Eating More Can Help People Weigh Less

Eating more can actually help people weigh less, but experts say it's what people eat that matters most when it comes to snacking and losing weight.

For those who head directly to the vending machine for a snack, nutritionists say stop before delving in.

Snacking, however, can be beneficial.

Denise Galownia, a nutritionist at Trinity Health System, advised that people each natural snacks like carrots, celery and fruits.

She said portion amounts depend on a person's gender. A man can eat about 250 calories worth of a snack. For example, he could have a cup of skim milk, a piece of fruit, three graham crackers, six vanilla wafers or six Triscuit crackers. A woman should only have milk and fruit or crackers and fruit.

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She also said snacking depends on the time of day. In general, snacking should be a couple of hours after each meal, so the day rounds out to be three full meals and two or three snacks.

Finally, as a general rule, stay away from foods high in concentrated fat and white simple sugars.

"When you are snacking, something whole wheat is better because anything with fiber will fill you up," Galownia said, adding that whole wheat breaks down in the body more efficiently and will last to the next meal.

She recommended snacking on a combination of foods -- the healthier the better.

"It all depends on your eating patterns and how you want your eating patterns to be," she said.