Heads-Up: These Are The Three Times Of Day You Snack The Most

How to avoid snack o'clock

Sometimes it feels like snacking is best thing about the working day. Punctuating the hours with pauses to nibble on things that are delicious makes us happy when everything else is stressful.

But here’s the sad news we already knew: snacking on the right things, nutritious things – like raw vegetables and nuts – is not always easy to do.

The right things can certainly be delicious, the problem is nobody ever offers you some sunflower seeds with your cup of tea. They offer you a biscuit, and biscuits are also excellent.

A new survey from Forza Supplements has identified the times of day when people are most likely to snack, and potentially stray from healthy-eating plans they’ve committed to (or just clock unnecessary calories without a second thought).

The ‘danger zones’? They’re appealingly specific - snack o'clock occurs at 11.01am, 3.14pm and 9.31pm.

The mid-morning slump is when (if you’re not already reaching for a sugary kick solo) you’re likely to get involved in the office tea round, which is invariably accompanied by snacking opportunities that don’t feature carrots.

And again, social snacking can get you mid afternoon – your colleague offers you a custard cream, and you realise your mouth is already filling with saliva.

The researchers claim we can consume up to 750 extra calories during these three snack windows.

Around an hour before bedtime is also a time when you should be mindful about what you’re eating. The research suggests that the ritual of having a hot drink before bedtime often goes hand in hand on nibbling something sugary. Basically, it's best not to ask yourself, or anyone else ‘Do you want a cup of tea’ after dinner.

The study also warns against the temptations offered by coffee shops – stocked full of appealing drinks and snacks. The thing is, a standard latte packs 190 calories straight up, before you’ve even added sugar.