The facts on snacks

Photography by Al Richardson

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In this month's issue

Eat in, eat out, eat well. Look for the taste liftout on Tuesdays in the Herald Sun, Courier Mail and Daily Telegraph, on Wednesdays in the Adelaide Advertiser, and in Perth’s Sunday Times.

Is snacking the key to a healthy diet? The answer is not as simple as you may think. Cut through the confusion with Dr Rosemary Stanton's guide to the tempting world of snacks.

The popular idea that eating every 2-3 hours increases metabolic rate and burns kilojoules is based on a false interpretation of biochemistry.

It's true that a body deprived of food goes into "starvation mode" and cuts its energy use for metabolism and activity. However, this only comes into play when we haven’t eaten for about two days. It doesn't apply to skipping a mid-afternoon snack. So what are the real benefits – or drawbacks – of snacking?

To snack...

Snacking may help prevent indiscriminate binging. With long periods between eating, hunger may be so intense that we become much less discriminating about what we choose. Studies confirm that after fasting or skipping meals, most people go for starchy or fatty foods – they ignore vegetables!

A planned snack may help avoid late afternoon slump. It's normal for blood glucose levels to vary during the day and many women experience a drop around 5pm, although the levels are still usually within the normal range. A healthy snack (see right) around 3 or 3.30pm can tide you over this time and may help prevent a fall in concentration and a craving for sweets.

Planned snacks make it easier to avoid unplanned ones. If you've thought ahead and brought some fruit or a few nuts for a snack, it's easier to say no when a work colleague offers to pop out for muffins.

...or not to snack?

The more often we eat, the more we eat. Most Australian adults consume more than they need, unaware of their poor ability to judge appropriate quantities. Eating less often can reduce the number of errors.

Eating less often can reduce high blood fat levels. New research from the University of Missouri shows overweight women who had three meals rather than six half meals had lower levels of blood fats. Over time, the researchers estimate that avoiding snacks could reduce the risk of heart disease.

Eating too often removes normal signals of hunger and satiety. By eating every couple of hours, we don’t experience the usual effect of hormones produced in the intestine that tell us when to eat – and when to stop.

Be snack wise

Many snacks provide kilojoules, saturated fat, sugar or salt and are low in important nutrients.

A UK study reported that simply replacing one unhealthy daily snack, such as chips, a chocolate bar, cake or a pastry, with a healthier snack – fresh or dried fruit, nuts or seeds – cut saturated fat and salt enough to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

If you prefer to eat "small and often", remember that the "small" is usually more important than the "often". A healthy snack generally has about 250-350kJ – about what you'd get from a piece of fruit, a slice of raisin bread or 1/2 cup of low-fat yoghurt.

Healthy choices to suit your mood

Want something crunchy?

an apple
a carrot
celery with peanut butter or ricotta
rice cakes with hummus or avocado

Want something munchy?

nuts – any kind, perhaps with pepitas or sunflower seeds
wholegrain toast with peanut butter or a little honey
raisin toast
cereal, such as Weetbix or Vita Brits

Want something sweet?

baked apple – stuff a cored apple with raisins and microwave on high for 2 minutes
any fresh fruit
dried fruit, such as prunes, dried apple or dried apricots
frozen peeled banana or frozen grapes
low-fat yoghurt with vanilla or fruit

Want something wet?

iced water, with a slice of lime or lemon
freshly squeezed vegetable juice, such as carrot, celery, beetroot and tomato
homemade smoothie – blend low-fat milk with frozen berries or banana, a spoonful of yoghurt and ice cubes