Eating at Lunch vs. Snacking: What’s Better?

Arrowhead High School students were asked if they prefer to snack throughout the day or to eat everything during their lunch hour.

Arrowhead senior Rebecca Frazier said, “I definitely like eating throughout the day, but I tend to eat my main meals and only snack on occasion.”

For those who like to snack, snacking is a great way to keep you full throughout the day.  Snacking throughout the day is popularly believed to increase your metabolize; however, according to Nutrition Diva, snacking actually slows down your metabolism. People who eat only three meals a day tend to have a faster metabolism than those that eat their three main meals plus a few snack throughout the day. On the other hand, according to Nutrition Diva, it is okay to snack as long as your snack is healthy.

Arrowhead senior Jessica Schlise said, “I like to snack sometimes, but I pretty much just eat all my food at lunch. If I were to snack, I would probably just eat an apple or something like that. I heard that snacking was good for you, though.”

Some nutritionists, such as Jorge Cruise, have made claims that eating every three hours will speed up your baseline metabolic rate, decrease appetite, and increase energy levels. But most nutritionists disagree with this Cruise’s statement. According to medicinenet.com, consistently eating three meals a day is better for our metabolism than eating six smaller meals.

Fraizer said, “I think snacking is good, but I eat all my main foods at lunch. I have a sandwich, my Capri Sun, and a granola bar for lunch almost every day. If I get hungry later I grab a quick small thing to eat like some grapes.”

Schlise said, “I know a lot of people that only snack. It seems like they are always eating or have food with them and they seem to be pretty healthy. I love snacking I just don’t have that kind of time to prepare all these different snacks for the day.”

According to Food and Health with Timi Gustafson R.D. a good way to avoid gaining weight is to eat three meals a day. If you get hungry you can have something small and healthy that will tie you over till meal time, but don’t make it a habit.