According to new research released by the Food Surveys Research Group, which is part of the USDA, American men get 31% of their daily calories from snacks, and women get 32%. And these calories are “empty” calories, since they provide little nutritional value.
The study is part of the national computerized dietary survey called “What We Eat in America.” The group studies data compiled from more than 5,000 adults 20 years of age and older.
The average intake from snacks for men was 923 calories per day. When broken out into fats and sugars, men are consuming two to three times the recommended daily limit of solid fats and added sugars.
Women are consuming 624 calories per day from snacks. That breaks down to two to four times the recommended daily limit of solid fats and added sugars.
But there is a positive side to this study. Snacks also provide a little more than 1/3 of the total daily fruit intake for both men and women. According to a National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, only 40% of all Americans eat an average of five or more 1/2-cup servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
