Are You Overindulging on Snacks?

More often than not, many of us walk by the snack cabinet, open the door and just grab a little something just because.

Maybe we're bored, maybe we're tired. In most cases, it's not because we're hungry. 90 percent of us eat between meals and on average, we eat twice the number of daily snacks that Americans ate 30 years ago. While snacking can be a good thing for our bodies, it can also be detrimental when we overindulge.

"It's a good thing to snack healthily because it keeps your blood sugar levels from getting too low, so when you get to your next eating opportunity, you're not overindulging because you're famished," said Dr. Felicia Stoler, Nutritionist and Exercise Physiologist with the New Jersey Dietetic Association.

"The problem is, here in the United States, we often do everything in excess," said Stoler. "But, when we talk about a snack, it should be a small thing. For some people, a snack is like a small meal. That's just too much. It really should be something like a yogurt, cheese and crackers, a piece of fruit or nuts. The grab and go 100 calorie packs are good too because they're pre-portioned." 

If you want to stay on the right track when it comes to snacking, experts recommend you snack in response to true hunger, plan ahead, make snacks count, watch your calories and eat regular, balanced meals.