Piercing and Tattoo News

To snack or not to snack… that is the question. With apologies to Will Shakespeare, ask five people if snacking is “good or bad,” and I guarantee you’ll get five different answers. I’m not surprised that people are confused when it comes to snacking… most people are confused about whats the “best” diet. (I’ll tell you the answer to that question at the end of this article.)

For now, let’s talk about snacks… to snack or not to snack.

First, lets see if you can sort out the facts from the myths about eating and snacking. Take this short knowledge assessment:

a. True or False: Snacking makes you fat never eat between meals and youll stay slim.

b. True or False: “You should eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper?”

c. The whole idea of “dieting” is silly just stop eating and youll lose weight.

d. I cant eat snack foods, because I cant eat just one.

e. I only snack on organic foods, because they wont make me fat.

Here are the answers:

a. Trick question! Snacking can make you fat, but only if youre eating too much for your needs. I agree with Bill Phillips, who always tells his clients to eat smaller meals more often. Instead of the “three squares” a day, Bill advises eating six smaller meals, and calls the in-between meals “mid meals,” not snacks. When snacking becomes food that you eat beyond your bodys requirements, you wind up eating more than you need and in that way snacking will weigh you down.

b. Another trick question! There is no “right” way to eat for everyone. It really doesnt matter if you eat a large breakfast and a small dinner. The proverb may have its roots in the unfounded belief that when you eat is more important than what you eat. What counts is the total amount of calories for the day, whenever you eat them. That said, its better to eat smaller meals more frequently, as that promotes a healthy metabolism and helps you avoid hunger, which, after all, helps you control your appetite. And eating a large meal and lying down is not good for digestion.

c. Easy one — false! Although its true that if you stop eating, youll lose weight, its just as true that if you stop breathing and youll lose weight too… permanently! Neither is a good weight loss strategy. There is no doubt that fasting, also known as starving, will make you lose weight (and will give you a headache and make your hair fall out too) if you keep it up too long. When you fast, your metabolism goes all out of kilter, and slows to compensate for your lack of fuel, just the opposite of what youre looking for.

d. True and false… again. It depends on what youre snacking on. If youre the type who is tempted by crunchy salty snacks, I advise you to keep them out of sight. Those advertisements are true — for many people, one is never enough, theyre not finished until they eat the entire bag. So, make your snacks healthy: carrots and nonfat yogurt dip, a half sandwich, a fruit smoothie made with nonfat milk, fruit and ice all nutritious, delicious and have a definite and healthy conclusion.

e. False definitely. Organic refers to the way a food is grown, processed and distributed. There is no calorie bargain for organic foods. An organic chip has approximately the same nutritional value in terms of fat, protein, carbs and calories. You may think its healthier to eat organic foods and I agree — organically grown produce and meats, chicken and fish processed on organic grains and grown without pesticides and added chemicals and antibiotics are preferred, but you cannot eat them without paying attention to portions and balancing calories out (exercise) with calories in. A chip is a chip if its fried, itll be high in calories. Your body treats organically grown sugar and processed sugar exactly the same way and if you eat to excess, youll store it on your hips.

Here are my Top Tips for Smart Snacking

1. Grazing is good as long as you graze like a cow, and not like a hog. Cows limit themselves to grass and clover — hogs eat anything and everything. Im not saying you need to eat grass but green stuff is good… low in calories and high in fiber. Try snacking on slices of cucumber and yogurt dip (try nonfat yogurt mixed with chives and garlic). For variety try some baby carrots and sugar snap peas.

2. Snacking helps you eat less at your next meal. Eat a small “break the fast” meal first thing, before leaving the house. I like high-fiber unsweetened cereal and fruit with tea or coffee. Then mid-morning, have a small “mid meal” — a cup of yogurt and a fruit, or whole grain toast with nut butter or a fruit smoothie. Do the same between lunch and dinner, and youll take the edge off your appetite and be satisfied with less.

3. Think of snacking as a great way to get your “five.” Everyone needs at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, and some experts say thats just the bare minimum. You know all about fresh veggies, but try this quick and easy snack: microwave a half-bag of frozen broccoli or string beans, or other crunchy vegetable, and sprinkle with some butter granules and a grind of black pepper.

4. Dont feel deprived but be snack smart. Traditional snack foods can be healthier when you choose wisely. Say “no” to full-fat ice cream and “yes!” to nonfat ice cream, nonfat frozen yogurt and fudge bars — they only have about 60-80 calories apiece.

5. Fried potato and corn chips are dangerous, so lessen the load by sticking to baked chips, and portion out the chips so you stick to one serving. A tip to avoid temptation is to either buy the single portion-sized bags, or portion the chips out from the large bag into smaller, safer packages.

6. Meal replacement bars are often very high in sugar and calories, even if they say “natural.” If you like snack bars or cereal bars for a quick energy boost, choose bars that dont have sugar as the first or second ingredient.

Do You Know?
What is the best diet? That depends upon you. First, you need to remember that the word diet doesnt necessarily mean weight loss diet. Diet means, “The foods you usually eat,” as in a Mediterranean diet or a fast food diet. The best diet for you is the diet that keeps you trim, gives you energy, and that you can stick to… forever. You can lose weight on just about any weight loss program, but can you stick to that program forever? If not then consider the 19 programs we offer here at eDiets. Each of them is designed to change to provide the nutrition that you need to stay at the weight that youve chosen for your goal. Not everyone is here to lose weight many people want to maintain their weight and like the convenience of having a meal plan and menus laid out for them weekly, with a shopping list that tells them just what they need to buy weekly. Choose your best diet, and stay healthy!

Susan L. Burke, M.S., R.D., L.D., CDE is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian, and a Certified Diabetes Educator who specializes in both general and diabetes-related weight management.