It’s time to focus on healthy snacking

It’s somewhat of a cliché to focus on healthy eating after the holidays, but let’s face it – it’s not a bad idea. So here, from the New York Times, is advice on Snacking Your Way to Better Health. And the gist of the article – eat more nuts. As Jane Brody writes:

“I know what you’re thinking: Aren’t nuts fattening? Yes, an ounce of nuts has 160 to 200 calories, nearly 80 percent from fat.

But in study after study, the more often people ate nuts, the leaner they tended to be.
For example, in a Mediterranean study that tracked the effect of nut consumption on weight gain over the course of 28 months, frequent nut consumers gained less weight than those who never ate nuts, and were 43 percent less likely to become overweight or obese.

How is that possible? First, nuts may be taking the place of other high-calorie snacks, like chips, cookies and candy. And nut eaters may be less likely to snack, period; the fat, fiber and protein in nuts suppresses hunger between meals.  Second, the body may treat calories from nuts differently from those in other high-carbohydrate foods. Third, nut eaters may pursue a healthier lifestyle and burn more calories through exercise.

Whatever the reasons, every study has indicated that nuts make an independent contribution to health and longevity, even after taking other factors into account.”

We’ll let you read the full article, and for everyone –  Happy New Year and Happy Crunching!