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When I took my first eating style quiz, I found out that I was a “Steady Snacker.” No, surprise – my daily decisions consist of what meals and snacks will be on the menu, when I’ll incorporate them, and whether they will be sweet or salty.
Plus, it brings me pure joy to organize my pantry like The Home Edit so that snacks are front and center for easy picking.
But, I often hear people say that they want to cut out snacks when trying to reach their health goals. Pause, say what?! The thought alone cuts deep for me.
So, the question I always follow up with is, “well, do you think snacking is inherently bad for you, or do your think the way you do it may be the problem?” The most common answer? “Well, I’m not sure.”
Fortunately for them (and you all), I get chills being able to educate on the truth behind fun stuff like this! So let’s get into the deets about snack facts.
Are snacks good for you?
Let’s rip the band-aid off. No. Snacks in and of themselves are not bad for you. But, I understand that this may be an immediate turn-off for those who believe all snacks are junk food.
So even though there are considerable variations of definitions in health care,  let’s define a few things based on some research.(1,2)
Snack – In general, this can be any food or beverage you consume in-between meals, regardless of composition and nutrient density.
Snacking – The act of consuming these said foods.
Snack food is often considered high in calories, fat, salt, sugar, or a combination of any of these.
Having snacks during certain parts of your day can be the tide turner for a health journey boasting benefits such as satisfying hunger, supporting our training regimen, and helping us to meet nutrient needs.(1,3) Where things start to get sticky is when snacking turns into a distracted graze.
Is grazing the same as having a snack?
Not exactly. “Grazing” is when you are constantly consuming small meals throughout the day. Research suggests, eating more frequently may be associated with improved body composition, improved lab values, and more.(3)
Anecdotally, grazing may be helpful if you gorge at meal time due to extreme hunger or looking to fuel your body for optimal functionality or performance constantly.
However, I find many of my clients that are disturbed with the idea of having snacks or more frequent meals are typically partaking in this kind of behavior in a more mindless last-minute manner (i.e., while working, while scrolling, while moving about the city, or while rushing to a meeting).
This combo can be problematic due to the risk of ignoring fullness cues and choosing less nutrient-dense options, aka ‘snack foods.’(1,2,3) Once we discover the culprits, BOOM, they are released from their snacking bondage!
How to incorporate snacks mindfully: 4 easy steps
Now that we cleared the air on the fact vs. fiction, here are a few ways to incorporate snacks more mindfully to help propel your health journey
Step 1: Plan it out, meals included
Decide what meals and snacks you want to have and when. Planning may reduce the stress around decision-making and help make sure you get in all of the nutrients you need.
Step 2: Snack earlier rather than later
Some research suggests that those who snack earlier in the day tend to eat more fruits and veggies, where those who snack later may choose less nutrient-dense foods and consume the goods while distracted.(2)
Step 3: Pair food groups together for balance
Pairing food groups together such as carbs (think fruit) with fat or protein (think mixed nuts or an egg) can help reduce the occurrence of extreme blood sugar spikes that pick you up and drop you energy-wise. We break down these macros and best combos in our meal prep webinar, our mini meal prep masterclass, and our newsletters!
Step 4: Don’t skip meals
Skipping meals can leave you feeling drained and can send you on a snacking spree looking for anything you can get your hands on.(1) From experience, this is NOT where it’s at haha.
Snacks can help keep us on track with our health goals, but there is a thin line between intentionally incorporating them and relying on them to give you enough food to work through another meal.
Curious about how snacks can help you specifically? Are you a steady snacker? Learn about your eating style and how to make nutrition work for you in our 1-on-1 Wholesome Refine program. Not quite ready to dive into 1-on-1? We also cover this topic in our Rapid Refine E-course; check it out!
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ASSOCIATE DIETITIAN, RD, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
Francine Hoffman graduated with her Master’s in Nutrition with an Exercise Science specialization from South Dakota State University. She plans on working towards the sports nutrition specialization (CSSD) as she continues on her path of being a Dietitian!
Francine is passionate about helping athletes with several aspects of performance.  She enjoys educating on proper fueling and seeing that translate to success on and off the field. In addition, Francine is looking forward to building her clinical nutrition skills to better serve future athletes and clients.  She also has her CSCS, NSCA-CPT and she’s experienced with training a variety of individuals!
Francine loves spending her free time in the gym, exploring the outdoors, cooking, and playing the piano!
Stefanie is a University of Southern California graduate with a degree in human performance, having played women’s college basketball at both USC and New Mexico State University. She went on to play professional basketball for two years in Portugal and Germany. After spending her off-seasons in advertising at Gilbreath Communications Inc., Stefanie took on a full-time position as director of social media marketing and accounting at Gilbreath. In pursuit of another passion, Stefanie joined forces with her sister, Briana, to launch Power Portions, a healthy meal prep company developing nutritional meals for the athletic community as well as the general public. With her experience in business, accounting and athletics, Stefanie brings an excellent multi-faceted dynamic to Power Portions.
She has maintained a dedication to community service dating back to her college years, having been a volunteer for organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica (as a nutrition leader), Sports Buddies (Jewish Boys and Girls Club of Glendale), Elementary School Girls Basketball Camps in Lousada, Portugal, Feeding America, Save the Children and Ascent Humanity Outreach, among many others. Along with her dedication to healthy meal prep, Stefanie believes her faith has led her to serve children struggling with obesity and applies her experience in this area into Power Portions’ efforts to give back to society.
CEO, MCN, RDN, LD
Briana Butler is a registered dietitian nutritionist and former professional athlete serving the Houston area. Briana holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Performance from the University of Southern California and a masters’ degree in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The latter of which she received after playing in the WNBA and overseas for three years. Upon retirement from professional sports, Briana followed her passion for health and athletics by pursuing a career in performance dietetics, believing from experience that nutrition efforts and performance are congruous. Since switching careers, Briana has worked with collegiate, professional (NFL, NBA, WNBA, NBA G-League, Ultra Marathon & Cyclist), NFL combine, NBA combine, and health and wellness clients in private practice and under world-renowned brands such as Southern Methodist University, EXOS, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, and the Dallas Cowboys. Above all, Briana finds purpose in being a wife to her husband Brice and full-time mom to her son Braiden.
ASSOCIATE DIETITIAN, MS, RD, LDN
Marissa is a registered dietitian from the Philadelphia and New Jersey areas with a passion for helping individuals reach their goals with an ALL foods fit mentality. After earning her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition & Dietetics from Immaculata University, Marissa went on to receive her master’s degree in Nutrition & Food Science from the University of Southern Mississippi. While completing her undergraduate degree, Marissa was a part of the women’s volleyball team and quickly implemented her knowledge learned in the classroom into personal goals of achieving success on the volleyball court. Witnessing small changes in her own lifestyle make large impacts on the court, strengthened her passion for sports nutrition and educating others to fuel their own athletic performances. Throughout her time as a registered dietitian, Marissa has worked in a variety of diverse settings while impacting the lives of individuals to meet their goals, large or small. Most recently, in her position as a sports & performance nutrition fellow at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, she was exposed to many experiences with both collegiate and professional athletes. Including but not limited to, team-wide and athlete-specific nutrition education, management, and administrative duties in order to provide all teams with the attention they need to thrive. Her specialties include individual and group nutrition counseling on sports nutrition, weight-related goals, gastrointestinal diagnoses, diabetes, allergies, and much more! When not immersed in the nutrition and sports world, Marissa finds herself cooking up new recipes in the kitchen, enjoying quality time with friends and family, or discovering new hiking trails to explore with her puppy, Miley!