The habit of eating small meals throughout the day without eating large, three-course meals is called snacks and is gaining traction around the world. On the run we grab coffee and sandwich, tea and chocolate, cookies. We asked the experts what is healthier for a snack and how much, for example, chocolate can be eaten per day without harm to the body.
For example, Mondelēz International, with the help of Harris Poll, decided to find out what role snacks play in people’s daily lives and how our people’s eating habits are changing, and conducted a survey. The State of Snacking survey involved more than 6 respondents over 18 in 12 countries – from millennials in Russia and the United States to seniors in China and Germany. The results showed that the majority of adults around the world, 6 out of 10, choose to eat small meals throughout the day rather than long meals. Women especially often switch to fractional meals. And 8 out of 10 millennials use their snacks as an opportunity to retreat and be quiet in their thoughts (“making time for yourself”).
In Russia, 63% of respondents cannot imagine their life without snacks. Three out of four Russian adults say snacking is as important to their mental (3%) and emotional (4%) well-being as it is to their health. This is an important part of the diet, so the energy value of a snack is in the first place for Russians. The least of all Indonesians are in solidarity with us, who eat primarily for a good mood.
At the same time, the majority of those surveyed say that snacks should remain part of a healthy diet. For example, in Russia 78% of consumers said that a balanced diet should definitely include some sweets for pleasure.
What’s more, portioned snacks can help consumers maintain informed eating habits and control their calorie intake. Thus, 80% of Russians say that it is snacks that help them control hunger and calorie intake during the day. We decided to ask the doctor how much chocolate and other goodies that we use as snacks can be eaten without harm to health.
The daily dose for an adult is 50-70 g (10-15 teaspoons). But the World Health Organization advises to use it 2 times less.
What foods is sugar good for
The first product that I would like to talk about in more detail is chocolate. In the composition of chocolate, you can find vitamins, trace elements, antioxidants, amino acids, potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium. In addition, it contains tryptophan, an amino acid that contributes to the formation of endorphins (hormones of joy) in the human body.
The production of chocolate is based on the processing of cocoa beans. The grains are processed into cocoa butter and cocoa powder. It is the butter that becomes the basis for the future chocolate.
Chocolate is divided into many types, the main ones being black, dark, milk and white. The difference is not only in color, but also in the percentage of cocoa butter. For example, dark chocolate contains 65 to 69% cocoa butter, and milk chocolate is 2 times less, about 45%.
The effect of chocolate on the human body is not limited to the production of endorphins. Eating it in normal amounts for the body strengthens the heart muscle, preventing heart attack and stroke, normalizes blood circulation, increases blood glucose levels, and normalizes blood pressure. Sometimes dark chocolate is recommended to be eaten by hypotensive patients who suffer from low blood pressure. In some cases, chocolate can even serve as a pain reliever for various headaches other than migraines. In this case, eating chocolate will only worsen the headache.
Chocolate boosts brain function, contributing to better assimilation and memorization of information. In addition, in stressful situations, it helps to overcome them, increasing the overall tone of the body. Recommended for women in labor to improve healthy muscle tone during labor.
But all this will work if you consume chocolate according to the daily norm. Otherwise, along with the beneficial properties, you can get side effects in the form of extra pounds.
So, in order not to harm health, there are such norms
Children under 3 years old should not be given chocolate. The most optimal time to introduce chocolate into a child’s diet is 5-6 years. Moreover, the dose should not exceed 5 g. A kid, who is already used to being given such a delicacy as chocolate, can be given no more than 20 g per week, dividing this dose in half.
The adult norm should not exceed 50 g per day, no more than 2 times a week. That is, a standard (100 g) tile should be divided into two doses during the week. And for the biggest sweet tooth, who cannot simply live without chocolate, it is permissible to eat 15-20 g per day and no more.
If you do not adhere to these norms, then you are guaranteed to get extra centimeters at the waist, a sharp increase in blood pressure (in people prone to high) and high blood sugar levels, which will subsequently lead to type 2 diabetes. In addition, there will be frequent headaches and dizziness. Despite the presence of endorphins, people may experience physical weakness and persistent irritability.
It is imperative to remember the main principle “Do no harm”. You can eat everything, but in certain quantities and do not forget about the consequences of overdose.
Biscuits, chips, crisps, fruits
1. Cookies. When a person is on a diet, he is faced with the problem that he wants to eat something tasty. This is the most common cause of breakdowns. Then biscuit biscuits come to the rescue. Although it refers to flour products, this product is still considered dietary. True, I advise you to definitely look at the composition of the cookie: it should not contain preservatives, additives, palm oil, etc.
There are different biscuits: sweet, salty, completely different tastes. Usually, in the manufacture they use premium flour and a little baking powder. Biscuits are available without sugar and with sugar. Naturally, it is better to choose unsweetened cookies. It also contains various minerals, which makes it not only harmless, but also useful.
2. Chips. As a doctor, I am convinced that a person gets pleasure from junk food, therefore, naturally, this can lead to consequences, in particular, to diabetes mellitus. If a person passionately loves chips and cannot refuse them, then their number must be reduced to 2 packs per month, otherwise irreparable harm to the gastrointestinal tract is caused. And you definitely can’t give them to children!
3. Bread. There are a myriad of them on the shelves, and the maximum benefit can be obtained from breads made with whole grain flour. Since mostly breads still consist of carbohydrates, it is best to use them in the morning or for lunch. Rye bread is recommended to speed up the metabolic process when a person wants to lose weight, but has some kind of dietary restrictions. But no type of bread should be overused, otherwise they will cause constipation, bloating, diarrhea, etc.
4. Fruit. There are people who believe that the more fruit they eat, the better. Of course, fruits are packed with nutrients, but they are also high in glucose. therefore in no case should you abuse fruit. Previously, it was believed that the rate of fruit per day is about 800 g. Now, after active research, it is recommended to eat only one fruit per serving and not mix it with other food. And also do not eat more than four fruits a day.
5 healthiest fruits: apple with peel, banana, orange, grape and pear. Juices and smoothies are beneficial, but less, and they are more harmful than fruits. It is better to consume them no more than a glass a day after meals.