Autumn T.

Snacking -By Autumn T.

She had a long day working, and didn't eat breakfast. Instead of grabbing a snack before dinner, she waits and eats a large plate of spaghetti for dinner. After eating, she is still not satisfied! She is craving a snack. Recent studies have shown that skipping a snack between meals actually causes you to gain weight. After a long day of work, eating relieves stress, helps you sleep better, and even helps you to lose weight! The point is, snacking isn't bad. So go ahead and grab some popcorn, you deserve it!

“Feeling stressed is a part of life” (Author unknown). This statement is correct, but nobody really enjoys stress. Recent studies have shown that eating between meals actually relieves stress. Consistency and patience are the two most important aspects of any diet and fitness program you join. Snacking takes away stress faster than going on a diet. Some foods such as dark chocolate, nuts, smoothies, and yogurt have lots of potassium, protein, and calcium that your body needs to be calm. In other words, these foods would be considered comfort foods. Using some of these foods as snacks could help people to have a less stressful day.

“Having a satisfied stomach will help you fall and stay asleep” (Kate). Many people struggle with sleeping, and that is a normal thing. The simplest thing to do is to have a bedtime snack. About 15-30 minutes before bed, people should try eating a bowl of berries or apple slices. These snacks are high in vitamin C and take away stress. Who knew eating could help you sleep?

“Eating between meals can promote weight loss” (Bornstein). Snacking cannot be simplified to the calories in and the calories burned. If this were true, You could be eating all the pizza and soda you wanted, as long as you went to the gym. When you eat the right amounts of the right foods, your blood sugar stabilizes. Skipping the late night snack can cause weight gain, and your blood sugar to crash. So yes, skipping the snack causes weight gain.

You've probably heard of the saying “Eating before bed will make you fat” or “Eating adds more calories” (Kate). Don't believe them! These are myths! Snacking is really about portion sizes. Yes, snacking can help you lose weight, but i'm not saying you should eat a full bag of chips in one sitting! People don't get very hungry between meals when they eat small frequent snacks.  In other words, snacking isn't as bad as people think. As long as you know your portion sizes, say goodbye to going on diets!

If people don't start eating between meals, they lose out on opportunities and some health benefits. Additionally, they might feel stressed or have a hard time falling asleep. This causes trouble for students in the future. Some may think otherwise, but again, snacking between meals is good, and leads to a successful life.