Digest

What is a healthy snack ?

The sugar story

There is often concern about the healthiness of snack foods with added sugar. However, the overall nutrient density and benefits of the snack needs to be considered. For example, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) state the following:

  • Added sugars are best used to increase the palatability of nutrient dense foods.
  • Plain low-fat and fat-free milk and yogurt, as well as flavoured versions containing moderate amounts of sugar, can help Americans get the recommended servings of dairy per day, while staying within daily calorie limits to help maintain a healthy weight.

The nutritional value of the whole foods needs to be considered - it's not just about sugarA recent paper by the American Academy of Pediatrics (47) suggested that nutritional value, portion size and overall diet quality are more effective methods of improving eating habits in children than focussing on elimination of added sugars. A little bit of sugar can help children to enjoy nutrient-rich food and drinks.

A NHANES analysis of added sugars in children’s diets found that flavoured yogurt contributes about 1% of added sugars to the diets of adults. In comparison, soft drinks contributed 28.1%. (48)

Food Sources of added sugar in diet of US adults (NHANES), adapted from Ref 48

Figure 3: Food Sources of added sugar in diet of US adults (NHANES), adapted from Ref 48

In general, sugar intakes need to be limited for good health. But, sugar makes food tasty! Small amounts as part of an overall healthy diet and lifestyle are perfectly acceptable. What’s important here is the matrix within which sugar is present: sugar in cakes and biscuits typically brings fewer nutrients than sugar in a pure fruit compote, or fruit yogurts.

In addition, in a recent study, El Khoury et al found that a strawberry yogurt with the same calories had a better palatability than plain yogurt and that this did not affect post-prandial blood glucose concentration and subsequent energy intake (49).

References:
47. American Academy of Pediatrics, Council on School Health, Committee on Nutrition. Snacks, Sweetened Beverages, Added Sugars, and Schools. Pediatrics. 2015; 135 (3).
48. National Dairy Council (Nutrition Impact, LLC analysis. Ages 2+ years, NHANES 2007-2008, 2009-2010). NHANES 2007-2010 food and beverage sources of added sugars in the diets of children (2-18 years) and adults (19+ years). Available from: http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=80-40-05-30
49. El Khoury et al. Increasing the protein to carbohydrate ratio in yogurts consumed as a snack reduces post-consumption glycemia independent of insulin. Clin Nutr, 33 (2014) 29-38

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