Snacking is now part and parcel of modern day lifestyles – and indeed can be just what the body needs in today’s fast paced world where smaller, more frequent eating occasions are the norm.

So, what is a healthy snack?

Nutritionists say that there are no good and bad foods, but there are good and bad diets. Science has proven that snacks contribute valuable nutrients to the diet and that the key to healthy snacking is variety.

Managing weight

Many nutritionists believe that the real reason for the rise in obesity is not because we’re eating more, but because we are less active. So, if energy balance is the key factor in controlling our weight, this means that:

Energy in equals energy out = weight maintenance
Energy in exceeds energy out = weight gain
Energy in is less than energy out = weight loss

Get into the habit of reading the nutrition label on snacks. Many snacks foods now carry information on Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA). This gives a quick at-a-glance indication of how much or how little of a particular nutrient you should be aiming to eat in a day, compared to how much is in the product.

Good snacks for people watching their weight are:

• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Dried fruit
• Oatcakes and wholemeal crackers
• Toast, thinly spread with reduced-fat spread
• Wholegrain breakfast cereals
• Cereal bars
• Lower fat biscuits eg plain or fig rolls
• Low fat yoghurts
• Fruit smoothies
• Keep hunger pangs at bay by snacking on oatcakes, yoghurts, milk-based smoothies and nuts.

Boosting brain power

The brain is the body’s most active organ. It accounts for 2% of body weight, yet burns as much as 20% of the energy needed each day. But because it can’t store energy, it needs a constant glucose supply from the blood stream.

This explains why those who skip breakfast are running their brains on ‘low power’ and may feel tired or lose concentration by mid-morning and is particularly important for school children, whose attention span and learning can be affected if the brain is starved of carbohydrate foods.

Eat a carbohydrate-rich snack (which is a good source of glucose) between meals to boost memory and performance of mentally-demanding tasks.

Snacks to smile about

Scientists now believe that many factors play an influencing role in dental decay. These include type of food, how often it is eaten, the length of time the food stays in the mouth, its nutrient content and the potential of food to stimulate the flow of saliva.

Tooth-friendly snacking habits:

• Chew sugar-free gum for 20 minutes after meals to stimulate the production of saliva which helps neutralise acids which can attack the teeth.
• Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yoghurt are rich in calcium which helps protect the minerals in teeth. Eat them at the end of a meal can help neutralise acids.
• Each time you eat or sip a drink containing carbohydrates, plaque bacteria on the teeth start to produce harmful acid. Give your teeth a rest by limiting your snacking habits to certain times of the day, rather than nibbling constantly.

Heart of the matter

People who eat a regular pattern of meals and snacks tend to have lower cholesterol levels than those who eat larger less frequent meals.

Studiesshow that people who eat six times a day or more have 5% lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels than those who eat only once or twice a day. (A 5% reduction in cholesterol is equivalent to a 10-12% fall in the risk of developing heart disease.)

So, today’s trend for eating smaller, more frequent meals and snacks could be more healthier than eating one or two large meals, provided there is a balance of the five main food groups - fruit, vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Snack wise tips

1. Don’t use snacks as a substitute for proper meals – a balance of both works best.
2. Don’t get into a rut by eating the same snacks everyday.
3. Plan ahead and make sure your fridge and cupboards contain a range of snacks
4. Try 5 portions of fruit and/or vegetables each day. If you can’t meet this target at meal times, boost intake by eating fruit and or vegetable snacks.
5. Plan snacks a regular intervals, rather than grazing throughout the day.
6. Choose from fruit, vegetables, cakes, yoghurts, crisps, biscuits, sandwiches, cereal bars, chocolate and confectionery.

Did you know?

1. The body needs over 40 different nutrients. No single food or food group can provide every nutrient, which is why we need to eat a variety of different foods every day.
2. Nutritionists recommend you eat foods from the five main food groups each day (fruit, vegetables, wholegrain carbohydrates, protein and fat) and snacks can help boost your intake of these food groups.
3. Evidence suggests that eating three regular meals and three small snacks is best for controlling weight and cholesterol levels.
4. Snack type foods provide around one-eighth of adults energy intake and one fifth of energy intake of children and young adults.
5. Biscuits, buns, cakes and pastries contribute around 9% of the intake of magnesium, copper and vitamin D and 5% of calcium and phosphorus.

To find out more about how you and your family can snack healthily, contact the BCCCA for a free copy of ‘Snacking…it’s common sense’ booklet by writing to the Biscuit Cake Chocolate & Confectionery Association, 6 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JJ or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .