What Makes a Snack Healthy? (It’s Probably Not What You’ve Been Told)
What Makes a Snack Healthy? (It’s Probably Not What You’ve Been Told)
What makes a snack healthy?
Is it the number of calories? The amount of protein? Does it need to include a fruit or vegetable? Does it need to come in a package with the words “healthy,” “natural,” or “high protein” printed across the front?
Not necessarily.
Snacks have developed an interesting reputation. Some people believe they should never snack because eating between meals will lead to weight gain. Others have been told to eat every two or three hours to “keep their metabolism going.”
Neither of those recommendations applies to everyone.
A snack can be a valuable part of your eating pattern. It can also become a source of calories that you barely notice eating.
The difference often comes down to why you are eating, what you choose, how much you eat, and how the snack fits into the rest of your day.
What Is a Snack?
A snack is simply food or a beverage consumed between regular meals.
Healthy Snacking FAQ
What is considered a healthy snack?
A healthy snack is one that meets a need and fits into your overall eating pattern. It may help manage hunger, provide energy, support physical activity, or add nutrients you may not be getting enough of at meals. Snacks with protein, fiber, or both are often more satisfying.
Is it healthy to eat snacks every day?
It can be. Some people benefit from eating snacks every day, while others do not. Whether daily snacking is helpful depends on hunger, meal timing, activity level, health needs, and the rest of your eating pattern.
What is the best snack for weight loss?
There is no single best snack for weight loss. A useful snack is one that helps manage hunger without simply adding extra food to the day. Foods that provide protein, fiber, or both may help you stay satisfied until your next meal.
Should a healthy snack include protein?
Not necessarily. Protein can make a snack more satisfying, especially when it is a long time until your next meal, but not every snack needs to include protein. Consider your hunger, what you have eaten throughout the day, and when you plan to eat again.
How long should you wait between meals and snacks?
There is no required amount of time. Hunger, meal size, activity level, and your daily schedule all matter. If meals are more than four to five hours apart, a snack may be helpful, but physical hunger and individual needs are better guides than following the clock alone.
There is no specific calorie limit that officially separates a snack from a meal. A snack may be an apple, a handful of nuts, yogurt, chips, leftovers, or half a sandwich.
The word describes when you are eating more than what you are eating.
However, portion size makes a difference too. A snack that becomes large enough to replace a meal may affect your appetite for your next meal.
That brings us to something many of us heard growing up.
“You’ll Spoil Your Appetite!”
There was some truth behind that warning.
If dinner is in 30 minutes and you eat a large snack, you probably will be less hungry when dinner is served. And, sometimes this isn’t a bad thing.
But avoiding all snacks because they might interfere with meals doesn’t make much sense either.
If lunch is at noon and dinner isn’t until 7:00 p.m., expecting yourself to comfortably go for seven hours without eating may leave you overly hungry.
By the time dinner arrives, you may eat quickly, have difficulty recognizing when you’ve had enough, snack while preparing dinner, or eat much more than you otherwise would have.
A planned afternoon snack can help bridge that gap.
Why Can Snacks Be a Good Thing?
Snacks can serve several useful purposes.
They can help manage hunger between meals, provide energy for physical activity, support recovery after exercise, and provide additional opportunities to consume nutrients that may be missing from meals.
Most Americans do not eat enough fiber, fruits, or vegetables.
A snack can help.
Fruit with peanut butter adds fruit, fiber, and healthy fats.
Vegetables with hummus add produce, fiber, and some protein.
Greek yogurt with berries adds protein, calcium, and fruit.
Snacks can also be helpful for people who have higher energy needs, difficulty eating large meals, certain medical conditions, or schedules that create long gaps between meals.
The purpose of a snack is not to keep your metabolism running. Your metabolism does not shut down because you went a few hours without eating.
A useful snack solves a problem.
You’re hungry.
Your next meal is several hours away.
You need energy before exercise.
You need to refuel after exercise.
You have an opportunity to add foods or nutrients you have been missing.
When Can Snacks Become Less Helpful?
Snacking becomes less useful when it happens automatically rather than intentionally.
Eating chips every evening while watching television, because that is what you always do, is different from eating a snack when you are physically hungry.
Walking past the break room or heading to the kitchen to grab food simply because it is available is another example.
Then there is distracted snacking.
Eating directly from a large package while driving, working, scrolling on your phone, or watching television can make it difficult to recognize how much you have eaten.
None of this means you should never eat chips, cookies, or other snack foods.
It means that snacks can add a substantial amount of energy to your day when you are eating out of habit, boredom, stress, convenience, or simply because food is available.
Habit or Hunger?
Before reaching for a snack, it can be helpful to ask a simple question:
Why am I eating right now?
Are you physically hungry?
Is your next meal several hours away?
Are you preparing for or recovering from physical activity?
Did you miss a meal or eat less than usual?
Or are you eating because you always have something at 3:00 p.m., food is sitting nearby, you’re bored, or you’re taking a break from work?
You don’t have to eat only when you are physically hungry. Food is part of celebrations, traditions, social connections, and enjoyment.
But recognizing why you are eating helps you make a more intentional decision.
What Makes a Snack Healthy?
There is no single formula every snack must follow.
Generally, snacks that include protein, fiber, or both tend to be more satisfying than foods made primarily from refined carbohydrates.
Protein and fiber take longer to digest and can help keep hunger manageable until your next meal.
Examples include:
Apple with peanut butter
Greek yogurt with berries
Cottage cheese with fruit
Vegetables with hummus
Whole-grain crackers with cheese
Nuts and fruit
Roasted chickpeas
Hard-boiled egg with fruit
Edamame
Whole-grain toast with nut butter
Does every snack need protein?
No.
Does every snack need a fruit or vegetable?
No.
Sometimes you want popcorn. Sometimes you want crackers. Sometimes you want a cookie.
The bigger question is how that snack fits into your overall eating pattern.
Planned Snacks vs. Convenient Snacks
One of the biggest influences on what we eat is what is available when we become hungry.
Fruits and vegetables often require some planning.
You must buy them, wash them, cut some of them, and remember to bring them with you.
Chips, crackers, candy, and other packaged snack foods are designed for convenience. They’re portable, shelf-stable, and easy to eat.
Convenience isn’t inherently a problem.
The challenge arises when the most convenient option is the only one available.
Planning snacks doesn’t require complicated prepping.
Keep fruit where you can see it.
Buy individual containers of yogurt.
Keep nuts in your desk or bag.
Wash vegetables when you bring them home.
Stock hummus, cheese, whole-grain crackers, and other foods you enjoy.
Making nutritious choices convenient increases the likelihood that you will eat them.
Who May Benefit from Planned Snacks?
Some people benefit from snacks more than others.
A mid-morning snack may be helpful if breakfast and lunch are far apart, you eat a small breakfast, or you become physically hungry before lunch.
An afternoon snack can be especially useful when lunch and dinner are more than five hours apart.
People with diabetes or those prone to low blood sugar may benefit from planned snacks depending on their medications, activity levels, meal timing, and individualized treatment plan. Snacks are not automatically necessary for everyone with diabetes, so recommendations should be individualized.
Athletes and physically active people may also benefit from snacks to support training and recovery.
Can Snacks Help With Weight Loss?
They can.
They can also make weight loss more difficult.
Again, it’s all a matter of context.
A planned snack that helps prevent excessive hunger and overeating later may support your goals.
For example, eating an apple with peanut butter at 3:00 p.m. may make it easier to prepare and eat a reasonable dinner at 6:30 p.m.
On the other hand, eating several hundred calories of snacks throughout the day without physical hunger can make it harder to maintain the calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
Snacks should have a purpose.
If you’re trying to lose weight, pay attention to whether snacks help manage your hunger or simply add more food to your day.
Snack Ideas for Different Times of Day
The best snack depends partly on what you need from it.
Mid-Morning Snacks
A mid-morning snack can be relatively small, especially if lunch is only a couple of hours away.
Try:
Fruit with a small handful of nuts
Greek yogurt
Hard-boiled egg and fruit
Whole-grain toast with peanut butter
Cottage cheese with berries
Mid-Afternoon Snacks
Afternoon snacks may need to be more substantial if there is a long gap between lunch and dinner.
Try:
Apple or banana with peanut butter
Greek yogurt with berries and nuts
Vegetables, hummus, and whole-grain crackers
Cottage cheese with fruit
Cheese, whole-grain crackers, and grapes
Half a sandwich with vegetables
Roasted chickpeas and fruit
Pre-Workout Snacks
Before exercise, carbohydrates can provide readily available energy. The closer you are to your workout, the smaller and easier-to-digest the snack should generally be.
Try:
Banana
Applesauce
Toast with a small amount of peanut butter
Crackers
Yogurt with fruit
A small bowl of cereal with milk
Post-Workout Snacks
After exercise, protein helps repair muscle, and carbohydrates help replenish energy stores.
Try:
Greek yogurt with fruit
Chocolate milk
Cottage cheese with fruit
Smoothie made with milk or soy milk and fruit
Turkey sandwich
Eggs with toast
Tuna with whole-grain crackers
Whether you need a post-workout snack depends on the intensity and duration of your workout, as well as when you plan to eat your next meal.
If you’re eating a balanced meal soon after exercise, an additional snack may not be necessary.
The Bottom Line on Healthy Snacks
A healthy snack isn’t defined by a calorie limit, a certain amount of protein, or a package labeled “healthy.”
The most useful snack is one that meets a need.
It may manage hunger between meals, provide energy for physical activity, support recovery, help you consume more fruits, vegetables, fiber, or other nutrients, or simply provide enjoyment.
Snacks can support your health goals, including weight loss, when they are eaten intentionally and fit into your overall eating pattern.
They can also become a source of excess calories when they happen automatically throughout the day.
Instead of asking whether you should or shouldn’t snack, ask a better question:
What do I need from this snack right now?
The answer can help you choose something that is satisfying, convenient, and appropriate for your needs.
