You have put the snack biscuits away in the cupboard and, proud of yourself, you are now digging into a bowl of almonds, hazelnuts and raisins. The gesture seems impeccable, almost exemplary. However, the scale refuses to budge, even climbing slowly week after week.
In France, almost a third of adults say they have a snack or snack every day, and 37% believe they eat too much sugar, while three quarters say they take care of their health and their weight. Many have therefore swapped cakes and chocolate bars for dried fruits… without realizing that this “healthy snack” can actually cause weight gain.
The healthy snack very high in calories
The famous mixture brings together nuts, almonds, seeds, dried fruits and sometimes chocolate chips. On paper, everything is fine: fiber, proteins, “good fats”. In practice, its energy density explodes. Almonds or walnuts are around 575 to 650 kcal per 100 g, and a bowl of around 60 g of mixture can approach 350 kcal, the equivalent of a small meal. “If you are primarily sedentary, this may not be the best snack choice“, according to Lauren Manaker, a dietitian interviewed by Eating Well.
International recommendations suggest limiting added sugars to less than 10% of daily intake. “It may also be helpful to know that 4 grams of sugar is about 1 teaspoon and the limit can be about 6 to 9 teaspoons per day“, adds Amanda Sauceda. This very sweet mixture quickly eats into this “quota”, especially if the snack is added to sweet drinks or desserts.
Added sugars and snacking in front of screens: the cocktail that traps
Behind the healthy image are often candied fruits, raisins coated in yogurt, candies or milk chocolate. “Added sugars are a main reason why the mixture can sometimes contribute to weight gain“, explained Amanda Sauceda to Eating Well. In 2011, a Chinese study showed that a snack mainly composed of fresh fruit, around 175 kcal per day, on the contrary helped to regulate the body mass index of children, proof that the problem mainly comes from the composition and caloric density.
Another pitfall: the way to consume this mixture. In front of the computer or the television, we chain the handles together without thinking about it. “It’s easy to lose track of how many you’ve eaten,” observed Lauren Manaker. However, many nutritionists recommend a portion of 20 to 30 g, or a small handful, around 20 almonds; beyond that, the calories accumulate very quickly, especially in people who are not very active.
How to keep dried fruits on the menu without weighing down the snack
Dietitians emphasize two levers: selecting simple mixtures and controlling quantities. Better is a mixture without added sugars, composed of plain nuts and seeds, possibly supplemented with a little dark chocolate. “I recommend pre-portioning serving sizes into snack-sized plastic bags as soon as you get home from the store, so you’re not tempted to snack on more than a handful” advises the dietitian. This habit limits automatic snacking and puts the 20 to 30 g portion back at the center of the game.
Alternating this mixture with other light snacks also helps control the calorie intake of the snack. Among the options often proposed by dietitians:
- A fresh fruit with 5 to 10 plain almonds;
- A Greek-style yogurt with a spoonful of nuts and a few berries;
- Vegetable sticks with hummus or guacamole;
- Air-popped popcorn, lightly salted and rich in fiber.