Eat early and eat often

Lose weight by eating more frequently? Yes, here’s how

Bev Bennett, CTW Features

Posted: Monday, January 14, 2013, 2:59 PM

How often do you snack?

Once a day?

Twice?

At least twice a day is the magic number for nearly half the population. That’s according to a recent article in Food Technology magazine, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Chicago.

The figure is double the 2010 rates, according to the data.

Although snacking has a bad reputation, it can add valuable nutrients to your day, improving your health and wellbeing.

In fact, to prevent a mid-afternoon crash, having smaller, more frequent food breaks is preferable to eating three large meals a day, according to Virginia Turner, registered dietitian, clinical nutrition manager, The University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville.

Of course, your non-meal eating habits could pile on calories, fat and sodium, if your snacks consist of chips, candy and cookies.

The foods you choose and how much you eat make all the difference, say health professionals.

To get the most nutritional benefits from snacks, take a look at your eating habits and see if there are any shortfalls. You can make up for these in snacks, says Mary Ellen Camire, IFT spokesperson, professor of food science and nutrition, University of Maine, Orono.

She asks, “What do I have trouble getting into my diet normally? Is it whole grains, more fruit, more fiber?”

For example, dairy intake is a concern, so Camire brings yogurt for a morning snack and string cheese for the afternoon at work.

Nutritious snacks can also help you overcome mid-day slumps. Include protein foods, which have a stabilizing effect on blood sugar.

Options include yogurt, string cheese or small amounts of nuts, according to Turner, who advises keeping snacks to 200 calories or less.

If you prefer the convenience of store-bought snacks, the health experts recommend granola bars that aren’t chocolate-coated, dried fruits that aren’t heavily sweetened or hummus with precut vegetables.

If you prefer to make your own, the Healthy Living Kitchen at The University of Tennessee Medical Center offers a great recipe for trail mix: http://www.utmedicalcenter.org/recipes/162/trail-mix/

Measure the mix into individual portions in small sandwich bags for work, Turner says.

Bev Bennett CTW Features

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Comments (2)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:29 AM, 01/15/2013

Go to the eye doctor and come away with glasses. Go to the dentist and you'll need dental work. A fashion designer will tell you you're dressed improperly. An etiquette expert will tell you you are socially inept. A relationship magazine will tell you why your mate is all wrong for you. Read a food magazine and you're told you're not eating right. How surprising.

— Mortimer G Fingenfinderstein III

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 8:43 AM, 01/15/2013

Lets please use real science when we write these articles. Just because we say something over and over again does NOT make it the truth. This so called fact has been debunked by science many times. There is not one study that shows eating the same amount of food in a day broken up in 3 meals or 4 or with snacks helps you lose weight!!! You should not be getting hungry between meals. The reason you are getting hungry is because you are eating according to the National Guidlines and Registered Dietians that have to follow the Guidlines.
Here is the better way to eat and prevent hunger between meals. Eat more protein and a good amount of healthy fat like coconut oil, eggs, butter from grass fed cows (Kerry Gold) and nuts. Protein and fat are tasty, very satisfying and keep you full with a good source of energy. It also keeps your insulin level low. When you eat all of the bread and pasta it keeps you on an insulin roller coaster of energy. Try some grass fed beef to get a healthier fat source from red meat.
Try a breakfast of eggs and Canadian bacon cooked in cocunut oil. Add some peppers and or spinach also. After you eat this then notice how long you will feel full of energy and not be hungry. Compare this to a bagel cereal breakfast which will leave you sluggish in two hours and starving for your next sugar hit.
Good luck and enjoy the energy hit and clear thinking!

— Wellness ID