Healthy Snacking

May 2021

From “That will ruin your appetite.” to “Snacking after 8:00PM is bad for you.”, snacking has gotten a reputation for causing weight gain. But does snacking actually cause weight gain? Current peer-reviewed studies are inconclusive on whether snacking causes weight gain and have even determined benefits to snacking such as more stable blood glucose levels and can help individuals obtain their daily vitamins and minerals. You can have snacks in your diet and still lose weight as long as you:

1. Include the calories from those snacks into your daily totals.
2. Mindfully eat your snacks to allow your brain time to process what you have eaten.
3. Choose nutrient-dense snacks over non-nutritious options.

By including the calories from your snacks into your daily calorie total you will prevent yourself from eating excess calories and therefore prevent weight gain. Examples of how you can incorporate your snacks into your daily calorie totals are listed below.

Provided below is a table of different healthy food combinations you can create to make a low-calorie, nutrient-dense snack. If you are on a balanced macronutrient diet, choose one item from each column and try to refrain from picking more than one option from a single column (with the exception of adding fruits and vegetables to your snack):

Before snacking, always ask yourself the question, “Why do I want to snack right now?”. Is it because you are genuinely hungry or if it is because you are bored? If you are not hungry, refrain from eating the snack unless it is in your current meal plan. Snacking can be a great asset to your lifestyle diet and keep you from falling victim to cravings caused by hunger. As long as you incorporate the calories into your meal plan, embrace snacking. It is DELICIOUS!