A snack or two can help us get through the day, but it's easy to make unhealthy choices. Snack sensibly though and your health and waistline could benefit. Abi Jackson chews over the facts.

Right now, the media's full of reports about the rising obesity epidemic and the endless list of diseases associated with being overweight and having a poor diet, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

Not only is eating well important for weight management, but what we put into our bodies can also actively boost long-term health. If you're trying to lose weight, however, knowing exactly what to eat can be confusing, especially when it comes to snacking.

A recent survey of 2,000 British office workers by snack brand Popchips found that, while 72% said they started the day full of energy, most said they experienced slumps by the late morning, reaching for a snack at 11.30am.

Snacks are often seen as 'bad' when people are trying to lose weight, but ditching them altogether could be counterproductive.

"Snacks are certainly not the enemy," says British Dietetic Association spokesperson Sioned Quirke, whose website (www.quirkynutrition.co.uk) is full of useful information on healthy eating. "Of course, if we snack on unhealthy foods and drinks regularly, such as chocolate, sweets, biscuits, crisps and fizzy pop, these will significantly increase our calorie intake and affect our weight. That doesn't mean we can never have these foods, we just need to look at the frequency."

Ben Pratt, from leading health and fitness training provider Premier Training International (www.premierglobal.co.uk), agrees that letting yourself get too hungry can be detrimental.

"The hungrier you become - and we've all been there - the less wise your food choices are likely to be," he adds.

Being snack savvy could be beneficial to your waistline - and your health!

Make a meal of it

If snacking's a problem for you, start by looking at your main meals. If you're completely ravenous just an hour or two after a meal, then chances are that meal wasn't adequate.

"If we have a healthy, low GI (Glycemic Index) meal, this should sustain us until our next meal, but if we have a long gap between some meals, such as before the evening meal because of getting back from work late, then it's OK to have a snack to sustain us if we make a healthy choice," says Quirke.

Instead of vowing that you're only going to eat salad, or cutting out carbs altogether, look for a good balance of food groups and micronutrients.

Quirke's 'Quirky Portion Plates' - aimed at helping people trying to lose weight - feature a handy portion guide design, with half the plate reserved for vegetables and/or salad, a quarter for carbohydrates (potato, brown rice or pasta) and a quarter for protein (meat, fish, pulses, shellfish, egg).

However, though a mid-morning and afternoon snack's advisable, Quirke cautions against snacking late at night if you're slimming. "Your evening meal should satisfy you," she says, "and have plenty of fluids - lots of people forget to drink in the evening."

Hungry or thirsty?

"A very common mistake I see is hunger vs thirst," notes Quirke. "The chemical signal from the stomach to the brain is the same for hunger as it is for thirst, but many of us misinterpret it and assume we're hungry so grab a snack. Many people are actually dehydrated when they think they're hungry between meals."

Stay hydrated by drinking around two litres of fluid a day (but not sugary, fizzy drinks which are laden with empty calories - if you can't ditch fizzy drinks altogether, see them as a 'treat' rather than something you consume regularly). Guzzle water and you'll reap endless rewards like feeling more alert, better concentration and glowing skin, plus you could save yourself hundreds of calories per day. Tea (without adding sugar!) also counts towards hydration.

Fuel factor

Lots of people worry that eating before or after exercising will 'undo' all their hard work, but, Pratt explains, it isn't as simple as that - plus snacking could help ensure you get the most out of your workout.

"When you look at elite athletes, their diets are governed very closely, so a lot of the snacking they incorporate would be focused on trying to optimise their energy for their performance," he says. "For the average individual, they certainly wouldn't be after the same carbohydrate intake, but similar principles apply."

Avoid a hefty snack immediately before exercise, as the food will be sitting heavy in your stomach. Plus, in order for your food to be converted into fuel mode, you'll need to have given it a little time to 'get to work' - 45 minutes to an hour before exercising is ideal.

Snacking isn't crucial for every workout though. "If you're going to do a half-hour cardio session, the body's going to be capable of providing energy to sustain that type of activity," explains Pratt. "But if it's going to be an intense session and it's five hours since your last meal, your blood sugar's going to be pretty low, so you may need to take on extra fuel to sustain your energy."

He advises clients to combine micronutrients - some organic apple and cheese is a good pre-workout snack, or some fruit and then a small flapjack if you're still hungry.

If you're ravenous after your workout, that's your body's way of telling you it needs a nutrition top-up, so don't ignore it - just make sensible choices. "We're all familiar with the term 'working up an appetite'. The more activity you engage in, the more hungry you're going to become," says Pratt.

Make it a good'un

To reap the full health benefits of eating well, instead of asking yourself, 'What snack can I eat that's got the least calories?', look at which snacks pack the biggest nutritional punch too. Then mix it up a bit so you're not eating the same snacks every day - that way you'll get a wider range of nutrients and you won't get bored.

Quirke's top suggestions are fruit and veg or a handful of nuts and seeds or olives.

"Most of us don't meet our five-a-day aim, therefore snacking on fruit and veg can easily boost our intake," she says.

Nature's candy, bursting with antioxidants, will help towards strong immunity, bones and skin, as well as helping ward off diseases in the long-term.

Five super snacks

:: Fruit

Naturally sweet, bananas are high in soluble fibre so keep you feeling full for longer, plus they contain heart health-boosting potassium and are a good source of vitamin B6, important for immune function, while oranges, kiwis and apples are all high in vitamin C.

:: Raw veg

A handful of carrot batons is naturally low in fat and calories and packed with alpha and beta-carotene, which, when consumed regularly, have been linked with a reduced risk of certain cancers and heart disease. Alternate with some chopped raw pepper, to up your fibre and healthy carb intake. A bit of hummus will add flavour and protein.

:: Nuts and seeds

The ideal way to boost your brain and heart-boosting omega 3 intake, nuts and seeds can also be great sources of magnesium, zinc and selenium - cashews, walnuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds are all fab. A small handful's a useful guide, and - particularly important if you're watching your blood pressure - make sure they're unsalted!

:: Popcorn

Brilliant if you want volume but hardly any calories or fat (providing you stick to plain varieties). Popcorn's not oozing with nutrients but it is a good substitute for people who are cutting down on unhealthy habits.

:: Yoghurt

Sprinkled with some healthy cereal or oats or a few chunks of fruit, a plain yoghurt snack could be a great balance of healthy fats, carb, protein and calcium, as well as being delicious and satisfying.