Holiday goodies from neighbors and friends lined up on the dining table; a groaning snack table at the New Year’s Eve party; an open bag of chips passed around while you’re watching football on TV: if you’re worried about holiday weight gain, this may be where your battle will be won or lost.
Yes, there are some major holiday feasts but only two or three over a two-week period–not enough to make a major change in your weight or eating patterns. If you get used to grabbing a cookie or a piece of candy each time you pass through the dining room, though, your stomach will come to expect similar treats...until you tell it otherwise.
Snacking has earned its bad name, but that doesn’t mean that all snacking will destroy your weight loss goals. Research on the issue is, in fact, divided.
In one USDA study, women ate 700 calories more than they thought because of thoughtless snacking. The XENDOS study found that obese persons were more frequent snackers than normal weight subjects. Another study found that teens who snacked tended to skip regular meals.
But no clear cause/effect relationship between snacking and weight gain has been established, and some studies suggest that snacking may actually help prevent weight gain by stabilizing blood sugar. While many weight loss programs discourage or forbid snacking, others, such as the Mayo Clinic Diet, incorporate snacks–or frequent meals–as a way to manage hunger and reduce the urge to binge.
Not When But How Much
The key is not so much when you eat but rather what you eat and how much. If you think you can best control your overall calorie intake by avoiding snacks, then do that. Otherwise, there are some commonly accepted strategies for snacking that may help rather than hinder your weight goals.
AVOID CALORIE-DENSE SNACKS. Holiday goodies may include candy, cookies and baked goods. Eat one, and you’re in the mood for more. Before you know it, you’ve consumed enough calories for a small meal.
The ideal snack should be about 100 to 200 calories–just enough to tide you over until the next meal. You don’t get much candy for that, and the concentrated sugar will cause a bounce in blood sugar and a rebound hunger all too quickly. If you can’t resist Aunt Elsie’s fudge, eat it after the meal rather than as a between-meal snack. Take a small piece and savor each bite.
FRUITS, VEGGIES ARE BETTER. One hazard of frequent snacking is that junk food can easily crowd out other foods, making it harder to get the necessary five servings a day of fruits and vegetables. Make fruits and vegetables your snack, and you win twice.
A piece of fruit such as an orange or a pear is filling, tasty and has only about 70 calories. As opposed to the empty calories of candy, fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients.
At holiday snack tables, you’re likely to see a tray of raw vegetables–carrots, cauliflower and broccoli–along with a spinach or artichoke dip. Go easy on the the dip, and you’re doing fine. Hummus, made from chick peas, is a better dip than those based on sour cream and cream cheese.
GO EASY ON SALTY CARBOHYDRATES such as chips and pretzels. Do you remember the old advertising slogan, “You can’t eat just one”? You know that’s all too true.
The extra salt is part of the habituating effect, and it’s not good for your blood pressure or cardiovascular system. And the chips, as simple carbohydrates, go through the digestive system quickly, leaving you hungry again all too soon.
NUTS ARE A BETTER CHOICE–arguably the best choice for a healthy snack. Nuts will satisfy your desire for a savory snack while providing a healthy balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate that should not trigger an excessive release of insulin.
Each nut has its own nutritional profile. Walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids; Brazil nuts are one of the best sources of selenium. Almonds and hazelnuts are lowest in saturated fat, but all nuts are beneficial to cardiovascular health. In addition to providing fiber and healthy fats, nuts are high in L-arginine, a substance that makes arteries more supple.
Nuts were once banned from weight loss plans because of their high fat content, but it’s now known that the fat in nuts is mostly the healthy monounsaturated kind that helps lower cholesterol.
Even monounsaturated fat is relatively high in calories, however, so it’s important to exercise some self restraint at the nut bowl. Some studies have found that persons who snack on nuts are less likely than others to gain weight, perhaps because the protein and fat make you feel fuller longer.
If you’re buying nuts for your snack table, consider unsalted or lightly salted mixed nuts. A covering of chocolate, sugar or salt can cancel out many of the health benefits of the nut inside.
GO FOR THE WHOLE GRAIN. When there are crackers on the snack table, at least some of them are likely to be whole grain, and these are the best choices not only for good health but weight control. For a delicious, low calorie snack, try four whole wheat crackers with thin slices of a low-fat cheese such as Mozzarella. Popcorn is 100 percent whole grain and a perfect snack as long as you go easy on the butter and salt.
Whole grains are slower to digest, and studies have found that they tend to discourage weight gain by increasing the efficiency of insulin. A diet high in whole grains is associated with a lower level of diabetes.
TAKE IT EASY. High-fiber foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans make good snacks because they pass through your system slowly. Do your part by eating slowly.
Remember that your brain lags about 20 to 30 minutes behind your stomach in telling you how full you are. Choose your foods carefully, making sure you have snack items that will satisfy your hunger and provide energy and nutrients. Savor each bite and quit when you’ve had enough.
REFERENCES:
Didier Chapelot, “The role of snacking in energy balance: a biobehavioral approach, Journal of Nutrition, January, 2011.
S. Drummond, N. Crombie and T. Kirk, “A critique of the effects of snacking on body weight status,” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December, 1996.
Tamar Haspel, “Healthy snacks for dieters,” Women’s Health.
A. Kong, et al, “Associations between snacking and weight loss and nutrient intake among postmenopausal overweight to obese women in dietary weight-loss intervention,” Journal of the American Dietetic Association, December, 2011.
Shelley Levitt, “Pig out! Drop 10 pounds by snacking,” NBC News.com, 2012.
Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, “10 ways to have that snack and lose weight,” WebMD Weight Loss Clinic, reviewed by Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, January 10, 2003.
Mayo Clinic Staff, “Snacks: how they fit into your weight-loss plan,” MayoClinic.com, May 25, 2012.
Mayo Clinic Staff, “Nuts and your heart: eating nuts for heart health,” MayoClinic.com, February 4, 2011.
“Mid-morning snacking may sabotage weight-loss efforts,” Science Daily, November 28, 2011.
Kimberly Hayes Taylor, “Overweight people eat fewer meals than others,” Reuters Health, November 18, 2011.
10/01/2012
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