Snacks provide one-third of ‘empty calories’ in US diets: USDA research

By Caroline Scott-Thomas

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Nutrition

Snacks provide one-third of ‘empty calories’ in US diets: USDA research
Snacks provide about one-third of all ‘empty’ calories for both men and women in the United States, according to new research from the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

‘Empty’ calories are those from solid fats and added sugars (SOFAS), which the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting, based on an individual’s specific calorie needs. But according to its ongoing What We Eat In America​ study, few Americans limit SOFAS as much as is recommended for good health.

The analysis of more than 5,000 adults’ snacking habits indicates that snacks provide about one-third (32 percent for women and 31 percent for men) of all daily calories from ‘empty’ calories, the researchers found. Average intake of SOFAS for men aged 20 and older was 923 calories per day – about two to three times their recommended limit – while the average for women aged 20 and older was 624 calories per day – about two to four times their recommended limit for SOFAS.

Researchers with the ARS’ Food Surveys Research Group, who conducted the study, said consumption of SOFAS is associated with increased caloric intake and decreased nutrient intake.

Meanwhile, market research organization Technomic finds that more Americans are snacking more often than ever before – with the proportion of respondents who said they snacked at least twice a day up 23 percentage points in just two years, from 25% in 2010 to 48% in 2012.

Technomic executive vice president Darren Tristano hypothesizes that this increase may reflect lower calorie content in restaurant and foodservice meals, as calorie labeling regulations have come into effect, leading consumers to find those extra calories between meals.

"Recent consumer research indicates that snacking is becoming a larger part of consumers' daily lives,"​ he said. "Pressure from the nutritional disclosure legislation has prompted the foodservice industry to reduce calorie counts in meals. As a result, Americans are now more inclined to "graze" throughout the day, seeking snacks that provide fuel between traditional meal parts."

However, there is an upside to increased snacking, according to Rhonda Sebastian, the nutritionist who led the ARS research. She said that snacks now account for about one-third of Americans’ daily fruit intake, which in general tends to be lower than recommended.

Related topics Markets The obesity problem

Related news

1 comment

Snacking and the Brain

Posted by William L. Wilson, M.D.,

Again I think this study creates a great deal of confusion. In my opinion a disease process almost always drives this type of snaking behavior.

It is now clear that excessive fructose primarily from sucrose and HFCS is the primary driver of insulin resistance and central obesity. When a person with insulin resistance consumes high glycemic carbohydrates their brain is subjected to magnified glucose spikes. Because glucose in high doses is toxic to nerve cells, over time these glucose spikes seem to trigger a chronic brain disorder characterized by a long list of brain dysfunction symptoms.

At this point people are often diagnosed with conditions such as depression, ADHD, PTSD, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, autism, bipolar II, fibromyalgia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, irritable bowel syndrome and other similar brain disorders. We now call this disease process Carbohydrate Associated Reversible Brain syndrome or CARB syndrome.

Because the brain plays a key role in auto-regulating fat stores, people with CARB syndrome start to store extra total body fat regardless of their caloric intake. The take home message is if you want to look healthy and have a functioning brain, you need to totally eliminate sugar and reduce your intake of high glycemic (rapidly absorbed) carbohydrates.

If you snack on real food—no problem. If you snack on typical junk food you will eventually fry your brain and destroy your health.

Report abuse

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars