Most of us tend to habitually graze throughout the day, but if you want to lose weight you have to be mindful about your snack choices.
It is possible to shed fat whilst still enjoying nibbles, as long as they are nutritious, filling and not too high in calories. One expert claimed that women in their 40s and 50s can lose weight without cutting calories by incorporating a particular food group into "every single snack".
On the other hand, some snacks can totally derail your weight loss progress. Pots of yoghurt with fruit compote at the bottom may be one of these, a "sugar bomb in disguise".
Fitness expert and trainer Brad Gouthro from Live Lean TV said: "When done correctly, snacking can keep your blood sugars balanced, keep you satiated until your next meal, keep you energised and keep that fat-burn switch turned on 24 hours a day.
"But when done incorrectly, snacking can make you store more body fat, make you feel more hungry and cause more energy crashes throughout the day."
'In most cases, the fruit flavouring is just a sugar bomb in disguise'
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He explained that most people snack on around 600 calories per day - and sometimes more - which is roughly 30 per cent of your requirements if you aim for 2000 calories per day. The NHS guidance is that the average man needs 2,500 calories a day, while the average woman needs 2,000. This can vary depending on age, weight, height and physical activity.
Because so many of us snack so often, it's important to get it right when we do. Brad named the six "fattening" ingredients to avoid when snacking, claiming that most of the processed nibbles we reach for contain at least three of the six. These are artificial flavours, processed vegetable oils, refined grains, refined sugars salt and in some cases, processed dairy.
According to the expert, one fattening snack to avoid is one that actually appears healthy at first glance: fruit-sweetened yoghurt.
Brad does not mean natural yoghurt topped with fruit, but yoghurt pots with "fruit" compote at the bottom.
Brad added: "The process of drying the fruit significantly increases the rate at which your body absorbs the sugar."
This causes the blood sugar to spike and the production of that fat-storing hormone insulin. Just stick with real fruit."
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The expert urged slimmers to check the sugar content of their pre-packaged fruit juices and smoothies
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In a similar vein, fruit juice and pre-packaged fruit smoothies may be curtailing your weight loss progress.
He urged slimmers to check the sugar content on their labels before consuming them, as they may find that it is unexpectedly high. According to Brad, "in most cases, it has more sugar than soda".
In other weight loss news, a dietician shared her recommended food and drink changes for real results.
