To Snack or Not to Snack?

To snack or not to snack? That is a question we hear a lot these days. Some experts believe snacking will help you consume fewer calories throughout the day because you will feel more satisfied at meal times, while other experts argue that snacking contributes to weight gain by providing additional calories during the day. A new study sought to clear up the confusion about snacking and the findings were published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Researchers examined how snacking behavior impacted diet quality and BMI within a group of 233 adults in a Minneapolis community-based worksite nutrition intervention. Data on dietary quality habits was gathered over a 30-month period and focused on three 24-hour dietary recalls; two of the recalls occurred during the week and one during a weekend day. Dietary quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index 2010. The BMI of each participant was calculated using their measured height and weight.

While previous studies have looked at the at the overall relationship between diet quality and snacking, this study also reviewed the relationship between diet quality and energy contributed by different food group choices such as fruit and juice, vegetables, desserts, chips, nuts and sugar-sweetened beverages. The results showed that total snacking energy and frequency are not associated with diet quality or BMI, but the snack choice does have an impact. Higher diet quality was seen in those participants that chose snacks such as fruit, nuts and vegetables, while lower diet quality was demonstrated in those that chose desserts and sugar-sweetened beverages. Additionally, a higher percent of snacking energy from vegetables was significantly associated with a lower BMI, while a higher percent of snacking energy from desserts and sweets was significantly associated with a higher BMI.

Bottom Line: It is not necessarily the snacking frequency that impacts weight and diet quality, rather the type of food we choose to snack on. Fruits and vegetables make great snacks; they are packed with beneficial nutrients and fiber to help keep us satisfied between meals. Try cutting up your fruits and veggies as soon as you get home from the grocery store and place them in baggies for a convenient grab-and-go snack.

Source

Visit Wellness Workdays for more information about our worksite wellness programs.