Does snacking between meals affect your health? Find out what is the best time to do it

However, as Clotilde Vázquez, head of the Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition at the Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital in Madrid, explains to CuídatePlus, None of these situations and/or circumstances, in principle, “require” snacking: “What can happen is that within the framework of a programmed eating plan there is one intake between breakfast and lunch, another between lunch and dinner and even there may be a small snack before going to sleep (something that, on the other hand, helps to have a restful sleep)”.

Generally, These snacks between meals would not be “harmful”, in contrast to uncontrolled snackingbut Vázquez emphasizes that even in these cases, snacks between meals should always be considered and framed in the overall style and type of diet followed during the rest of the day:

“You cannot say that this or that food is better than another if it is consumed as a snack, because with the exception of everything that is considered processed foods (which are not justified at any time), opting for a banana, a handful of nuts, a carrot or yogurt (options considered ‘suitable’) between meals It does not depend so much on the food itself but on the overall context of the diet.and that is why it is so important, especially when following a weight loss plan, that a professional has personalized the dietary treatment to follow.”

These are the health consequences

Precisely, keeping these intakes “at bay” in the context of the daily diet and managing them properly are the key to avoiding their possible negative effects on health, according to Vázquez. “Snacking all day, outside of meal times, ends up producing metabolic deregulation, since we ‘trick’ the neurotransmitters related to feelings of satiety and appetite, to the point of ‘cancelling’ them and acting as if we didn’t have them. The main consequence of this is that it clearly favors the development of both obesity and other metabolic disorders.”


This has been demonstrated by several investigations that studied the relationship between snacking and the risk of obesity and its associated pathologies (dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, increased levels of triglycerides and uric acid…).

Furthermore, the impact of this dietary behavior is also reflected at other levels, such as oral health. The Spanish Society of Periodontology and Osseointegration (SEPA) reminds us that a diet rich in refined carbohydrates, added sugars (especially soft drinks) or saturated fats – all of which are present in most of the most common snack options – It is associated with the appearance of gingivitis and considerably increases the levels of inflammation in the body. which, as these specialists point out, “is at the origin of many chronic non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and also periodontitis.”

When and how to snack “healthily”

Scientific evidence has confirmed that The effects of these snacks on health depend mainly on two variables: the time of day in which they are consumed and the type or quality of the snack that “stars” in these snacks. Among the most recent studies on the subject, those carried out by the group led by Kate Bermingham, from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at King’s College London (United Kingdom) and framed in the Zoe Predict Project, stand out.

These researchers have analyzed, from different perspectives, the relationship between the quantity, amount and timing of snacks consumed and changes in cardiometabolic parameters in the blood (lipids and insulin). Regarding the snack schedule, The night clearly proved to be the most “dangerous” time.since it was seen that eating it at these times is associated with more unfavorable levels of these parameters than those observed when snacking at other times of the day.

In line with this, Vázquez points out that “in principle, the ‘healthiest’ times to eat are generally the first hours of the day due to our circadian rhythm: The body is prepared to expend energy during daylight hours and, on the contrary, that capacity ‘sleeps’ or ‘dilutes’ in the afternoon/night.. This regulation of the body clashes with the pace of life and exhaustive days of a large part of the population, who generally eat much more frugally during the day than at night, which in practice means completely breaking with the rhythm. circadian.”

According to the specialist, It must be taken into account that the ability to store and not waste what one eats increases after approximately 8:00 p.m.“coinciding with the time when many people come home (especially in winter) and have a snack-dinner and post-dinner almost continuously, and associated with a time of relaxation, which generally arrives very hungry due, most of the time, to not having eaten enough during the day”.

To avoid these situations and adapt snacks to the circadian rhythm as much as possible, Dr. Vázquez advises following more or less the following scheme:

“Eat a complete and sufficient breakfast, which includes protein, slow-absorbing carbohydrates, some fat (preferably olive oil and occasionally butter) and a fruit (whole, not juice). If you don’t have time to have breakfast, part of that breakfast can be made as a snack or mid-morning snack.: a montadito (to provide bread, which is a slowly absorbed carbohydrate); a yogurt with oats; a yogurt with nuts; or one or two pieces of fruit.”

The post-workout snack ‘trick’

Exercise practice is another factor that can determine both the “suitability” of snacking and the type of snack. Vázquez explains why: “During exercise, muscle glycogen begins to be consumed. However, in those people who restrict carbohydrates and exercise a lot (something we encounter very frequently in the office), These glycogen stores are scarce or non-existent, so protein is consumed when exercising, with the risk that this has for the maintenance of muscle mass.. Therefore, if you regularly practice physical exercise, especially intensely, you must include slow-absorbing carbohydrates in your diet.”

As for the snacks, The “ideal time” is right after intense exercise: “This is a specific period in which we can treat ourselves to eating foods richer in glucose (sugar) that we prohibit at another time and opt for carbohydrates that are absorbed more quickly, because that amount of carbohydrates will be used to replenish glycogen reserves. That is the reason why athletes consume a banana or juice immediately after training or competing,” says Vázquez, who highlights that it is also advisable that these snacks are rich in magnesium (chocolate, nuts) to replace losses in this mineral associated with physical activity.

Fruit and other recommended snacks: the whole truth

According to data from Kate Bermingham’s team, the most determining factor regarding the impact of snacks on cardiovascular health is their quality: low-quality snacks (ultra-processed in general, and sweets and pastries in particular) not only significantly raise insulin and triglyceride levels, but They are also associated with an increase in feelings of hunger. Another piece of information revealed by the research is that those who opt for this type of snack snack more frequently and in larger quantities.

As for “healthy” snacks (that is, those that do not produce this negative effect), those identified by the study coincide with those that usually top the list of “recommended” ones: seeds, nuts, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

However, For these snacks to fulfill their function as “food suitable between meals” they must be consumed in compliance with a series of conditions.. “In the case of fruit, if taken alone it is not completely effective in this sense since despite being a food rich in fiber, the carbohydrates it provides are quickly absorbed (that is, they are not very satiating), That is why it is always advisable to accompany your intake with foods that have slow absorption carbohydrates (a couple of nuts, for example). In this way, a glucose peak is prevented from occurring, which in turn generates an increase in insulin secretion that can lead, as a rebound effect, to greater appetite,” says Vázquez.

As for nuts and chocolate, it is important to control the quantity, taking into account that they are not exactly low in calories. “Indeed, the paradox that both nuts and chocolate are recommended snacks to satisfy cravings or snacks, although these are important caloric sources, it is because these foods have the peculiarity that the satiety-calorie intake relationship is good, that is, they contain a high number of calories that are very satiating with a small amount. This is what makes them generally recommended, except for those people in whom nuts act as a ‘trigger’, meaning that when they start eating them, they cannot stop doing so.”

“To this advantage of satisfying a lot with just a few grams, we must add that they have a very healthy fat content (especially nuts) that has been shown to improve the metabolic profile. They are also a good source of magnesium and some provide a small amount of carbohydrates that contribute to increasing the feeling of satiety they produce,” adds the expert.