Snack your way to a healthier winter with Rob Hobson
Despite a quarter of our calories coming from the snacks we consume each day, we now know that snacking can actually be good for us! As we head into winter Nutritionist Rob Hobson advises on how to snack your way to a healthier winter - whether that’s better sleep, losing weight, boosting your energy or helping you avoid illness.
We get about a quarter of our calories from snacks, and research shows that this isn't necessarily bad for us. A study by King’s College (including the chief scientist at the ZOE nutrition app) explored how snacking habits affect health. Researchers measured belly fat, body mass index (BMI), and levels of fat and sugar in blood to understand snacking’s impact on health. The 854 participants, aged 18-65, also provided detailed information on what and when they ate, as well as their hunger levels. The key findings were that snacking isn’t bad, but quality and timing are crucial. Done right, snacking can boost our health!
The UK are a nation of snackers...
Convenience: Busy lifestyles make quick, easy-to-grab food options more appealing. Snacks are often portable and don’t require preparation, making them convenient for on-the-go eating. + Lifestyle Changes: Working from home and irregular schedules lead to more frequent snacking. + Wide availability of snack foods: They're everywhere! Vending machines, convenience stores, and snack aisles at every supermarket make it easier for people to pick up a snack anytime they want. + Many people don’t understand their own hunger so feel they need to feed themselves at the first sign but it’s OK to feel hungry.
When might snacking not be so healthy?Emotional Eating: Stress and boredom drive people to snack, especially on comfort foods. They’re often high in sugar, saturated fats, and salt, making them quite addictive and easy to overeat. Also, often + Snacking at night: Especially on unhealthy snacks eaten mindlessly in front of the TV, for example. + Marketing: Snacks are marketed as fun, indulgent, or healthy - but they’re often sold in large portions.
How can you snack yourself to lose weight? 'Focus on high protein snacks as these can help to maintain fullness between meals and are also good to help you maintain muscle mass.'
Boiled eggs
Edamame beans (fresh or frozen)
Lean poultry (chicken breast)
Yoghurt and fresh fruit
Homemade smoothie - made with skimmed milk - Protein shakes are UPFs and you can just make your own.
Cottage cheese - try with celery or fruit
How can you snack yourself to better sleep?'Nutrients like magnesium are involved in the production of melatonin in the brain and relaxation by interacting with the neurotransmitter called GABA which is responsible for quieting down nerve activity. Tryptophan is important too as it is involved in the production of melatonin which regulates the sleep wake cycle.'
Nuts and seeds - you could make little bags of trail mix adding raisins or chopped apricots - magnesium.
Soaked oats - tryptophan in milk but also the carbs in oats help with the uptake of tryptophan into the brain.
Yoghurt with chopped Banana - yoghourt contains tryptophan and banana are a good source of carbohydrate and B6 which is used to convert tryptophan to melatonin add.
Roasted chickpeas - good source of magnesium.
Try rye crackers like Ryvita with avocado - good source of magnesium.
How can you snack yourself to bette4r energy during the day? 'Choose high fibre foods as these are broken down more slowly providing a more sustained release of energy. Low levels of iron can also impact on energy levels and 27% of women are not eating enough in their diet.'
Popcorn - choose plain or lightly salted in small packs or make yourself
Dips made with legumes - chickpeas are a useful source of iron and team it with red peppers as the + vitamin C helps with its absorption
Energy balls made with dried fruit or Date filled with nut butter if you want something sweeter - dried fruit is also a useful source of iron.
Plain brown rice cake with nut butter and banana.
Nuts are another good option - these also contain B vitamins that help to convert the food you eat into energy and iron.
How can you snack yourself to avoid illness?'Nutrients like vitamin C and zinc help to support a healthy immune system. 70% of your immune cells are made in your gut so maintaining good gut health can also help to support your immunity.'
Sliced vegetables are a healthy snack and reed pepper are one of the richest sources of vitamin C. + Keffir - blend with frozen berries or plain yoghurt with seeds for live bacteria. + Small serving of fresh vegetable soup - great way to get vitamin rich vegetables into your diet - team with legumes for zinc and fibre to support your gut.
Seeds - great source of zinc - try roasting them yourself at home with spices.
Homemade oat bars - oats contain beta gluons which are indigestible fibres (prebiotics) that are fermented by bacteria in the gut - feeds them basically which promotes a healthy diverse microbiome. + Try to make them as healthy as you can without too much sugar and you can add nuts and seeds for added zinc.