Is it "healthy" to use "healthy food" as a snack?

Snacks are not only loved by children, but also by many adults. People have always had a view of snacking that eating snacks is a bad habit. In fact, eating snacks cannot be simply generalized, and cannot be arbitrarily said to be an unhealthy eating behavior.

There are also many benefits to snacking

Snack refers to a variety of foods eaten during non-meal time, eating some snacks in moderation is not only a kind of enjoyment, but also can provide a certain amount of energy and nutrients, and sometimes can play a role in relieving tension, providing a certain amount of energy and nutrients, especially for children and adolescents in the growth and development period, strong nutritional needs, is a good supplement to meals.

The choice of snacks should be considered from the perspective of nutrition and health, and it is advisable to choose some healthy foods. For example: fruits are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, yogurt is nutritionally comprehensive, high in calcium, and nuts (walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, cashews, melon seeds, etc.) are rich in vitamin E, trace elements and more dietary fiber.

Be wary of "unconsciously" ingested energy

Choosing these relatively healthy foods as snacks is indeed healthier than eating fried foods, baked goods, etc. However, eating snacks without moderation can also bring health problems.

Snacking is an integral part of all-day dietary intake and should be counted when people evaluate their energy and nutrient intake.

Some people pay special attention to controlling the intake of three meals a day, but ignore the energy from snacks, while chatting, watching TV, listening to music, while eating snacks, unconsciously ingesting a lot of energy.

Others argue that these "healthy" snacks are low in energy and nutrient-dense, and that replacing meals with them can lead to adequate nutrition while reducing energy intake. In fact, snacks are not as diverse as meals, the nutrients provided are far less comprehensive and balanced than meals, if too much intake, not only will lead to excess energy, but also affect the intake of other nutrients.

Eat healthy snacks and pay attention to these points

First, you should choose the snacks that are suitable for you according to your weight and meal intake, and control your intake. If the energy intake of three meals is small and the energy demand is high, you can consider choosing snacks rich in protein and carbohydrates to supplement; if you have entered the "ranks" of overweight or obesity, you need to control energy intake, avoid snacks with high sugar and fat content, or eliminate snacks; if the intake of vegetables and fruits in the three meals is small, you can choose vegetables and fruits as snacks.

Second, it is advisable to eat snacks between meals so as not to affect the appetite of the meal. Try not to eat snacks when watching TV and chatting, so as not to unconsciously consume too much.

Third, in the same kind of snacks, you should choose a lower energy to avoid excessive energy intake.

Fourth, after eating snacks, we should pay attention to oral hygiene, especially children and adolescents, should develop the habit of brushing their teeth in the morning and evening, reducing the number of snacks, and gargling after snacking.

Text/Ma Guansheng (Dean, School of Public Health and Department of Food Hygiene, Peking University)

Source: Beijing Youth Daily