All about Snacking

Do Americans snack a lot? How much? Which is better--to limit oneself to 3 square meals a day or to snack?  What are some common mistakes Americans make when choosing snacks?  This article will provide answers to these questions, and some of the answers may surprise you.

How much do Americans snack?

A lot. You probably won't be surprised to learn that snacking has increased in recent years. Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter says that (according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) "the average number of eating occasions per day has jumped from 3.9 in the late 1970s to 5.6 in the 2009-2010 figures."  In the 1970s, 40% of respondents said they'd eaten no snacks the preceding day.  Now, that number is down to 4%.  Moreover, 56% of recent respondents reported eating 3 or more snacks daily.

To look at snacking another way, today the average person gets about 500 calories per day from snacks, according to the NHANES study quoted above.  This isn't far from the 580 calorie count that a 2011 Purdue University study attributed to daily snacks. According to the Purdue study, from 1977 to 1978, men consumed about 261 calories per day in snacks and women 186.  By 1994 to 1996, the figures were 501 for men and 346 for women.  The Purdue 2011 study also showed that calories from drinks rose; the people studied consumed about half their snack calories from beverages.  (I guess juice bars and Starbucks deserve some credit for this statistic.)

According to a 2012 report published by the consumer research company NPD Group, snacks account for about 20% of a person's daily eating occasions.

Is snacking good or bad?

Now this may surprise you: NPD's Snacking in America: The changing role of snack foods in America (report excerpts) says, "The healthier our eating habits, the more frequently we snack between meals.  In fact, those following a 'most healthy' diet eat a wider variety of healthy snacks such as fruit, yogurt, and bars."

What are Americans snacking on?

Guess what?  In its article referencing the NPD study, Nation's Restaurants News (NRN) says, "Fresh fruit is not only the most frequently consumed snack in the country, it's also one of the fastest-growing snacks in popularity."  Who's eating all this fruit? Senior citizens consume more fresh fruit than any other age group.  Since they're a rapidly expanding group, it shouldn't surprise anyone that fruit is the first choice of more and more people. Nation's Restaurant News reports that the most popular fruits on menus are lemons, oranges, apples, pineapple, and strawberries.

What snacks come next?  Chocolate is #2 and potato chips #3.  Well, chocolate, if it's dark chocolate consumed in small amounts, is actually healthy.  (See "The Latest Good News about Chocolate" for details.)  We have no defense for potato chips. We only hope that those folks chomping on chips are choosing lower-fat or lower-salt varieties.

When do we do most of our snacking?

According to the NPD research, most snacking occurs in the evening (in front of the TV, we'd guess).  However, the number of snacks eaten in both the afternoon and evening has not gone up in recent years.  Morning snacks are the ones that have increased most. 

What mistakes do people make when choosing snacks?

Kari Kool, a registered dietician, is concerned about the "health halo" that food labels give certain products that are not really healthful.  Here are the warnings she listed in a press release put out by Methodist Hospital in Houston, which recommends a healthy dose of skepticism:

Vegetable chips:  The name and the marketing implies that they're healthful, but the nutrition labels greatly resemble potato chips.  What happened to the vegetables?  Most of their nutrients were destroyed in processing.

Muffins: The sprinkling of oats decorating the top and/or the few blueberries tucked inside don't make them any healthier than a cupcake. Giant-size muffins contain 500-600 calories, a huge amount for a snack.

Commercial premade smoothies: This is another product "loaded with sugar and calories."  If you make your own smoothies--with low-fat Greek yogurt, skim milk, and fresh fruit--they'll be lower in calories and more healthful.

Frozen yogurt: Unlike regular yogurt, the frozen stuff can't aid your digestion. Kool explains: "Many of the live and active cultures added to frozen yogurt cannot survive freezing, so you won't get any probiotic benefits." 

The message is this:  Don't assume that products shouting "sugar-free," "fat-free," or "whole wheat" are necessarily more nutritious snacks.  Sometimes when a manufacturer cuts down on fat, the salt or sugar content is increased to improve the taste.  Check the ingredients label before you buy!

A recent Chicago Tribune article questions the good-health claims of fruit juice drinks, including smoothies.  Here's how the article begins: "The marketing for freshly-pressed and blended juices promises instant energy, weight loss, a flood of vitamins and minerals--all in a single, portable gulpable serving."

But any dietitian or nutrition scientist will tell you that you're better off eating rather than drinking your fruit.  American adults consume only half the recommended daily amount of fiber (25-38 grams).  Diets higher in fiber are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease as well as lower body weight. Many of the nutrients and most of the fiber are lost when the pulp and the skin are removed before making the juice. Eat an apple instead of drinking apple juice.

Smoothies contain fiber since the skin of the fruit goes into the mix.  But commercially-made fruit smoothies usually have a ton of sugar, which nobody needs.  On the other hand, vegetable-based juices or vegetable smoothies do get a nod of approval from most health advocates.  However, vegetable drinks you buy rather than make in your own juicer may be loaded with salt.  Regular V8 juice, for example, has 650 milligrams of salt in an 8-oz serving.  Choose the low-sodium version, which has only 140 mg. 

One point in defense of juices: it's better to get the nutrients in fruits and vegetables from juices than not get them at all. Federal dietary guidelines say that 4 oz. of 100% fruit juice is equivalent to 1/2 cup of fresh fruit.  Adults are urged to eat 1 1/2 - 2 cups of fruit and 2 1/2 - 3 cups of vegetables every day. For some adults, that's difficult to do.  Fruit juice can substitute in part. 

Caveat: Remember that 2.4 grams of sugar = 1 teaspoon. Check the sugar content of juices before you buy them.  You'll be surprised.  For example, the 8 oz. bottle of 100% pomegranate juice that I looked at recently (because it's touted as a great health food) contained 32 grams of sugar! Many kids seem to be addicted to apple juice and would be happy to make it their exclusive beverage. However, 8 oz. of Motts original apple juice contains 28 grams of sugar. Many sneaky and wise mothers dilute it with 1/3 - 1/2 cup of water. 

Eating healthful snacks isn't easy with so many foods around that tempt people to do otherwise.  But assert your willpower and say "No, thanks" to snacks such as the huge $5 bacon butterscotch doughnut created by the Chicago restaurant Nightwood. 

What should kids be taught about snacking?

For tips on teaching kids to snack safely and healthfully when they're on their own, go to "Are Your Kids Home Alone After School?"

Source(s): 

npd.com "Snacking in America: The changing role of snacks in America" 

https://www.npd.com/lps/pdf/The_NPD_Groups_Snacking_in_America-Report_Excerpts.pdf

nrn.com (Nation's Restaurant News) "Study: Fruit is America's favorite snack"

http://nrn.com/what039s-hot/study-fruit-america-s-favorite-snack

Tufts University Health&Nutrition Letter "Newsbites: Americans Snacking More Than Ever," August 2013.

Tufts University Health&Nutrition Letter"Newsbites: Americans Snacking More Than Ever" August 2013.

consumer.healthday.com "Skepticism Needed When Buying Foods Labeled 'Healthy': Expert"

http://consumer.healthday.com/vitamins-and-nutritional-information-27/dietary-fat-health-news-301/healthy-dose-of-skepticism-needed-when-food-shopping-expert-677235.html

Chicago Tribune "What's in that 'healthy' drink?" July 24, 2013.

Consumer Reports on Health "On Your Mind: Juicing vs. whole vegetables" October 2013.

latimes.com "We may be snacking more, but those extra calories might not be causing obesity"

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jun/22/news/la-heb-snacks-20110622