Quarantine snacking fixer-upper

The “battle of the bulge” gained a new foe this year: quarantine snacking. Sales of snack foods like cookies and crackers shot up in the early days of lockdowns, and recent consumer surveys are finding that people have changed their eating habits and are snacking more. We don’t yet have solid evidence that more snacking and consumption of ultra-processed food this year has led to weight gain. While memes of the “quarantine 15” trended on social media earlier this year, only a few small studies have suggested a link between COVID-19-related isolation and weight gain. But you don’t need scientific evidence to know if your waistband is tighter. Snacking is not just a weight risk Regular junk food snacking brings many risks. Processed foods are typically filled with loads of unhealthy saturated fats and high amounts of salt, calories, added sugar, and refined (unhealthy) grains. Eating too much of these foods can lead to increased blood sugar (which raises the risk for diabetes), constipation, or an increased LDL cholesterol level (which boosts the risk for heart disease). What you can do If your snacking habits are off the rails, here are some tips to get back on track. Keep junk food out of the house. Without junk food lying around, you won’t be tempted to eat it. Plan healthy snacks. Stock your refrigerator and pantry with healthy snack foods such as fat-free Greek yogurt, berries, chopped vegetables, nuts (walnuts, almonds), hummus, or whole wheat crack...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Diet and Weight Loss Healthy Eating Nutrition Source Type: blogs