Thrive-Health Guide Southern West Virginia August 2020 - Page 4

Sensible
Snacking
ADVICE FOR HEALTHFUL EATING HABITS
By Connie Gottshall, MS, RDN, LD
We have become a nation of “nibblers.” According to
the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
(NHANES) data, between 1977-1978 and 2007-2008,
the percentage of adults who snacked regularly increased
from 59% to 90%. Snacking now accounts for
up to 25% of our daily caloric intake, and sometimes
replaces the evening meal. The favorites most sought
after in North America, reported by a 2014 Neilsen report,
are chips, chocolate and cheese. Fresh fruit landed
fifth in popularity.
It has become a popular notion that eating smaller,
more frequent meals, such as six small meals a day, is
a healthier approach than the traditional three square
meals per day. Many people believe that eating more
often may help keep their hunger under better control
and their metabolism revved up. Health experts
are concerned, however, that eating more frequently
promotes overeating and weight gain. Though research
is somewhat limited and often conflicting, the majority
of studies available suggest that eating more than three
times each day provides minimal, if any, advantage in
controlling appetite or the amount of food consumed.
Skipping meals altogether, on the other hand, may
make it difficult to control one’s appetite.
While the jury is still out as to whether eating smaller
amounts more often promotes weight loss, there are
medical conditions which may be adversely impacted
by an overly full stomach or large gaps between meals.
The following are situations when consuming less food
more often may be helpful or medically-indicated:
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), where
having a full stomach makes breathing more difficult;
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), usually signaled
by heartburn; gastric bypass surgery, especially
during the months right after surgery; gastroparesis
(delaying stomach emptying), often found in people
with diabetes; and reactive hypoglycemia, in which
blood sugar drops below normal (less than 70 mg/dL)
within two to four hours following a meal.
It is important to analyze why we feel the need to
snack. Is it due to hunger or is it a habit? In addition to
feeling that it is healthful to do so, people often snack
to satisfy cravings for sweet or salty foods, to boost
nutrient intake, to control weight, to pass the time,
or to deal with emotional upset. Increased exposure
to snack foods has no doubt led to more snacking in
this country; we are now bombarded at gas stations
and most stores with quick, convenient, “grab and go”
options such as granola bars, prepared smoothies, prepackaged
cheese and crackers, trail mix, and dried fruit
4 • THRIVE • AUGUST 2020