Americans snack on the caloric equivalent of a meal as a daily snack

Snacking is not necessarily bad for your health, it can even help maintain a correct weight by helping us consume fewer calories during main meals. Provided, however, that the food quality of the snacks is optimal.

According to an Ohio State University study, snacks account for nearly a quarter of the calories consumed by American adults in a day, or 400 to 500 calories on average. and their nutritional value is poor. “ Carbohydrate-rich convenience foods and sweets top the list, accounting for about 40% of calories consumed during snacking », Details a press release. Next come foods high in fat, alcoholic drinks, sugary drinks, dairy products, fruits, cereals…and at the bottom of the list, vegetables.

Diabetes Nutrition Education Seems to Work

The objective of this study was to evaluate snack consumption among adults according to their diabetic status. Some 20,000 Americans over the age of 30 (with or without diabetes) participated in the research, which found that those who had their type 2 diabetes under control consumed fewer calories and sugary foods in the past 24 hours than those who did not ( including prediabetics).

The authors of the study published in the journal PLoS Global Public Health perceive these results as a “wake-up call” for healthy people who are at risk of developing a chronic disease such as diabetes. Just as we plan our lunch, anticipating the composition of our snacks could improve their nutritional quality.

“ Although capturing 24 hours of food consumption does not necessarily reflect how people usually eat, it gives us a very good overview of a large number of people “, said Christopher Taylor, professor of medical dietetics at Ohio State University and co-author of the study.