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by Meryl Davids Landau
Although more than half of Americans say they try ‘to avoid snacking, some nutrition experts are coming to believe that eating frequently throughout the day, rather than just three square meals, might actually keep you thinner and healthier.

A recent study by German researchers of 4,000 preschoolers found that kids who ate three or fewer regular meals a day were nearly twice as likely to be overweight as those who nibbled five times or more. Surprisingly, notes study author André Michael Toschke, M.D., MPH, of Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, those who ate extra meals consumed more calories each day, although they were more likely to munch on healthier fare like salads and fruits and less likely to eat pastries and candy bars than the others. “Clearly, the healthy food composition is important,” Toschke says.

Experts aren’t sure why eating frequently might make a difference (and some studies have not found that it matters). Research from the 1990s suggests that insulin may play a role, since the hormone’s production over 24 hours is lower with small, frequent meals. Since high insulin levels affect blood glucose levels, eating more often might make you feel less hungry and may also keep the body from storing calories as fat.

Perhaps the biggest benefit to snacking is psychological. “People trying to lose weight often avoid food for long stretches, then overindulge when they finally give in,” says David Katz, M.D., director of Yale’s Prevention Research Center and author of The Flavor Point Diet. Keeping a variety of nutritious offerings on hand to eat whenever you get hungry, he says, nips the binge in the bud.

A DIET YOU CAN LIVE WITH

The following sample food choices aim to give you ideas for how to happily and healthily graze through your day. Remember to keep portion sizes small and to drink plenty of water.

    Breakfast options
  • bran flake or whole oat-ring cereal or oatmeal with banana and lowfat or skim milk
  • bran muffin with fresh-squeezed orange juice
    Late-morning snacks
  • nonfat fruit yogurt
  • medium whole wheat or raisin bagel with a tablespoon of peanut butter
  • fat-free yogurt with sunflower seeds sprinkled in
    Lunch choices
  • chicken salad sandwich with mustard on whole wheat bread and a tomato/cucumber salad with lowfat dressing
  • scoop of tuna with tomato wedges, cucumber slices and a sprinkle of almonds on romaine lettuce with lowfat dressing
  • skinless chicken breast, slice of reduced-fat cheese, lettuce, tomato and lowfat mayonnaise on whole wheat bread, with a cup of melon cubes
    Mid-afternoon snacks:
  • small fruit cocktail or canned pineapple in juice
  • handful of almonds and raisins
  • cup of orange or apple juice
  • a slice of whole wheat bread with a dollop of lowfat cottage cheese
    Dinner ideas
  • 3 ounces beef with fat-free gravy, green beans, baked potato and whole wheat roll
  • 3 ounces turkey meatloaf with a baked potato topped with a bit of lowfat cheese, a side of collard greens and a whole wheat roll
  • a cup of spaghetti with meatless marinara sauce and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, cooked corn and a salad of spinach, carrots and mushrooms with lowfat dressing
    After-dinner snacks
  • small apple and cup of lowfat milk
  • medium fresh peach
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