Are Your Snacks Healthy?

It’s common for most of us to include snacks during the day.  However, are you aware of the choices you are making?  Recently, Americans are snacking more than ever, and not necessarily on healthy items.  Data received from IRI, a market research company, found that we are eating more decadent foods.  We saw a 3.1% increase in 2014 from the previous year compared to only a 2.5% increase with healthy snacks.  So, why is this happening?

It appears that we are looking to indulge and make splurges when we snack, and that means picking things like baked goods, jerky, refrigerated meats and cheese.  With the help of food marketers making these items seem permissible it’s easy to choose these items over healthier snacks.  Terms that are being used to make these types of foods seem friendlier are claims about fiber content, energy benefits, natural, organic, and hormone-free.

However, we want to remember that snacks can still taste good and still be healthy.  So instead of these “decadent’ snacks try to opt for items like fresh fruit, vegetables with a healthy dip like hummus, and nuts.  Your taste buds will be happy, and you’ll be feeding your body whole foods which are the best source of vitamins and nutrients.

Reference: Vice Beating Virtue in the Snack Aisle, Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, June, 2015 (pp.1-2.).