Is snacking healthy?

It’s 10 o’clock in the morning and your stomach is rumbling again. Another three hours to lunchtime – you need a little something to tide you over. But is it healthy to eat between meals or is it better to avoid snacks? We investigate and reveal how snacking affects the body.

Effects on the body

Everything that we eat affects our blood sugar level. Blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, provides energy to our cells; excessive amounts, however, have a negative effect on blood vessels and organs. It is important therefore, that blood sugar levels are kept as balanced as possible. If you eat an extremely sugary snack (a bar of chocolate or some jelly babies for example), your blood sugar level will temporarily rocket and crash a short time later. This is like a roller-coaster ride for the body, and puts huge stress on the system.

In principle, however, it doesn’t matter for your blood sugar level whether you have three meals a day without snacks or several meals including snacks during the day. What counts is the type of snack: high-fibre, high-protein and low-carbohydrate snacks have a more positive effect on blood sugar levels than high-carbohydrate foods, as they cause blood sugar levels to rise more slowly and more evenly.

Generally speaking, it is completely OK to snack between meals. The important thing is that the snacks have sufficient nutrients and minimum sugar and fat, in other words that they are as healthy as possible and do not stress the body.

Our tip: Fresh fruit, vegetable sticks or nuts are always a good choice.

Happy snacking!

Your Dole Team