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By Dawn YanekNibbling between meals has gotten
bad press in recent years. In fact,
snacking can be good for you.
T
o snack or not to snack? That
is the question ... for doctors, for
nutritionists, and for you, as you
try to decide what to do about your
grumbling stomach when it’s nowhere
close to mealtime.
The short answer: Have the snack.
Snacking has fallen out of favor in
certain dieting circles, thanks in part
to the popularity of intermittent fast-
ing, in which you severely restrict
your food intake on a periodic basis.
Some folks interpret the paleo diet, in
which the diet-conscious attempt to
imitate the food habits of our hunter-
gatherer ancestors, as anti-snacking
as well.But many modern-day studies
have found that snacking can have
positive effects on your health, both
physical and mental. Like what? Grab
a banana—or a handful of peanuts—
and read on!Weight Loss
Can snacking help you drop a few
pounds? Yes, but nutritionists’ in-
sight into what works has changed.
They once thought that eating
more frequently could boost your
metabolism—your body would be
working more often to burn calories.
Alas, studies have been mixed when it
comes to proving that theory.18 september 2019
Reader’s Digest
Photographs by Matthew CohenHOW TO