Super snack me

Until the 1970s we did not snack between meals. There were official morning tea and afternoon tea breaks that usually consisted of a drink and maybe a plain biscuit or two. Afternoon tea may have involved something a little more exciting like one slice of bread and jam or on special occasions one sweet biscuit or even a slice of cake. Mostly you had to wait for the evening meal by which point you were pretty hungry and ate what you were given.

It was considered poor manners to eat in the street and if it wasn't on a plate whilst sitting at a table you probably didn't eat, unless it was a picnic or a trek through the local woods.

Snacking, as we know it today, did not exist. But that didn't suit the profit margins of certain companies who helped the developed world to feel guilt free and even good about snacking between meals. They didn't suggest fruit or chopped vegetables but instead offered tempting food laden with sugar and fat and salt. Food that our brains and taste buds found irresistible.

There are two main problems with this style of eating: your body doesn't compensate at meal time and want less food because you had a large snack a few hours ago and your body doesn't correctly calculate the amount of calories it has taken in for your fuel and nutritional requirements.

What this means in reality is that you will snack on calorie laden food and still eat the same amount of calories for each meal, which means that you will be eating far more than you need to eat, which of course your body will store for you in the form of fat until you do need it. But you won't need it because there is more excess than you need to get you through your next bought of flu or gastro virus.

And there's more. Your body will quickly learn to expect this new amount of food and you will be able to continue to increase your calorie intake by approximately 400 - 500 cals a day without noticing it when you eat. The only thing you will notice will be your tighter clothes.

To reduce the amount you eat as snacks there are a few simple rules that will help you curb your snacking and could even lead to some weight management:

• Eat mindfully: put the food on a plate (or in a bowl) and sit down to enjoy the food and do not go back for more
• If you have a snack work out how much less you need to eat at your next meal to compensate for your snack
• Choose snacks that have little or no sugar or salt and only a little fat such as whole fruit, unsalted nuts, one slice of toast with a little butter and yeast spread
• To really find out how much of your daily intake is from snacks keep a food diary for a week. This diary must include every mouthful from the chocolate bar you bought whilst shopping to the cube of cheese you ate whilst cooking

Choose one day to enjoy your favourite morning or tea time snacks like a slice of cake or a muffin.

warmest wishes
Sarah