The subtle art of snacking

Sunday, 11 January 2026

What’s in a snack?

Well, it depends who you ask. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a snack is merely “a small amount of food that is eaten between meals”.

Of course, we all know it’s more than that: snacks can comfort, sustain, energise and inspire. It’s that slice of cake at the work morning tea when you know you really shouldn’t; a packet of chips when you’re starving on a long car journey; that sweet bar of chocolate as attention lags mid-afternoon; or an absent-minded biccy and cup of tea with your favourite Netflix show.

I’ve long believed in the importance of a good snack, and during my travels in recent months I’ve often fallen back on snacking when meal times became intermittent. As someone whose hunger quickly becomes hanger - hungry anger - it pays to carry an emergency stash.

But is that a good idea, and what’s the best approach for healthy snacking? To answer those questions, I went in search of the experts. First up: Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, which has an entire section on its website devoted to snacking. Yes, really.

“Snacks can help curb your hunger and provide an energy boost between meals,” reads our government’s official advice. But, Health NZ cautions, “it is important to remember that snacks are not meals, and some snacks are healthier than others”.

For more detailed advice I turned to Dr Cliff Harvey, a registered clinical nutritionist who is a researcher at AUT’s School of Science and CEO of the Association of Accredited Clinical Nutritionists.

“In general, most people are better off focusing on robust meals rather than snacking,” he says.

“The evidence suggests that when you concentrate on full, complete meals, you tend to create better overall dietary patterns - you get better protein sources, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense, mostly unprocessed foods. Snacks, you know, often end up being lower-quality convenience options, lower in key essential nutrients like protein and essential fatty acids.”

Dr Sylvia Goedeke, a dietitian and nutritionist at Fearless Nutrition, offers similar advice: it’s important to consider the content of your meals before you start on the snacks.

“I frequently meet clients who think they're a ‘snacky’ person, when after looking at their nutrition it's really because their meals as a whole are too low in protein so that they're left feeling hungry between meals,” Goedeke says.

Generally speaking, she adds, “it’s totally OK to snack if you need it”. A good rule of thumb is for meals to be between three and five hours apart; any longer than that is pushing how long the body is comfortable going without food, and that’s where snacking comes in.

On that note: the hungrier you get, the more likely you are to make bad decisions.

“The biggest behavioural pitfall is reaching for food when you've gone past that point of normal hunger,” says Harvey. “That's when you're far less likely to make a healthier choice and more likely to grab a convenience option that's high in sugar or heavily oxidised fats, e.g. deep-fried foods.”

And snacking will only go so far: “If you're really hungry, the best approach for most people is to stop, relax, and have a full, robust meal until you are satisfied.”

As we know, the reality is sometimes more complicated. We’re bombarded with advertising for fatty, sugary treats, and it’s all too tempting to stop for a quick hit that temporarily sates our hunger, with the promise of a proper meal to follow.

“Many popular snack foods, such as chips, lollies and biscuits, are ultra-processed foods. They are designed to be hyper-palatable, meaning they are highly enjoyable and are difficult to stop eating,” warns Health NZ. “If you eat lots of these foods, you can gain weight.”

Grazing for treats can sometimes take over completely, with the US-based 2020 Food & Health Survey from the International Food Information Council finding that 40% of respondents occasionally snacked their way through the day instead of stopping for a meal.

That grazing, says Goedeke, is “not a good idea”. “Small snacks across the day typically mean we're missing some of the key nutritional components of a healthy meal.

“The main pitfall with snacking isn't so much the issue with having small meals across the day, it's that the things we then reach for end up being ultra processed, and low in nutrients, particularly protein. This means the snacks aren't particularly filling for the amount of calories they provide, more likely leading to overeating.”

By this point I’m looking sideways at the croissants, chocolate bars and fizzy drinks that helped tide me over on train rides across Europe. They were delicious at the time, but apparently ultimately unhelpful, and never quite satisfied my long-term hunger.

What’s the secret, then, to a good snack?

“If you are going to snack, try to have something that embodies the elements of a good meal,” advises Harvey. “Good-quality protein, nutrient-dense elements like berries, fruit, veggies, and some healthy fats and/or carbohydrates.”

Goedeke recommends boiled eggs, protein yoghurt, fruit, biltong/bier sticks, and low-sugar nut bars.

And, crucially, plan ahead: “I think it's extremely helpful to have a routine when it comes to eating in general,” she adds, although “not necessarily a strict structure. If there is a pattern of impulsive purchasing, then I think having a healthy alternative on hand is a great idea.”

Looking into my travel satchel, it’s not all bad news. I routinely carry a small bag of mixed walnuts, almonds, sultanas and cranberries - “great for snacking and sharing” - with the occasional muesli bar thrown in. I’ve also gotten better at packing a sandwich, although that’s more cost-related.

Once again though, the undisputed snacking top prize goes to my banana holder. Bananas are my favourite fruit on the go, preferably unsquished, and my trusty plastic contraption was valued so highly that it made the cut when I reduced my life down to a suitcase. My snacking mantra: eat the banana first, and see if you’re still hungry.

And don’t feel bad about the occasional treat. Researchers from Sweden’s Lund University last year revealed in a new longitudinal study published in the Frontiers in Public Health journal that indulging in the occasional pastry, cake or chocolate bar may actually be related to good cardiovascular health.

Sweet music to my snacking ears.

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