Those quarantine snacks sure look like tempting. But try to eat them in moderation, says Dr. Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, who studies neurobiology and nutrition at Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
Pandemic or not, Berthoud reminds us: “The nutritional value of natural foods is so much better than the nutritional value of snack foods. The more processed the food is, the less nutritionally rich.”
There isn’t one single answer for why we want to constantly snack, according to Berthoud. But for some, he says, the urge to snack could be tied to genetic obesity.
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Berthoud does think the stay-at-home order has a silver lining: Families can now cook together more often.
When cooking, you’ll want to incorporate carbohydrates and proteins into your diet. But you don’t need to eat meat every day, Berthoud says. Eating a portion of meat two to three times per week is enough. Instead try to opt for protein from beans, vegetables or fish, which is filled with unsaturated fats that can improve heart health and your overall immune system.
He also says some of that family time should include healthy activities pre-dinner, such as going for walks for an hour or two per day to achieve at least 10,000 steps per day. And when you leave the house for essential services, take the stairs and park farther away from store entrances.
Exercise also means you don’t have to spend as much time constantly watching your calories—just don’t take it too far.
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“When doing exercise, you can eat a little more [afterward], but for some people this is not productive because they’ll just pig out and eat a lot—a whole lot,” Berthoud says.
Drink lots of water (and skip the sugary sodas!), and get at least eight hours of sleep per night to boost your immune system.
“These,” he says, “are small behavioral steps to change your habits for the better.” Those habits might also help the quarantine snacks last a little longer, too.