Should You Snack for Weight Loss?

Several studies have revealed that approximately 97 percent of Americans snack, and that this is a behavior that's shared across all age groups. But are snacks good for us?

A new study out of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and reported in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that timing is everything when it comes to weight loss and snacking between meals.

A Yearlong Study

The researchers followed 123 post-menopausal women, ages 50 to 75 years, all from the Seattle area, over a 12-month-long period. Based on their weights, the women were assigned to either the "overweight" category or the "obese" category.

The researchers counseled all participants about nutrition, but did not give any specific recommendations regarding snacking. For the purposes of the study, a snack was characterized as any food or drink that one consumes between meals.

Diets of 1,200 Calories to 2,000 Calories a Day Assigned

Depending on a participant's weight at the start of the study, each woman was prescribed a caloric range of from 1,200 calories to 2,000 calories per day during the course of the study. The women recorded what they ate, as well as the time of day of meals. They also recorded the amounts of the fiber, fruits, and vegetables they consumed, as well as the percentage of calories they got from fat.

A snack between breakfast and lunch? Maybe not.

The researchers found that those subjects who consumed a healthy breakfast, but who then did not eat a snack between breakfast and lunch, lost an average of 11 percent of their baseline weight, whereas those who ate the same kind of breakfast, but who did consume a snack between breakfast and lunch, lost just 7 percent of their baseline weight.

A snack between lunch and dinner? Maybe.

The scientists got further evidence of the importance of a snack's timing when they noted that subjects who snacked in the afternoon, between lunch and dinner, lost more weight--and tended to consume more fruits and vegetables--than did those who did not snack between lunch and dinner.

These results, said the researchers, suggest that a snack's timing is important, since the women who snacked too close to lunch or those who skipped an afternoon snack were less successful in their weight-loss efforts.

Types of Snacks

Besides a snack's timing, the type of snack also mattered. The study's results suggested that “empty-calorie" snacks such as potato chips and sugar-laden beverages significantly increased the failure rate of a weight-loss plan.

Instead, the scientists recommended nutrient-dense snacks of non-starchy fresh fruits, low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheeses, or a small handful of nuts, along with a non-caloric beverage such as water, coffee, and tea.

And Try Not to Get Too Hungry

They also recommended that people eat a snack whenever they're in a situation where they're going to have to wait at least 5 hours for their next meal; otherwise, they might become overly hungry and then overeat when they finally have a meal.

Last, the authors stressed the importance of not only eating mindfully but also of eating only when genuinely hungry.

My Thoughts on This Study

• A healthy afternoon snack of fresh fruits and vegetables seems to bode well for a healthier weight. This weight-control benefit could also be related to the high-fiber content of these foods, which blunts the appetite later in the day and contributes to a feeling of satiety after the next regular meal.
• Portion size is key--note that I specified above a small handful of nuts. Some people consume a cup of nuts a day, thinking they're getting a healthy snack--and not realizing that they might be consuming as many as 2,000 calories at a pop!
• Mindfulness--being continuously aware of what you are putting into your mouth during meals--is also a key to healthy eating, including snacking.
• Studies have demonstrated that being accountable for what you eat is of great importance. This means keeping yourself (and maybe a few friends) aware each day of exactly what you've been eating. 
• You might try using some kind of a food log to keep track of the foods you're eating. Many food (and exercise) logs can be found on the Internet that make tracking meals and workouts effortless. (And don't forget all the phone apps in your pocket that can perform similar duties.)
• As the study authors said, Try not to go without eating for more than 5 hours. This will lower your risk of feeling overly hungry and then overeating or making poor choices when food finally becomes available.
• Consider using some kind of hunger scale before and after you eat (including when snacking). For example, let's give a value of zero (0) to being so hungry that you're practically famished, and a value of 10 for when you're really feeling stuffed. This way, if you sit down to eat and you realize you’re hunger is above a 4 or 5 on the scale, you'll know that you should try to limit your intake, or avoid eating altogether until you're once again feeling closer to a 1 or a 2.