In 2008, the United States consumed 68.1 billion dollars worth of prepackaged snack foods, according to the reports by the consumer group Packaged Foods and reported by "The New York Times." Snacking is a big business and it is a regular part of many people's lives. Snack foods range from pre-packed and processed foods to raw produce and legumes.
Basics
Snack foods come in a variety of forms such as beverages, chips, crackers, nutritionally rich foods, candy and sweets. What types of snacks you choose to consume will determine how snack food affects your life. Eating a snack every day that adds 100 more calories than you need to your diet will result in you gaining 10 pounds of weight over a year, according to David Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center, as cited by CNN Health website. Therefore, it is valuable to change your daily eating to incorporate the calories from snack foods.
Benefits
Choosing your snacks correctly can be beneficial to your overall health. Snacking is often used as a tool for weight loss. Snacking throughout the day can help keep your metabolism up and your energy levels stable. The key is to choose healthy snacks and have them readily available to you; this will help you resist the urge to turn to unhealthy snacks. Also, healthy snacking can help you ensure that you get more of the vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants that you need from your diet. Healthy snacking breaks up your daily intake of fruits, vegetables and fiber rich foods and therefore, you will be more likely to consume increased amounts.
Considerations
Snacking is not beneficial to everyone. If you are someone who prefers to eat only three meals each day and this is a healthy option for you, then snacking might not be for you. If you eat snack foods, make sure to pay attention to your body and only eat if you are hungry. Eat snack foods between meals and keep the snacks between 100 and 200 calories or less. Make sure to eat smaller meals to compensate for the calories you consumed in the form of a snack food.
Tips
There are ways that you can make snacking a part of a healthy life style for both you and your children. Snacks should contain fruits, vegetables, whole grain products and protein. Stick to plant-based proteins such as nuts or fat-free animal proteins such as fat-free cheese. Always have healthy snacks on hand. Don't keep unhealthy snacks in your home or place of work. Serve water or fat free milk products with snack foods. Avoid calorie rich beverages such as sugary soda or high calorie coffee drinks.
Warning
Some snack foods that are processed and prepackaged are made with unhealthy trans fat. Even eating small amounts of trans fats can increase your risk of developing heart disease. It is important to read nutrition labels to determine if snack foods contain any amount of trans fats. Foods that may contain trans fats include crackers, chips, fast food and baked goods. Trans fats are contained in products such as vegetable shortening and some margarine. Avoid consuming snack foods that contain trans fats.
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