Should you snack?
Just in time for national nutrition month, the CDC published new findings on the rate of obesity in the U.S.- which topped 30% for the first time ever. One of the possible contributions to our ever increasing weight is snacking. Snacking can be a healthy addition to a daily meal plan, helping to moderate hunger and prevent overeating at meals. However, eating can become an all-day activity when it is not limited to meal times. Many people never feel satisfied when eating small frequent meals.
In addition, the definition of snack food has been changing; increasingly higher calorie foods and larger quantities of food are now being consumed by many Americans between meals. Food manufactures are responding with increasing options of hand held foods or “grab and go” items that can be eaten on the run or in the car and sold in convenience stores, gas stations, vending machines or drug stores. These are typically high in sugar, fat and salt and constructed out of highly refined carbohydrates; all of which contribute to the metabolic dysfunction that increases risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. There is also a trend away from sugary snacks, towards more salty snack foods and “healthy” snacks like yogurt (don’t be deceived, many yogurts have just as much added sugar as candies).
In the end, you need to decide if snacking helps you maintain your energy and health or results in over-consumption. What’s your experience?
Happy eating!
Jason
San Francisco Free Clinic Dietitian 