Moderation is key when snacking

Knowing when to choose a healthy snack over a junk foods snack can make all the difference in your diet. Photo by Joseph Apodaca

Snacks can be a way for students to gain a little bit of energy during a class between breakfast and lunch, but they can also greatly affect your daily diet.

Since snacks are intended to be a small portion compared to a normal meal, it is easy to lose track of calories between Hot Cheetos, Oreos, and Sour Patch Kids that are always accessible at convenient stores across campus. However, thinking about what you eat as a snack and opting for something healthy will only benefit you, physically and mentally.

“The most crucial thing to look for when I am searching for a healthy snack is both the ingredient and calorie content,” said CSULB English student Amaryllis Velasco. “A diet consisting mainly of saturated fats and sugars tends to make a person feel tired and moody since they are not getting the proper nutritional value or fiber intake a person may get from natural fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains.”

More often then not, students either carry in their bag or purchase a snack to be able to eat if they were to get hungry during class. Going hungry in class can be distracting for students and the loss of concentration on the task at hand can hinder a student’s studies. The convenience of having a snack nearby when needed is key, but for some students, taste comes first before health.

“In my backpack I carry granola bars or crackers to snack on while studying, sometimes a bagel with cream cheese,” said Psychology major Carlos Gomez. “Honestly, [eating healthy snacks] is not very important [to me]. Well, at least not as important as it should be. I look for taste and convenience when snacking. The healthiness of the snack doesn't really factor in to my decision.”

Knowing what your limits are when it comes to snacking is extremely important. Even if you are on a structured diet within a certain calorie range, a bag of chips, cookies, candy, etc. can unknowingly send you over the edge if you are not mindful of what you are digesting. Keeping in mind healthy over junk food will ensure diet success, but that doesn’t mean indulgence is completely off the table.

“It is crucial for a person to stick to healthy snacks because it really is true when they say, "you are what you eat",” said Velasco. “However, that doesn't mean there isn't room for deviation. Surveys have shown that when a person learns to balance nutrition on a regular basis with the occasional junk food then that person is more likely to stick to a healthier lifestyle since they do not feel deprived and eat bits of everything in moderation.”