- People who ate high-quality snacks were more likely to be at a healthy weight
A quarter of people are negating the benefits of healthy meals with unhealthy snacks that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, a study suggests.
Researchers examined the diets of 854 people and found that almost all (95 percent) of them ate snacks, with an average of 2.28 per day.
But contrary to popular belief, the analysis indicates that snacking in itself is not unhealthy, as long as the snacks are nutritious and eaten at the right time.
Making the ‘wrong’ choices seemed to affect important health indicators such as body mass index and blood fat and sugar levels.
Britain is a ‘nation of snackers’, with 24 percent of our daily energy intake coming from snacks such as muesli bars, pastries and fruit, the research shows.
A quarter of people offset the benefits of healthy meals with unhealthy snacks that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, a study suggests
About 47 percent of those who snacked ate two snacks a day and 29 percent ate more.
The most popular products consumed were biscuits, fruit, nuts and seeds, cheese and butter, cakes and pies, and muesli or breakfast cereals.
It is striking that 26 percent of the participants ate healthy main meals, but poor quality food in between.
The scientists from King’s College London say tackling this imbalance could be a simple dietary strategy to improve health.
People who regularly ate high-quality snacks such as nuts and fresh fruit were more likely to be at a healthy weight compared to those who did not snack at all or those who ate unhealthy foods.
In the meantime. Poor quality snacks, such as highly processed foods and sugary treats, made people hungry and were associated with poorer health markers.
This included a higher BMI, higher levels of harmful fat around the organs and higher levels of fats in the blood, which can increase the risk of stroke, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
The largest contribution to calorie intake came from cakes and pies (14 percent), breakfast cereals (13 percent), ice cream and frozen dairy desserts (12 percent), donuts and pastries (12 percent), sweets (11 percent). ), cookies and brownies (11 percent), nuts and seeds (11 percent).
It is striking that 26 percent of the participants ate healthy main meals, but poor quality food in between
The timing of the snack was also found to be crucial for health, according to findings published in the European Journal of Nutrition. Snacking after 9pm was associated with worse blood markers compared to all other snacking times.
At that time, snackers usually ate energy-dense foods high in fat and sugar.
Dr. Sarah Berry, from King’s College London and lead scientist on the Zoe Predict Study, said: ‘When you consider that 95 per cent of us snack, and almost a quarter of our calories come from snacking, with unhealthy snacks such as biscuits, crisps and swapping cakes for healthy snacks like fruit and nuts is a really simple way to improve your health.’
Colleague Dr Kate Bermingham said: ‘This study adds to the existing literature that food quality is the driving factor in positive health outcomes from food.
‘Ensuring we eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, proteins and legumes is the best way to improve your health.’