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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 21 December 2015

What to do when the munchies strike and you feel like snacking? Hear it from Registered Dietitian and Diabetes Educator Ujjwala Baxi.

One of the questions I ask my clients is: How often do you snack and what do you choose to snack on?

A client, Mrs. Juneja (name changed) complained of weight gain of 5 kg in 2 months since starting her job. On interviewing her, it became clear that more than her main meals, her snacks, along with her sedentary desk job, were contributing to her weight problem. 

Satiating her 5pm hunger pangs was a daily battle that she was losing, as she would give in and snack on unhealthy options at the cafeteria. The daily samosas, puffs, biscuits, cappuccino or fruit juices were adding nearly 400 calories to her diet every day. And, what was worse, she felt hungrier after consuming these items.

We are snacking a lot more than we used to.

The US-based National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data shows that between 1977-1978 and 2007-2008, the percentage of adults who snacked increased from 59% to 90%. In 1977-1978, 73% of adults snacked only once daily or not at all. In 2007-2008, almost two-thirds of adults snacked two or more times daily, contributing an average of 24% of total daily calories (586 kcal for men and 421 kcal for women). 

According to a cross-sectional study of 4,259 obese men and women and 1,092 subjects used as a reference population, nearly one in six adults obtain more than 40% of their total daily calories from snacks. 

Increasing obesity and associated diseases continue to be a problem. Possible reasons for this trend include:

  • Easy access to affordable, ready-to-eat foods such as snacky foods and fast foods, which tend to contain more fat and fewer vegetables
  • Busy lifestyles that lead families to eat out at restaurants and fast food outlets or order in. 
  • A significant increase in the proportion of adults with an excess of energy intake. This increase in energy intake can be attributed to larger portions of meals being consumed and/or increased frequency of snacking.

What are you snacking on? 

Do any of these sound familiar? French fries, cream buns, bread rolls, croissants, pastries, chips, nachos, samosas, curry puffs, sandwiches, cheese balls, biscuits with tea, cookies, vadapav, bhujia, mixtures etc. 

These are all foods that will make you gain weight, lead to lethargy and decreased immunity. 
My clients, who enjoy their tea with 5-6 biscuits, ask: What difference can a few biscuits make? To which I say: Cut down on the number of biscuits and see for yourself. 

How to manage snack attack

  1. Be aware of when it will strike
    Mid-morning? After work? Late night? Know when you usually feel most hungry and crave snacks. If you feel hungry when it is neither your meal time nor snack time, you may just be dehydrated, stressed or need sleep. 
     
  2. Treat the cause:
    For example, if the cause is dehydration, drink a glass of water or two, instead of reaching for snacks.
     
  3. Be prepared
    Remember, when hunger strikes, even a wise mind loses its sanity. So survey the options at the cafeteria and plan what you will eat as snack. If your office canteen does not have healthier options, then look for something close to your office. Eg, Bhel without sev (prepared under good hygiene standards) is a better choice than a samosa. Rojak is better than curry puff or chicken nuggets.
     
  4. Train your mind to look for nutritious items rather than fried and high-calorie foods
    For example, opt for no-sugar or low-sugar soy drinks instead of cream-based thick shakes. Choose whole fruits rather than fruit juice. For instance, unsweetened soy milk contains only 80 calories, compared to 120 calories from sweetened soy milk which contains 12g of sugar.
     
  5. Take Snack Power into your hands
    This is something that I follow diligently and advise all my clients to practise. If you cannot find healthier options around your workplace, then buy them in bulk and stock them in the office or carry with you. This is lighter on the pocket and the calories. For example, make a trail mix of dried fruits and nuts. (See recipe below)
     
  6. Avoid mindless snacking
    Don’t eat mindlessly while watching TV. You are absent-minded and unaware of how much you are eating and how many calories you have consumed. 
     
  7. Consume your major meal instead
    This is the most important point. Many people eat a snack at 6.30-7 pm and push their dinner to 9 pm, which is not a good idea. Instead of having a snack after returning from work, have dinner. Having an early dinner is one way of sleeping with a lighter stomach when most of the food has been digested.
     
  8. If you have a meeting scheduled at lunch time, have your lunch before the meeting.
    This stops you from having a snack before the meeting and you feel bright and alert at the meeting. 

Healthy snacks that will keep you full 

  • Choose high-protein snacks, such as low-fat and fat-free yoghurt, low-fat cottage cheese, reduced-fat cheese, nuts, and hard-boiled eggs. Protein leaves you more satisfied than carbohydrates or fats.
  • Select snacks from more than one food group (eg, carrot sticks and yoghurt; apples and peanut butter; reduced-fat cheese and whole-grain crackers) rather than single-item snacks (eg, cheese, crackers, yoghurt) to consume a wider variety of nutrients.
  • Think outside the snack box and eat breakfast foods, such as cereal and skim milk or scrambled eggs and toast, or leftovers from dinner, including glazed carrots, vegetable stew, or lentil soup.
  • Choose snacks that contribute to recommended food groups, such as low-fat and fat-free yoghurt, whole-grain breads and crackers, and fruits and vegetables.
  • Carry a box of fresh blueberries or a banana to your office and eat them on your way home.
  • Stock up on buttermilk cans instead of coffee cans or soda.

Even though you choose to snack healthily, you still need to know your limit. For example:

  • While choosing the right cereal bar, make sure to read the label and choose one that is lowest in sugar and number of unnatural additives. Consider honey as a sugar. 
  • In case of biscuits, limit to 1-2. Even if they are high-fibre crackers or digestive biscuits, no more than 3-4. 
  • Sweetened beverages found in tetrapack should be limited as well. Not only are they high in sugar, they are lined with a chemical called BPA (Biosphenol A), which can be hazardous to health.

Here’s a simple snack idea that you can make at home. It has essential fatty acids and nutrients and it will keep you full for a long time:

  • Make a trail mix of pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds along with some nuts like cashews, and add flavour with a pinch of salt and herbs.
    This ready-in-minutes quick-munch recipe can be made in bulk and stored. If you make a lot, put it in the fridge to prevent the oils in the seeds from turning rancid.

References
Sebastian RS, Wilkinson Enns C, Goldman JD. Snacking Patterns of U.S. Adults: What We Eat in America, NHANES 2007-2008. Food Surveys Research Group Dietary Data Brief No. 4. June 2011.http://ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12355000/pdf/DBrief/4_adult_snacking_0708.pdf
http://pacifichealthsummit.org/downloads/Obesity%20Prevention%20and%20Control%20Efforts%20in%20Singapore%20-%202008%20Case%20Study.pdf