Are you reaching for fruit to snack on or something bad?
The time in-between meals can often be spent thinking about food and snacking on it too. New research indicates that we’re a nation of stressed-out snackers and unhealthy snacks are paving the way in our diet.
We spend a staggering £47,000 on unhealthy snacks in a lifetime, according to the new research.
Such is the extent of the nation’s snack addiction, Brits are even skipping meals because they’ve filled up on unhealthy treats, with 36% of Brits admitting to skipping meals at least once a week, and some even confessing to skipping more than 10.
The research by Russell Hobbs revealed that one in five Brits admit to snacks making up 40% of their daily food intake and 45% admit that they have broken at least one diet this year because of being unable to resist a snack.
Vicky Williams, Marketing Director for Russell Hobbs, said: “It’s shocking to hear that as Brits we’re reaching for unhealthy snacks time and time again to see us through a stressful day – and spending so much money on it.
British women say that blame for this snack dependence lies with stress, whilst the office ‘treat table’ is named as a snacking trigger by 32% of women, with the food brought in by colleagues for birthdays, post-holiday treats and celebrations being all too tempting.
No surprise, then, that one in two Brits admit to treating themselves to at least one unhealthy snack every day, with 23% scoffing two to three unhealthy snacks a day.
Crisps, biscuits and chocolate are the trinity of favourite naughty snacks, but the trend for healthy snacking is on the rise - with one in ten Brits admitting they now reach for a piece of fruit rather than a calorie-laden treat. On the desk, food preparation products are also making healthy snacking more convenient for office workers.