KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 — Comfort, to release stress and unwind.
These are among the key reasons why most Malaysians snack, a recent survey has found.
The consumer survey, which was conducted by snacking company, Mondelez International (Malaysia) in June this year managed to garner almost 300 respondents across Malaysia.
The survey aimed to gather insight on the snacking habits of people and their awareness on mindful eating and snacking while having to stay at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amongst the findings in the six sections survey were:
- Some 74 per cent of respondents chose snacking to de-stress and unwind while 42 per cent of respondents snacked to curb hunger between meals.
- In terms of their snacking routines, 67 pe rcent of respondents preferred to snack while watching TV and surfing the web while 51 per cent snacked while working or studying.
- The findings also indicated that the majority of respondents preferred to snack alone.
- Three out of five Malaysians favoured savoury snacks with taste as the most important factor when it comes to snacking.
- Although confined at home, 60 per cent of the respondents also showed interest in looking for tips to stay fit and active at home alongside browsing for quick recipes.
- When it came to their perspective on mindful snacking, 58 per cent defined it as a positive approach of eating with intention, reason, and attention while 30 per cent saw it as simply choosing between eating healthy and indulging in their favourites.
What affects snacking habits
Local nutritional education consultant Dr Satvinder Kaur said moods can influence one’s snacking habits.
“Snacking can be driven by moods. For example, if someone is stressed, they may turn to snacking as a form of release.
“Stress eating is tied to emotional eating so, for some individuals who’re feeling overwhelmed, they may turn to food or snacks as a source of comfort.
“Hence it is important to be mindful of what we are snacking on as it helps keep us in check,” she said.
In order to avoid stress eating, Dr Satvinder suggested that it was important for one to recognise that he or she was eating due to their own stress.
She added that it was crucial to take note of the choice of food when the stressful moment comes and proposed stocking up on healthier choices instead.
“Individuals should also focus on portion control. They need to know when it is too much. They can speak to a peer like a spouse or friend and tell them about this habit.
“When a peer sees you doing this, they can advise you to have some control. The more you talk about it, the more conscious and aware you will be.”
She said putting some thought into tasting the food can also be a key to mindful snacking in terms of awareness about the taste and texture of the food and deciding when it was enough.
She also recommended that snacking during the day was ideal as we were active, and our body was efficient in metabolising the energy compared to nighttime.
The nutritionist also shared three concepts of eating right which are balanced, moderation and variety (BMV), suggesting that Malaysians follow the local food pyramid table and the ‘Suku Suku Separuh’ meal as a guide.
Health and wellness advocate Sharifah Sofia said mindful snacking started at home and educating children on snacking mindfully was also important in the long term.
“When you start teaching them from a young age, they will grow-up with that mindset and automatically be mindful of what they are eating.
“Typically, at home, I try to stock my fridge up with fruits and occasionally, we will have a bar of chocolate,” she said, adding that she also taught her children about illnesses that can be caused by excessive sugar.
Besides that, for Sharifah, even though checking the nutrients labels is not one of her main concerns, she does pay attention to the sugar content of the snacks, and usually opted for choices labelled with low sugar instead.
*Note: A previous edition of the story contained an error which has since been corrected.
