Research shows eating nutritious snacks throughout the day leads to a healthier lifestyle

By Kelsey Binion
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Every morning before school, sitting by her locker or during her first period class, senior Mary Robin pulls out a healthy snack, which she considers breakfast. The snacks do not consist of Pop-Tarts, donuts or cinnamon rolls. Robin’s idea of a healthy snack is eating granola bars, Luna bars and fresh fruit.

Althea Albritton, Freshman Center nurse, said, “I have seen kids sick lots of time due to not eating. The main problem is not eating breakfast. That’s huge and is probably the number one most important meal of the day. It gives you a good start for the day, gets the metabolism going, wakes you up and gives you a good foundation for learning. They have done research that has proven that students who eat good breakfasts actually perform better in school. Of course, the number one excuse is ‘I overslept or I had to catch the bus.’”

Researchers recommend munching between meals to maintain energy and to prevent devouring too much at lunch or dinner. By eating small, high protein snacks, people will be able to reduce the amount of food for a regular, full-size meal.

According to Patricia Brinegar, family and consumer science teacher, it depends on the student, whether he or she is cut out for three meals a day. Some people, particularly active teens may need five small meals a day, like swimmers. Swimmers often need to eat an enormous amount of calories. Whereas a teen that doesn’t have an activity after school may be fine with three meals a day and a couple of good snacks. It is an individual thing on how many meals and calories one should eat a day.

“What is generally recommended is to eat five or six meals during the course of the day. You eat less at meals, but you eat a little more frequently. Selecting good food choices would be the key in a balanced diet from all the food groups,” Albritton said.

Snacking through the course of the day can take a toll on a student’s body if he or she does not eat nutritious snacks. Students tend to reach for the quick energy, high fat, sugar foods, because those snacks are always accessible. The occasional high fat, sugar foods are appropriate but in correct sized portions.
“Students need to make wise food choices for snacks. The chips, cookies and candy should be substituted for a little peanut butter and crackers, a little bit of cheese and yogurt or fresh fruits and vegetables. They are much better snack than reaching for a bag of potato chips and the stuff that we really love,” Albritton said. Snacks offer nutrients and vitamins to the body, and it also reduces the feeling of hunger. Smart snacking can help students keep going until their next full meal. Putting small, healthy snacks in lockers and backpacks will reduce the student’s urge to walk to a vending machine.

Robin said, “I think what you choose to snack on kind of decides how healthy you are. It is one to think if you are going to eat cookies rather than eating something with protein, which helps you keep on going.” Snacking can keep one’s mood on an even keel, to prevent blood sugar from sinking. Snacks can also help with appetite and weight control since they can prevent over indulgence at meals. However, there are factors that student’s should look at when deciding and eating snacks.

According to fitsugar.com, the danger in snacking is that it can add extra calories to one’s day. By unconsciously adding 100 calories per day beyond the calories one burns can add up to a 10-pound gain in one year.

“Students should really look at the food pyramid. They can go to mypyramid.gov. Mypyramid.gov has 12 food models based on your age, weight, gender and activity level. Those food models then will direct you to what you should eat, how many calories you should consume and how many servings you should have from each of the food groups,” Brinegar said.

Brinegar said, “Three large meals is our standard pattern, but it doesn’t fit everyone’s needs. Some people do better on five small meals than they do on three large meals. So, it is just and individual choice and an individual preference.”

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HEALTHY CHOICES

Dried Fruits: Raisins, apricots, figs and dates don’t have the water content of fresh fruit, so they aren’t quite as filling, says Maria Walls, senior nutritionist for Weight Watchers International. Still, they last for ages and contain much of the nutrition of their undried brethren. A small box of raisins has 130 calories and no fat.

Tuna Salad in a Pouch: The StarKist Lunch To-Go, for example, has 3 ounces of tuna, mayo, relish and six crackers, plus a spoon to mix it all up. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated and weighs in at a relatively small 210 calories.

Nuts: “They’re great snack items because they’re so filling,” says Katherine Tallmadge, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Walnuts are desirable because they’re high in omega-3 fatty acids that protect against heart disease. Limit yourself to 1 ounce — about 160 calories.

Fruit Cookies: Two cookies have about 110 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. The low-fat varieties have 90 calories and almost no fat.

Animal Cookies: Sixteen of the critters contain only 120 calories. And even vegetarians can enjoy biting the head off a lion or the hump off a camel.

Single-Serving Soups: Look for an 8-ounce serving that has no more than 480 milligrams of sodium, says Connie Diekman, director of nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis. You can find a nutritious cup of soup with 100 to 200 calories.

BHG.COM / SOURCE