Snacking gets a bad rap but we can’t deny it’s fun – even if we end up covered in cake crumbs or find our computer keyboards sprinkled with bright orange crisp dust. The downside is that the nutritional value can be minimal and the joy short-lived.
But there are plenty of upsides to eating between meals. A little delicious top-up can provide a much-needed energy boost in a long afternoon by keeping your blood sugar levels up. Plus, snacking can actually help prevent overeating by stopping you from being too hungry when mealtimes arrive. And if that snack is a nut such as pistachio, it hits a whole host of nutrition goals and diverts us from grazing that’s not great for our wellbeing.
“There are multiple psychological functions that snacking can fulfil,” says chartered psychologist Anthony Thompson, founder of ThoughtLab, a consultancy that works with businesses. Though it may alleviate boredom, stress or offer a quick dopamine hit, he stresses that this doesn’t mean reaching for a handful of chocolate should be anyone’s core coping strategy. “However, when used strategically and occasionally rather than habitually, snacking can help to support wellbeing.”
Snacking itself isn’t inherently a problem: it’s overdoing it, and choosing the wrong foods, where it can go wrong. But it’s not as straightforward as, “just eat less then”. Where it gets complicated is that not every handful of crunchiness serves the same purpose.
Mindless munching
“Research indicates that snacking is actually several behaviours wearing the same disguise,” says Thompson. “A large study on unhealthy snacking motives identified a number of distinct psychological drivers such as opportunity (food simply being there), coping with negative emotions, marking an occasion, rewarding oneself, social pressure, and gaining energy. Almost none of these are really about hunger.”
It’s all too easy to eat a lot more than intended without thinking about it. Snacking can easily become something you do on autopilot, such as when answering emails, feeling stressed or reaching an afternoon slump. Over time, the brain begins to anticipate the reward, making us more likely to repeat the behaviour with very little conscious thought.
The cost of crunching
The reality is, overdoing it can take its toll on your body. Adults get as much as one-third of their daily energy intake from between-meal snacking, so choosing the right sources is paramount. A 2021 study linked unhealthy, low-nutrient snacks high in energy, sugar and salt to negative impacts on multiple elements of health including oral health, blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.
Nutrition is incredibly important as we age – at least six of the 10 leading causes of death can be partially addressed through diet according to one study. As we reach midlife, it’s common to face health issues such as muscle loss, weight gain, heart disease (for men in particular), high cholesterol and increased chances of everything from diabetes to cancer. Research from Age UK suggests that as many as 10 million middle-aged Britons are worried about their health as they get older.
Those worries are always there in the back of one’s mind, even when inhaling two bags of crisps mid-afternoon. But, since feeling stressed can be a trigger for snacking, that pang of anxiety about eating too much can easily prompt another trip to the vending machine …
The health-conscious solution
So how do you get the positive elements of snacking without the negative ones? The energy, enjoyment, relief and ritual of a nice break without the detrimental health effects and feeling of being trapped in an unbreakable cycle? Can you make grazing great again?
Potentially, with pistachios.
You have to work for them, with the shelling process deliberate and involved enough to feel rewarding. It’s an enjoyably tactile task for fiddly fingers, plus requires enough conscious effort that you are less likely to lose track and crunch through an unhinged amount. A pile of shells is compostable and looks like an achievement, a stark contrast to a pile of sweet wrappers, which looks both incriminating and could sit in a landfill for centuries.
But more importantly, pistachios provide all the satisfaction of a less healthy snack along with a lot more nutritional value. A 28g serving of shelled pistachios (about 49) includes 6g of complete protein (particularly useful in maintaining muscle mass) and other essential nutrients including vitamins B6 and E, riboflavin, iron, copper, manganese and magnesium. High in fibre and predominantly unsaturated fats, pistachios are a wholesome choice as part of a balanced diet. Replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels.
Rather than passively munching through a sharing bag of pretzels all on your own, engaging with a handful or two of pistachios across a long afternoon will leave you energised, focused and satisfied. If nothing else, your smear-free keyboard will thank you.
Controlled consumption: how to snack like a pro
-
Keeping snacks in a designated area rather than permanently within reach can reduce the mindless, “because it’s there” nature of snacking.
-
Before reaching for food, ask yourself what you actually need: it might be more about moving your body, getting some fresh air or taking a screen break.
-
Don’t be hard on yourself if you do indulge in the occasional less-sensible snack. Treating foods as forbidden can increase cravings and lead to overeating when you do indulge.
The power of pistachios – head to the American Pistachio Growers website to find out more about this nutritious nut
