Good news for the snack-happy: Eating between meals may be a sign of overall healthier habits.
According to survey results published by market research company, the NPD Group, Americans with the healthiest overall eating habits were twice as likely to snack as their less-healthy counterparts. Put another way, those with the healthiest diets consumed 36 percent more snacks per year compared to the average American consumer. By comparison, those with moderately healthful diets ate just one percent more snacks per year than the average consumer.
But why? Analysts of the report, Snacking In America, point to shifting attitudes about the role of snacking mean that many people now view it as a healthful behavior. "“We are no longer as averse to snacking as we used to be – instead, snacking may be viewed as one way to improve healthy eating habits,” said Darren Seifer in the report.