Study finds American adults eat a meal's worth of calories when snacking

BOSTON - American adults tend to eat a meal's worth of calories in snacks, according to new research.

A new study from Ohio State University looked at the dietary habits of more than 20,000 Americans and found that snacks make up almost a quarter of the total calories consumed in a given day and account for about a third of daily added sugar.

Snacks tend to be convenience foods high in sugar, fat, and salt but are usually light on protein, fruits, and vegetables and therefore offer no real nutritional value. One silver lining was that people with diabetes tended to have healthier snacking habits.

Registered dietitians recommend planning your daily snacks much like you plan your meals so that you're mindful of what nutrients you're consuming each day.

In:
• Health
• Food & Drink

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

Twitter Facebook