Snacking Consumption Among Adults in the United States: A Scoping Review

• Published in: Journal of nutrition education and behavior Vol. 55; no. 7; pp. 12 - 13
• Main Authors: Enriquez, Jean Pierre, Gollub, Elizabeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.07.2023
• Subjects: diet; energy intake; food choices; food quality; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Internal Medicine; nutrition education; protocols; weight control
• ISSN: 1499-4046
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2023.05.029

Snacks are a staple of the American diet, with most U.S. adults consuming 1 to 3 snacks/day. Snacks contribute approximately 20% of energy intake and can enhance or detract from a pattern of healthy eating. Yet, few reviews have focused on snacking specifically among U.S. adults. To characterize snacks and snacking occasions of U.S. adults, to further inform healthy eating practices. : The protocol was prepared following the PRISMA-Extension for Scoping Reviews. Three web databases were used to identify articles using snacking or eating occasions as primary or secondary outcomes among U.S. adults. A search strategy was developed using subject headings, truncation, and phrase-searching in the title and abstract of articles published between 2010 and 2022. A two-stage screening process was used, during which 31 of 4795 publications were identified as meeting inclusion criteria. Data was extracted into Excel and key findings were thematically analyzed. Snacking tends to be an individual eating event but has not universally applied definition. Three basic themes related to snacking were identified: consumer cues and motivations, snack and meal frequency, and diet composition and weight management. The primary characteristics of snacking emerged as: quality (healthy vs. unhealthy), timing (throughout the day, outside typical meal times), and convenience (grab-and-go). The influence of snack timing on food selection and quality was highlighted. Among adults, snacking influences consumption of energy and critical nutrients. Snacking can be driven by internal or external cues but ultimately, reflects individual decisions that could be influenced through nutrition education. A standard definition of a snack could strengthen snack-based information and could further progress development of policies and nutrition programming, ultimately contributing to diet quality, health, and wellbeing. None