Tag: snacks

Best Bedtime Snacks

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

20110311-bj-late-night-snack-ice-cream-containerLisa writes: “I work fairly late, getting home at 9 pm most evenings. I usually squeeze in a salad in between clients around 5:30-6 pm. By the time I get home I’m usually hungry again. I’m always searching for healthy things to eat at that time, so I don’t grab a pint of Ben and Jerry’s from the freezer.  Can you offer any suggestions?”

I am a bit of an expert in late night snacking–even though I know that runs contrary to conventional nutritional wisdom. There is some research suggesting that eating more of your calories earlier in the day can help with weight loss. But it’s not the same for everyone. I’ve found that as long as my total intake over the course of the day isn’t excessive, having a late night snack doesn’t seem to sabotage my efforts. Your mileage may vary.

See also: Does it Matter What Time you Eat?

At the same time, you don’t want to go to bed with a stomach full of heavy food or all jazzed up on sugar. Here are four of my favorite bedtime snacks. Continue reading “Best Bedtime Snacks” >

Is eating at your desk really so bad?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

carrots hummusBarb writes:

“I have been trying to not eat at my desk or in my car. But I really miss being able to do so. I don’t think it leads me to eat any more than I otherwise would.  I am not talking about an entire meal, but maybe having my carrots/hummus while perusing spreadsheets or on a long drive. Is this really such a bad habit?”

I think the primary reason that many nutritionists (including me) suggest that you avoid eating at your desk or in the car (or in front of the TV) is that eating when we are distracted can lead us to eat more than we would if we were paying more attention.

And if it’s M&Ms or chips that we’re mindlessly munching on, the damage–in terms of empty calories–can be considerable.  Even if it’s a healthy but calorie-dense food like salted nuts, you can easily over do it when your mind is elsewhere.

But what if it’s a healthy snack? And what if it’s not leading you to overeat? What if it’s actually helping you get more vegetables into your day? What if having some vegetables on that long drive home means that you’re not so famished when you walk in the front door that you head straight for the cookie jar?

Knowing the rationale behind such “rules” can help you decide when it’s OK for you to break them. From what you’ve said, it doesn’t sound as if your desk-side snacking is sabotaging your diet.  Crunch away.

Is Eating More Often Really the Key to Staying Thin?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN
Can eating more often help you stay thin?
Can eating more often help you stay thin?

A study in this month’s  Journal of the American Dietetic Association reports that people of normal weight eat more frequently (5 times per day on average) than overweight people (who average 4.2 times per day), suggesting that eating more frequently may be a key to maintaining a healthy weight.  At least, that’s what all the headlines will say–and this will fuel the popular myth that eating more frequently “revs up your metabolism.”

See also: Metabolism Myths

But let’s dig a little deeper, shall we?   Continue reading “Is Eating More Often Really the Key to Staying Thin?” >

A Chink in the Small, Frequent Meal Theory

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

For many years, we’ve been told that eating small, frequent meals is a good strategy for weight loss.   In part, this was based on a body of research showing an inverse relationship between meal frequency and BMI.   In other words, studies found that people who reported eating  more times per day were less likely to be overweight.

I’ve always been confused by this.  In my observation,  people who eat more frequently usually end up eating more calories overall–and eating more calories generally leads to higher body weight.

In a new paper in the Journal of Nutrition, Megan McCrory and colleagues explain why the research data don’t seem to line up with reality: the research data were wrong. Continue reading “A Chink in the Small, Frequent Meal Theory” >