Snacking: implications in body composition and energy balance

Abstract

Snacking is commonly regarded by the general public as unhealthy, believing that it is more beneficial to stick to an eating pattern of three meals a day. Similarly anyone on a weight reduction programme will avoid snacks, reducing the frequency of eating occasions to two to three times a day. However there is evidence to suggest that snacking is not the evil once thought and individuals that snack throughout the day have positive advantages over individuals who conform to a rigid pattern of three meals a day. Increasingly western populations appear to be moving away from the “gorging” to the “nibbling” pattern of eating, probably as a direct result of the increased availability of fast foods and snacks. Reviews the literature in the area of snacking and frequency of eating with respect to energy and nutrient intakes, body weight, body composition and energy balance and indicates the direction for further research.

Citation

Drummond, S., Kirk, T. and de Looy, A. (1995), "Snacking: implications in body composition and energy balance", British Food Journal, Vol. 97 No. 5, pp. 12-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070709510091029