Are Snacks Useful?

It would seem that how snacks can contribute to weight loss, especially when studies confirm that consuming more calories is at risk of being overweight. However, despite the fact that an excess of calories is really not the best friend for a healthy weight, the problem may not lie in the snacking habit itself , but in the products we choose for it, especially if it is high-calorie food that does not really give a feeling of satiety. The right snacks can help keep weight under control, if you choose healthy products that provide the body with the necessary nutrients and give a feeling of satiety and satisfaction.

Let's find out what they are - the right snacks , and what are their benefits.

Snacks prevent excessive hunger

If you have 5 or more hours between lunch and dinner, a snack is definitely beneficial. If you are too hungry (that is, you try to make it from lunch to dinner, and there is a lot of time between them), as a result, this risks excessive hunger, which often leads to overeating and hasty consumption of food , which reduces the benefits and pleasure.

If the breaks between main meals are long, it is better to think about a hearty snack . It should contain proteins and/or fats, fiber. For example, an apple with 1-2 tbsp. peanut paste, ¼ cup of nuts, 2 slices of cheese or 50-100 g of beef or turkey jerky.

Snacks help maintain stable blood sugar levels

Healthy snacks can help you lose weight by stabilizing your blood sugar. By preventing an excessive drop in sugar between meals , you help your body respond more adequately to insulin. When there is a spike in insulin after a hearty meal or a large amount of carbohydrates, it can promote fat storage more than if you eat regularly in moderate portions.

Snacks help you last until the next meal

Snacks are not necessarily designed to fill you up well, their main task is to prevent excessive hunger during the next meal . Nutrient-rich foods that contain fiber and protein help keep you from feeling too hungry until lunch or dinner. And if you don't feel ravenous hunger, it's much easier to control the portion size and make a choice in favor of healthy dishes.

Snack on an apple and cheese, a natural granola bar with nuts, Greek yogurt with berries, a slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter, or vegetables with hummus and almonds.

Snacks help burn calories

Snacks support the metabolism, so the body burns calories instead of storing them. The main thing is to replace products with a high sugar content with healthier options. For example: rice cakes with low-fat cream cheese and cucumber, homemade granola, egg roll with turkey, avocado, and lettuce, vegetables and hummus, oatmeal smoothies, etc.

Snacks prevent mindless chewing

Feeling hungry between meals increases the temptation to grab something to munch on while you work, study, or do other things. And often the choice falls on high-calorie, low-nutrient, sweet snacks . This is a bad habit. If you plan snacks with healthy products at a certain time, this, on the contrary, will contribute to good health and weight loss. Choose food rich in proteins, unsaturated fats and fiber - it will help satisfy hunger and provide the body with energy.

Walnuts, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help maintain satiety and pleasure from eating , are good for this purpose . Boiled eggs are also a good option, as they contain enough protein and many vitamins and minerals in the yolk. They are easy to prepare and take with you, and can be supplemented with vegetables or fruits.

Snacks provide energy

If there are long breaks between meals , it can affect working capacity, because people often feel sleepy and weak when they are hungry. The right snacks can help keep energy levels steady throughout the day. For this, snacks should be properly distributed between lunch/dinner or other snacks — for an average person, this is 3-5 hours. And, again, food should contain the right balance of carbohydrates and protein (or fat) to maintain energy levels and satiety, not the other way around.

Favorite snacks that do well with this task are already known apple with peanut paste, hummus with vegetables or whole grain breads, as well as Greek yogurt with berries.

Snacks help you get more nutrients

Healthy snacks are an excellent way to provide the body with more nutrients that ensure the harmonious functioning of the entire body. However, this definitely applies only to properly thought-out snacks . A combination of fruits and vegetables or whole grains containing fiber with proteins and healthy fats is a winning option.