving our favorite snack, or simply needing a quick boost between meals, it is safe to say we have all found ourselves snacking at some point or another. While these quick intakes of food may give us the boost we need to get through a long day, we should also take care to eat healthy snacks in the appropriate quantity, ensuring that snacking fuels us rather than weighs us down.

Snacking is defined as any food eaten between major meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The most popular snacks consumed in the U.S. are fruit, cookies, chips, ice cream, candy, popcorn, soft drinks, crackers, cake, milk, nuts, tea, and yogurt. Nearly a quarter of American adults snack multiple times a day while a third snack at least once a day. Furthermore, many people reported occasionally replacing meals with consistent snacks. Despite the reality that snacking is a frequent aspect of life for most Americans, scientists are divided on whether this practice is beneficial or harmful to our health. 

Reasons Behind Snacking

People choose to snack for many reasons, among them ​​hunger, social pressure, food culture, unconscious eating, boredom, a desire to indulge, and food insecurity. Furthermore, advertising can play a significant role as food makers invest billions pushing fast food and sugary drinks which are unhealthy when consumed in large quantities. Food that is generally consumed in an unplanned way, or undesirable quantities, leads to many harmful effects such as obesity, and lack of necessary nutrients.

An important factor to note is that those who snack for reasons other than hunger are likely to suffer the undesired health outcomes which are commonly associated with overeating. People who eat due to stress or other negative emotions were found to eat foods that were high in energy, particularly sugar and fat. This means that emotional eating is one of the most harmful forms of snacking to one's health.

Eating Consciously

Eating mindlessly, or as the result of emotions such as stress and sadness (emotional eating), rather than hunger is generally considered to be a harbinger of bad dietary outcomes. A critical way to avoid this pitfall is to plan your snacks much as you would plan any other meal. This includes considering in advance both what you will eat as well as how much and the general time in which you intend to eat it. Doing this will allow you to gain that critical boost of energy and flavor to get to your next meal while not overindulging and encountering many of the undesirable consequences of overeating.

What We Snack on Matters

The food we eat has an obvious bearing on whether snacking gives us a positive boost in energy and nutrients or may be the reason behind unwanted weight gain and other health issues. Foods packed with empty calories, fat, and sodium such as soft drinks, potato chips, and cookies. Experts typically discourage the consumption of such classic snack foods, those which are high in nutrients such as fruit and vegetables are generally considered a far better option.

Snacking on unhealthy food not only causes us to intake large amounts of empty calories but causes the body to become accustomed to such unhealthy foods, which may lead to compounding health issues further down the line. An important aspect of healthy snacking is to consume filling food that is high in fiber, protein, or whole grains which will fill you up over long periods, allowing you to avoid overeating.

How Much Should I Eat?

Ideally, a snack should curb your appetite leading up to your next meal without leaving you entirely satiated. Filling up on a snack can cause you to miss a meal, lose key nutrients, and may also leave you feeling bloated and ineffective throughout the work day.

Listen to your Body

A good general rule of thumb is to pay attention to how you feel in the period following your snack intake. Eating excessive sugary foods tends to cause a quick burst in energy followed by the inevitable crash as blood sugar levels fall. Healthier snacks, however, should leave you energized and focused for longer periods keeping you sustained until the next meal.

As a rule, paying attention to what, when, and how much you eat, will provide a good reference point for beginning to filter out the unwanted sugar, fats, and sodium. A quick internet search of the food you are eating can also provide important information as the nutritional consequences of a given meal.

The reality is that there is a time and a place for everything. Cookies, cakes, and other tasty treats which are below in nutritional value can still be enjoyed in moderation. The essential point however must always be to control what you eat rather than letting the process of eating control you.

Snacks that are Convenient, Tasty, and Nutritious

Nuts such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, and pistachios are perhaps the best example of a snack that is high in healthy fats, protein, and fiber, though they may sometimes come with the risk of excessive sodium if they are salted. 

Yogurt with berries or fruit provides another high-protein, simple and delicious snack. Blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and apples all make a fine, high vitamin addition to a simple yogurt.

Apples and peanut butter make an excellent addition to any meal. Apples are packed with fiber, making them both filling and good for digestion. On the other hand, peanut butter is packed with healthy fats, plant-based protein, and fiber. Store-bought peanut butter may come with a significant amount of preservatives, but making your own in a blender is easy and will likely yield better taste and nutritional results.

Phasing out Unhealthy Foods

The reality is that most of us enjoy a sweet snack such as an ice cream cone or a salty one such as french fries now and then. There is no reason why these foods should not be enjoyed in moderation if you possess self-control. What is important to remember is that the decision to consume these foods on occasion should be made consciously, purposefully, and in moderation.

Rather than eliminating sweets and junk food from your life, phase them out so that can be enjoyed on limited occasions and in limited quantities. This will allow you the flexibility to enjoy the flavors you love at a controlled pace and quantity.

Spilling Unhealthy Snacks with a  Friend

Should you find yourself craving that Monday morning donut or feeling that the joy of a friend's birthday would be missed without a piece of cake, there are ways of enjoying the taste of something delicious without overindulging in the unhealthy. For example, when out with friends try to find someone to share that slice of cheesecake or french fries you are craving, allowing you to enjoy the taste without taking in the unnecessary calories, sodium, and other nutritional harms.

Conclusion

The reality is that when undertaken purposefully and in moderation, snacking can play a key role in keeping the body fueled throughout a long, busy workday. However, its convenience becomes a danger when food is consumed unconsciously or in response to negative emotions, when the food in question is unhealthy or consumed in inappropriate quantities, or when overfilling leads to skipped meals, causing one to miss out on critical nutrients later. Planning carefully in all stages, from filling your pantry with healthy snacks to sharing a side of fries with a friend will satiate your taste buds and keep your body healthy!