More Snacks = a Healthier Diet

Snack yourself healthy? Could it be true? Yes!

A new national eating trends report found more snacks = a healthier diet.

The report, Snacking in America, was conduced by The NPD Group, and reported in the Huffington Post, suggests new habits around snacking are emerging.

One in every five eating occasions is a snack, but that there’s been a shift away from sodas, sweets and salty snacks to more healthful choices like yogurt, cereal bars and fruit. In fact, the least healthy eaters snacked, on average, about half as much as the healthiest eaters.  Morning snacks are the healthiest and other good news suggests that 80% of snacks are actually planned in advance.

I snack every day (usually 2x per day) and try to stick to a few rules: my snacks should come from foods I need more of like fruits, veggies and lean proteins and be limited to up to 150 calories. I usually have a mid-am and afternoon snack but never snack after dinner.  I also never snack in front of the TV and I try to not snack at my desk.

Bottom line: snacks can help you stick to a healthy diet….as long as your snacks are nutritional-all-stars.

For our snacking guidelines, be sure to check out our 10 Best Slimming Snacks below. For our favorite snacks and what other dietitians eat for their nibbles and noshes, read this.