Snacking is often perceived as unhealthy. However, there is a way to snack in a healthy way, with these tips!
Snacking is a nasty fault. It is, in fact, often not recommended to eat between meals and yet, many people give in to this little pleasure. Snacking can disrupt the nutritional balance, shifting appetite times, make you fat by increasing caloric intake, or even disrupt the digestive system, with a risk of transit problems. This can go as far as increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Science, however, does not want to be so categorical. Snacking is not completely forbidden, it is rather a question of knowing how to control it. A snack remains a source of nutrients, energy and can also prevent overeating during meals. Obviously, it is necessary to know how to dose and choose the foods to snack on. It is also suggested to start by drinking a glass of water, so as not to confuse the manifestation of thirst with that of hunger.
To analyze the effects of snacking, a team of researchers from King’s College London, in a study published in the European Journal of Nutritionexamined the eating habits of 854 people, 95% of whom admitted to snacking at least once a day. Some of them managed to derive beneficial effects from these cravings. Better still: “good quality snacks can improve metabolic health and reduce the feeling of hunger,” the study even assures.
To achieve this, it is best to snack at a set time. This way, it is not a sudden intake, as and when you feel like it. It takes its place in a balanced diet and meals can be adjusted accordingly. By studying the different snacking periods (morning, afternoon and evening), the most frequent being the afternoon, the researchers recommended avoiding late snacks, especially after 9 p.m. They are “associated with poorer blood markers” and would be more likely to cause blood sugar spikes.
You also need to choose your snack wisely. It’s a good idea to opt for protein or fat. The study’s researchers found that people who frequently eat nuts and fresh fruit are “more likely to have a healthy weight than those who don’t snack at all or who snack on unhealthy foods.” This can also include yogurt or raw vegetables. The ideal snack, to keep you full but not too heavy, should be between 100 and 200 calories, says dietitian Grace Derocha for the Wall Street Journal.