You do not need to snack between meals — and for most people over 75, it can do more harm than good. The one good reason to snack is when you are sharing food with others. That kind of eating is genuinely good for you. Just make sure what you share is worth eating.
Is snacking normal — and does it actually help?
Snacking means eating or drinking between main meals. Studies show that 95% of adults have at least one snack a day, and snacks make up about a quarter of all the calories people eat.[1] Even so, there is little evidence that snacking regularly does you any good — especially after 75.
- Curb hunger — Good snacks like nuts or fruit do help. But poor snacks like biscuits or crisps tend to make you feel more hungry, not less.[1]
- Add useful nutrients — For most people, snacks add extra calories but not much extra nutrition compared with three good meals.[2]
- Help your metabolism — How often you snack, or how much, has no proven link to body weight, blood sugar, or cholesterol.[1]
Snacking is not good or bad on its own — what matters is why you are eating and what you choose.
Why this matters more after 75
As we get older, appetite tends to shrink. The body produces less stomach acid, digestion slows, and hunger signals become weaker.[3] This means every meal and snack you eat carries more weight — nutritionally speaking — than it did when you were younger.
If you fill up on biscuits, salty crackers, or sweet drinks between meals, you are less likely to feel hungry at mealtimes. And main meals are where most of your protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals should come from.[4] Poor snacks can quietly push out the foods your body needs most.
A large review found that sugary, salty, high-calorie snacks are linked to raised blood pressure, weight gain, and poor blood sugar control.[2] These effects are harder for older adults to reverse, so the quality of every bite matters more than it did before.
The simple rule: if you snack, have a good reason. The best reason is sharing food with someone else.
What makes a snack helpful — or harmful
Not all snacking is the same. Research points to five things that make the real difference.
The ZOE PREDICT study — one of the largest nutrition studies of its kind — found that what you eat matters far more than how often you snack.[1] People who chose good snacks (nuts, seeds, fruit, yogurt) had lower blood sugar, healthier blood fats, and felt less hungry afterwards. Those who chose poor snacks (cakes, biscuits, sweets) fared worse on all counts.
Highly processed snacks — crisps, chocolate bars, packaged pastries — were linked to higher body weight and worse health markers, even when eaten in the same amounts as natural foods.
Simple rule: choose foods that grew in the ground or on a tree, or something with very few ingredients like plain yogurt or a boiled egg.
The ZOE PREDICT study found that people who snacked in the morning tended to choose better foods and had better health results. Those who snacked mainly in the evening — especially after 9 p.m. — had higher blood sugar levels and poorer blood fat readings.[1]
Your body handles food better in the first half of the day. Late-evening eating can also disturb your sleep and push up blood sugar overnight — something worth avoiding as you get older.
Try to stop eating — snacks included — at least two to three hours before you go to bed.
One of the main problems with snacking is eating when you are not actually hungry — out of habit, boredom, or because the television is on.[2] This adds calories without satisfying real hunger, and can leave you eating less at mealtimes when it matters most.
After 75, your appetite is already smaller than it used to be. Eating between meals without real hunger makes it harder to eat enough of the right foods at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Before you reach for a snack, ask yourself: am I actually hungry? Try a glass of water first — thirst is often mistaken for hunger.
Eating with others is one of the best things you can do for your health. Studies show that loneliness and isolation in later life raise the risk of heart disease, memory problems, and early death — quite apart from diet.[5] Sharing food with friends, family, or neighbours helps tackle all of that.
The food itself still matters. But the act of sitting down together carries its own real health benefit. A plate of nuts and fruit on the table, a pot of yogurt with berries, or some cheese and oatcakes — simple, welcoming, and good for everyone.
When you share food with others, think of it as two good things at once: nourishment for the body and company for the mind.
Keeping your muscles strong is one of the most important goals as you get older. Protein is what your body needs to do that — and most people over 75 do not eat enough of it.[4] Spreading protein through the day, including at snack time, can help your muscles stay strong.
Good protein snacks — Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, a boiled egg, or a small handful of nuts — give your body something useful without dulling your appetite for the next meal.
If you snack, make it count: aim for something with at least 10–15 g of protein.
Simple ways to make better choices
Get things ready before guests arrive
Put out a small bowl of nuts, some berries, or vegetable sticks with hummus before anyone arrives. You are much less likely to reach for biscuits if something better is already on the table. Most of these take five minutes and need no cooking. A small handful of nuts, for instance, goes a long way and looks welcoming without any fuss.
Check labels on packaged snacks
Many snacks labelled "healthy" — cereal bars, rice cakes, flavoured yogurts — contain quite a lot of added sugar or salt. When you buy packaged snacks, look for fewer than five ingredients on the label, no sugar listed in the first three ingredients, and at least 3 g of protein per serving.
Put good food where you can see it
We tend to eat what is in front of us.[6] A bowl of fruit on the worktop, yogurt at eye level in the fridge, and a jar of nuts within easy reach all make the healthy choice the easy choice — with no willpower required.
If you are going to snack, mid-morning is the best time — after breakfast has settled but well before lunch. Your body handles food best in the earlier part of the day. Try to stop eating, snacks included, by 8 p.m.
If you have diabetes, kidney disease, or take medicines that affect your appetite or blood sugar — including some blood pressure drugs or water tablets — please talk to your GP or a dietitian before making any significant changes to what or when you eat.
Snacks it is better to avoid
- Biscuits, cakes, and pastries — Mostly refined flour, sugar, and saturated fat. They raise blood sugar quickly and leave you feeling tired soon after.[2]
- Crisps and salty snacks — Very high in salt, which can push up blood pressure. Too much salt also draws calcium out of bones — something to be mindful of after 75.[3]
- Sweet drinks and fruit juices — Liquid sugar does not make you feel full the way solid food does. Even pure fruit juice raises blood sugar rapidly.[1] Water, milk, or an unsweetened herbal tea are far better choices.
- Cereal bars and "healthy" sweets — Despite the labels, many are high in added sugar and heavily processed. Always read the ingredients before assuming something is good for you.
Snacking at a glance
| Snacking scenario | Evidence-based view | Best choice |
|---|---|---|
| Eating between meals out of habit | Not needed; can reduce appetite for proper meals | Skip it unless you are genuinely hungry |
| Sharing food with others | Good for mood, connection, and overall health[5] | Nuts, fruit, yogurt, cheese and oatcakes |
| Eating late in the evening | Linked to higher blood sugar and poorer blood fats[1] | Stop eating 2–3 hours before bed |
| A protein-rich snack | Helps keep muscles strong — useful if your meals are small[4] | Greek yogurt, boiled egg, nuts, cottage cheese |
| Highly processed snacks | Linked to worse health outcomes regardless of how much you eat[1] | Avoid — swap for a whole food instead |
Scientific sources
- Bermingham, K.M., et al. (2023). Snack quality and snack timing are associated with cardiometabolic blood markers: the ZOE PREDICT study. European Journal of Nutrition (Open access). View article ↗
- Almoraie, N.M., et al. (2021). Snacking patterns throughout the life span: potential implications on health. Nutrition Research (Peer-reviewed review, 107 citations). View article ↗
- Bellisle, F. (2014). Meals and snacking, diet quality and energy balance. Physiology & Behavior (Peer-reviewed, 252 citations). View article ↗
- Deutz, N.E.P., et al. (2017). Protein intake and exercise for optimal muscle function with aging: Recommendations from the ESPEN Expert Group. Clinical Nutrition (Open access). View article ↗
- Holt-Lunstad, J., et al. (2015). Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspectives on Psychological Science (Open access). View article ↗
- Prapkree, L., et al. (2023). Snacking behavior is associated with snack quality, overall diet quality, and body weight among US college students. Nutrition Research (Peer-reviewed). View article ↗
- ZOE. (2024). Top 10 healthy snacks enjoyed by ZOE's members. ZOE Nutrition Library (Expert-reviewed). View article ↗
Good snacks to put on the table when you have company
All of these are easy to prepare, good for you, and suitable for sharing. Quantities below are for six people. None of them will send your blood sugar shooting up.