Control Weight Snacks

Many people believe that if they eat multiple times a day, they are more likely to gain weight. But numerous studies that have been done on how the metabolism reacts to frequent food intake suggests that "it is advisable to avoid binge eating and spread the number of intakes on several occasions, such as 5 or 6," as reported by the site Consumer.es.

And, apparently, these investigations have found that when a person eats more times a day, the greater the caloric expenditure that his body will make during the process of digestion, absorption and assimilation of the nutrients found in food.

And last but not least, other studies have concluded that eating often (as long as healthy foods are involved) improves blood lipids (controlling "bad cholesterol") and optimizes the glycemic profile, as indicated by this same source.

According to a report by the South Beach Diet company, more than 50 percent of Americans eat snacks two to three times a day. The worrying thing is that 78 percent of consumers consume various snacks instead of enjoying a fit lunch.

What to do if you belong to the group of people who eat snacks all day, don't want to gain weight and care about staying healthy? We spoke with the experts of this food program and they recommended the following:

- Avoid snacks loaded with sugar, fat and calories. There are tasty and nutritious alternatives that are very easy to prepare.

- Examine the supposed "healthy snacks". Just because its name or packaging says 'healthy' does not mean it is. Many of them have all kinds of garbage, like artificial flavors and preservatives. Read the nutrition facts label.

- Choose snacks that you like. It doesn't have to be just carrots and celery. There are snacks like crunchy bars, high in fiber and protein, and creamy fruit smoothies that will keep you full and satisfied. There are so many quick and nutritious recipes you can try!

- Avoid snacks with artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols or grams of trans fat.