Just One Little Snack….

As a child growing up, my favorite snacks were always Little Debbie treats (pictured above). I still love them on the rare occasion that I eat one, but my tastes have evolved over the decades. I am one-quarter Hungarian so I have a love of all things pastry: cakes, pies, tarts, you name it! Unfortunately, there are times (often) when I do not make the wisest choices when it comes to snacking. In this, I am not alone.

A recent study published by PLOS (Public Library of Science) Global Public Health concludes that Americans consume 400-500 calories per day in snacks; this is the equivalent of a meal’s worth of energy and accounts for about 20% of total caloric intake. The research involved 23,700 adults over the age of 30.

To break down the report, Americans consume two snacks per day; most often those snacks are of poor nutritional quality. The largest proportion of these snacks are those high in carbs, sugar and fats such as potato chips and donuts (yum); this is followed by sweets, alcoholic bevarages, and sugary drinks. Sadly, fruits and vegetables make up less that 5% of the total snacking, and protein only about 8%. Interestingly, individuals with controlled Type 2 Diabetes ate more healthfully compated to non-diabetics; this is most likely attributed to their efforts to control blood sugar levels through diet.

A separate study in the European Journal of Nutrition showed that those who eat unhealthy snacks may actually be undoing the good that comes from eating healthy/nutritious meals.

What does this mean for us? We should be more aware of the kinds of snacking that we do. Of course, a Little Debbie now and again is not the end of the world. Consistent unhealthy noshing, however, can lead to all kinds of health problems. When we think about our overall diet, perhaps we should focus not on the fact that we feel the need to snack (that is natural), but rather on the kinds of snacks we consume. Let’s aim to switch out an Oatmeal Creme Pie for some carrots and celery, or some blueberries, or a banana….