When you can't guarantee three meals a day and your body's energy starts to be depleted, you may feel hungry outside of regular mealtimes. At this point, you can't help but want to snack to fill your empty stomach.
Snack Smartly
In fact, snacking doesn't necessarily cause health problems, on the condition that we really eat when we are hungry and can distinguish the situations and occasions for snacking.
People often think the harm of snacking is overeating leading to weight gain, because we've treated snacks as our main meals. Therefore, the increase in food intake leads to a nutritional imbalance. If a person cannot eat three balanced meals, how can you expect them to eat nutritiously by dividing their food intake into eight meals? Another reason is the packaging of these snacks. They are often sold in small bags that seem to contain a small amount, but are actually high in calories (some snacks have many more calories than regular food). This packaging design causes some people to eat a lot unconsciously, far exceeding their required calorie intake.
Jihad Adolph attempts to explain this need for non-formal eating from a behavioral perspective: "When a person denies they are snacking, their response is mechanical. At that point, their perception of hunger, food craving, and satiety has become confused. When a person reaches into a bag of chips, they finish the entire bag without any conscious awareness. Snacking is a behavior in an 'escape' state: thoughts and emotions are temporarily suppressed. Snacking while watching TV or reading can relieve tension and block out worries. This lack of perception is the real culprit that turns people into 'chubbies'—munching on chips while riding the subway, eating chocolate while watching TV, which can easily disrupt the sympathetic nerve that controls eating, ultimately leading to obesity."
However, as long as you face this issue, remind yourself, and snack appropriately and in a balanced way, it is harmless to your mental and physical health. Paris psychology professor Martikiva further adds: "Research data shows that the probability of developing illness from snacking is minimal, but people's perceptions and psychological effects are often much more serious than the actual situation." So, cast aside your heavy sense of guilt. When it comes to snacks, you are free, and your choices can obviously be healthier.