We have all seen the sitcoms where families congregate around the dinner table to share daily meals. We also know that in our modern, fast-paced society, this tradition has become old-fashioned.
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Noticing this trend, the makers of LUNA bar — the nutrition bar for women — funded a study by the Institute for the Future titled "The Power of Snacking," which discusses current and future trends in snacks and meals.
On Wednesday, Jan. 25, LUNA sponsored a discussion about eating habits. The panel included NYU professor Amy Bentley of the Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health department in Steinhardt.
The most important trend noted by all of the panelists is that snacks used to be considered a bad thing because they showed weakness and were thought of as a sign of poor health. Now that people are so busy, however, snacks are becoming an important part of our day, and they are no longer something to be ashamed of.
"Women in their twenties are not generally at home during mealtimes," said Rachel Maguire, the research director of the study. "They either work all day and go to school at night, or go to school all day and work at night. Either way, they don't have time for a normal dinner."
The panelists emphasized the significance of snacks as part of a healthy lifestyle.
"Women's magazines try to help women have a positive attitude towards snacks and cravings," said Amy Bright of Women's Day magazine. "A snack in and of itself is not a bad thing. We try to publish articles about how to control cravings and encourage healthy snacking."
Although snacking is an important part of the modern diet, snacks should not completely replace classic meals.
Bentley laid out the structure of a meal, in scientific terms, as a large portion of protein and two equal-sized portions of a vegetable and a starch.
"It can be all mixed together, like in a stew, but all three elements need to be there to constitute a meal in people's minds," Bentley said. "A meal needs to be more balanced and healthy. It's hard for me to imagine meals going away entirely."
The take-home message of the night came from the house dietician for LUNA and Clif bars, Tara Dellolacono.
"We want to emphasize the power of positive snacking," she said. "It helps you to maintain energy, curb hunger and distribute calories throughout the day."
For more information on "The Power of Snacking," visit www.thepowerofsnacking.com.
