Chaparral 2014-2015: 23.2 FitTips

FitTips: Snack Success

by Erin Calderone

FitBit #2: Snack Success

It’s 2:30pm and I’ve hit the proverbial wall. As I’m lecturing to my health class on the importance of whole grains, I self-consciously wonder if they can hear my stomach growling all the way in the back row. As soon as I can rush back to my office hour I can almost hear the Halloween candy calling me from the break room – is this place haunted?

If you find yourself snacking throughout the afternoon, it’s not necessarily a bad thing – depending on what your snack is. In a recent study from the University of Missouri, women who ate yogurt as a snack in the afternoon experienced longer satiety (full feelings) and delayed their dinner by 30 minutes compared with those who ate chocolate or crackers. Then at dinner, the yogurt-eaters consumed an average of 100 fewer calories! This could be due to the fact that yogurt is high in protein, which takes longer for the stomach to digest than sugar, so it helps keep us full longer. 

Although the Snicker’s commercial may be true, (“You’re not you when you’re hungry,”) it probably would have been better if they handed the Headless Horseman a cup of Greek yogurt instead of that candy bar. Don’t eat dairy? Not a yogurt fan? Below are some other high-protein snacks to keep your afternoon strong:

• Apples and peanut or almond butter (high in good fats)
• Carrots or celery dipped in hummus
• Turkey or chicken slices with avocado
• Raw almonds or walnuts and grapes

References: Ortinau, Laura C., et al. "Effects of High-Protein Vs. High- Fat Snacks on Appetite Control, Satiety, and Eating Initiation in Healthy Women." Nutrition Journal 13 (2014): 97. ProQuest. Web. 22 Oct. 2014.

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