The stores of carbohydrates (glycogen) in the liver and muscles, which help maintain blood glucose levels, are depleted within 4 to 6 hours. Eating helps replenish them, and snacks help.Well thought out, the snack therefore fulfills a useful function. By stabilizing blood glucose levels, it prevents hunger pangs and may even help with weight loss. The problem is that many people snack without feeling hungry, while watching TV, reading, or just being idle. But, while a snack does not need to be rich, these snacks often consist of crisps, candies, chocolate or bars, high in fat and calories that are called “empty”. Entire shelves in supermarkets are devoted to bulk snacks and it is difficult to resist them.
Reason of having snacks
Between meals, you can treat yourself to a snack that is not too high in calories so as not to arrive at the table hungry and not to devour like an ogre. Taken at the right time, the snack does not interfere with the meal; it only fills a small hollow, especially in children. You can also eat an apple or yogurt before a meal that promises to be rich and abundant to resist greed more easily.
Some people prefer to have several small snacks rather than three large meals. It is a good solution for young children, whose stomachs, too small, do not allow them to eat enough at meals to meet their energy needs. The elderly eat little at a time; having a snack or two during the day can help them eat a balanced diet. The same goes for convalescents.
Growing adolescents often eat irregularly; snacks provide them with a useful energy supplement. Athletes of all ages need extra energy, especially in the form of carbohydrates, the body’s main fuel. Pregnant women can suffer from nausea during the first months, heartburn and a feeling of gastric fullness at the end of pregnancy: a snack suits them better than a real meal.
