I get questions about snacking all the time: “What should I have for snacks?” or “Is this a healthy snack?” While I’ve written essays about what to snack on, people do seem to have trouble with their snacking. What is the difference between a meal and a snack?
While it’s easy to know which is which when you’re following a structured plan like The Real World Diet, most people don’t consciously plan their meals. When you buy a 400-calorie package of cookies from the vending machine or eat a plate of finger foods at a company cocktail party, do you consider those “snacks” or “meals”? You might eat more later if you’ve mentally tagged that food a “snack.” Is It a Meal, or Is It a Snack?
