The worst time for snack

Is snacking a good weight loss tool or a total diet killer? A new study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association shows that it could depend on when you snack.

In the study, 123 overweight or obese postmenopausal women were assigned to a diet program or a diet-and-exercise program. After 12 months, weight loss in both groups was similar, but researchers found that the women who snacked mid-morning lost less weight than those who didn’t snack before lunch.

More research is needed to determine exactly how the timing of snacking affects weight loss, but it might actually have more to do with frequency than time of day.
“If you start snacking in the morning, you might be eating more throughout the day,” study author Dr. Anne McTiernan told HealthDay.

Unless you eat breakfast early in the morning and plan to eat a late lunch, the interval between the two meals is probably a lot shorter than that between lunch and dinner. McTiernan says that snacking is “appropriate” if the time between meals is five hours or longer.

"Snacking can help boost nutritional status and often helps manage emotional eating,” Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis told HealthDay.

What you snack on counts, too. Keep snacks under 200 calories and use them as an opportunity to get more nutrients into your diet. McTiernan suggests low fat yogurt, nuts, string cheeses, non-starchy veggies, fruits, and whole grain crackers.