Most people eat snacks between meals and, in moderation, this should do
no harm provided the right kind of snacks are chosen. Unfortunately,
the majority of the manufactured snacks on offer do not supply much in
the way of nutrients. Though chocolate bars contain calcium and protein
and crisps are an excellent source of potassium and supply vitamin C,
both are usually high in fat.
As long as the food is nutritious, however, the 'little and often' way
of eating has its advantages. Some people say that it makes them feel
more energetic. After a long period without food, blood sugar levels
drop, leaving you feeling tired and depressed. Small, regular
quantities of nutritious food can keep energy levels high without
overloading the digestive system.
With their smaller stomachs, young children often cannot eat enough of
a meal at one sitting to gain all the nutrients they need. It makes
sense, therefore, to divide the food into small portions or snacks
which the child can eat at regular intervals through the day. Growing
children have high nutritional demands and by feeding them mini meals
instead of trying to force them to eat adult portions, you can ensure
that they receive all the nutrients their energetic and rapidly growing
bodies need.
Another school of thought questions why people eat snacks at all,
arguing that if meals supply sufficient nutrients to meet their bodies'
needs, they should not need to eat any extra food. The modern fashion
for eating between meals hints at something other than pure physical
hunger, such as boredom or discontent. We are constantly bombarded with
advertising for confectionery and encouraged to overindulge. Children
are the major consumers of snack foods and manufacturers target them
using cartoon characters, television personalities and clever packaging.
If you decide to abandon the conventional three meals a day in favor of
more frequent snacks, make sure these mini meals fit in with your daily
requirement of nutrients. Prepare your own snacks in advance and keep
them on hand, so you will not have to buy less healthy packaged snacks.
Healthy Alternatives
Everyone will occasionally feel a real urgent hunger between meals, but
this can be satisfied with a number of healthy options. Fresh fruit,
such as apples, pears, bananas and oranges is nutritious and comes in
convenient portions. A handful of dried fruit or unsalted nuts provides
instant energy and can be added to a small carton of yogurt and
sprinkled with a teaspoon of wheatgerm for a highly nutritious
between-meal filler. But remember that nuts are high in calories.
Raw vegetables, such as carrots, celery, cauliflower florets or sliced
red, yellow and green peppers, can be eaten alone or with dips. Bear in
mind, however, that dips can be high in fat and calories (although you
can reduce the fat and calories by making them with yogurt or fromage
frais instead of cream or mayonnaise). Rather than eating a sticky bun,
try oatcakes, crisp breads or rice cakes with a topping of cottage
cheese, low-fat soft cheese, or low-sugar fruit jam or peanut butter.
Dips (100g)
Guacamole - Made from avocado, lemon juice, tomatoes and salt. This dip
is a good source of vitamin E, contains pantothenic acid and is a
useful source of vitamin C. It contains no cholesterol, 1.4g protein,
12.7g fat and 2.2g carbohydrates.
Hummus - consisting of chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt
and pepper and contains iron and thiamin. The chickpeas provide plenty
of protein, 7.6g, and it contains 12.6g fat, 11.6g carbohydrate but no
cholesterol.
Taramasalata - Made of white breadcrumbs, smoked cod's roe, olive oil,
pepper and lemon juice. It is high in fat 46.4g (although 22.6g of this
is mono unsaturated). It is an excellent source of vitamin B12, but it
contains 37mg cholesterol. It has 3.2g protein and 4.1g carbohydrate
and 446 calories.
Blue Cheese - A typical mix of stilton, sour cream and mayonnaise
produces a dip that is high in calories and fat, about 34g (15g of
which is saturated). For a lower-fat version substitute creme fraiche
for the sour cream and mayonnaise.
Salsa - Made of tomatoes, onion, lemon juice, olive oil, chili peppers,
garlic and spices, this dip supples just 1g of protein. It also supples
only 64 calories, containing 3.5g fat and 7.2g carbohydrates.
