The numbers don’t lie: snacking is serious business.
In the US, where polls show half of adults often snack instead of eating actual meals, snack food sales are estimated to bring in more than 100 billion dollars this year — outselling breakfast cereals by nearly five to one.
All this noshing is affecting our health, and not always for the better: while sensible snacking can be part of a healthy lifestyle, it more frequently results in weight gain and health problems from overeating foods with poor nutrition.
The difference between snacking being a “health booster” or a “health buster” usually comes down to something I talk about frequently in my columns: habit.
What you regularly snack on is important, as is how often you’re snacking and where those calories and nutrients fit in your overall diet. But more important than any of these is your motivation: why are you snacking?
When asked their reasons for snacking, adults most frequently cited “comfort.” Snackers also said they often indulged out of boredom or to relax, as a mood-booster, as a reward, or just because the snacks were “right there.”
While there’s nothing wrong with eating socially at certain holidays or special events, “earning” an occasional treat, or just splurging for fun from time to time, making a habit of mindlessly munching can be detrimental not only to your health but to your waistline.
If you regularly reach for snacks out of boredom or “just because they’re right there,” consider re-organizing your cabinets so snacks are out of sight and harder to reach.
For example, when I’m gifted a plate of treats, I often store separately bagged pieces in an out-of-the-way cabinet or in the basement freezer — reducing my chance of binge eating them out of boredom, stress, or convenience.
If you’re snacking as a mood-booster or stress-buster, consider what daily exercise can do for your mindset! 20 minutes of exercise lowers your body’s stress hormones while increasing endorphins, which reduces pain, fights depression, increases energy levels, and makes you feel calmer and happier.
Healthy nutrition, too, helps your body stave off the effects of daily stress, fight illness and disease, and feel more energized.
So what makes a healthy snack?
First and foremost, good snacks leave you feeling full. Snack foods that leave you feeling hungry a short while later often lack essential nutrients, or have too many of the highly processed ingredients that can increase inflammation and lead to chronic health problems.
Filling snacks are high in protein and fiber, which digest slowly making you feel full longer. Like a heavy, slow-burning log in your fireplace, foods high in both protein and fiber help keep your energy levels steady and sustained for a long time.
Additionally, protein supports healthy skin, hair, and nails, and a robust immune system; even as it helps maintain or improve your muscle tone. It also acts to turn off the “hunger hormone,” reducing food cravings.
Fiber helps control your cholesterol and blood sugar, supports gut and bowel health, and reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease and all types of cancer.
High-protein, high-fiber snacks include things like hummus and veggies, jerky and whole-grain crackers, apple slices and nut butter, and cottage cheese or Greek yogurt topped with berries.
A nut-filled trail mix also makes a great protein- and fiber-rich snack! Mind your portion size, though, as trail mix can be high in calories.
Which brings us to another quality of good, healthy snacks: they not only fill you up, but they do it without “breaking the calorie bank.” High-calorie foods often make it easy to eat a lot in a short period of time, without giving you much nutritional content — things like pastries, candy bars, or anything deep fried.
Those high-sugar, high-fat items are easy to binge because they’re engineered to make you want more without ever really being satisfied. Your brain is wired to crave carbs and fat, which is why potato chip companies are right when they “bet you can’t eat just one” or say “once you pop you can’t stop.”
If you’re looking for healthy snacks that are easy to make at home with just a few ingredients, I’ve uploaded my own recipes for energy balls, snack pudding, and soaked oats to my website, www.roysmalley.us, along with a printable sheet of nutrition information that includes quick snack ideas and how to read a label — jump on and download a copy!
Healthy snacking habits might require a little planning, but the health benefits are well worth it. Remember: we don’t decide our future; we decide our habits, and our habits determine our future.