What is Snacking?

Snacking refers to the consumption of food or beverages between main meals, i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner, or eating a light meal. Snacking happens because there is a need to reduce hunger before the meal hour without exceeding the daily calorie need. Snacking is not eating to satiety but rather it is a stopgap and, depending on what you choose, it might actually make you hungrier later. Snacking can become a concern when it exceeds your daily energy requirements while providing little nutrients, contributing to weight gain and other health-related problems. This includes snacking on foods with low nutritional qualities such as high-fat, and/or added sugars, and low-fiber. However, healthy snacking such as eating low-fat foods, high-protein snacks like energy bars, or smaller meals would not result in weight gain, but rather boost your intake of fibers and antioxidants that promote health. Fiber-rich snacks are also said to enhance satiety (feeling of fullness after eating) and avoid consumption during the next meal. An ideal snack is one that is nutrient-dense with low amounts of calories, sugar and salt. Hence, the type and amount of snacks consumed in a day are crucial factors to determine the effect of snacking on your health and body weight. Apart from the type or amount of snacks, lifestyle can contribute to snacking habits. Studies have shown that television viewing and playing video games are often associated with snacking. Sedentary lifestyles especially in the urban setting have caused easy access to foods and beverages of poor nutritional quality. This also results in little consumption of fruits and vegetables.

How It Affects Your Body

Consumption of snacks does not usually affect your body weight when done in moderation. However, frequent snacking will cause a person to consume more calories than what is needed. If the body is unable to burn these excess calories quickly, it can result in weight gain.

Apart from being overweight, snacking frequently may also result in water retention and raised blood pressure due to high intake of salt, which are commonly found in most snacks. In addition, eating too much sugary or sweetened snacks may also cause a rise in blood sugar levels that is often associated with type II diabetes.