Did you ever secretly stash the last few Girl Scout mints or Belgium chocolates in an upper cupboard to keep your beloved gremlins from polishing them off after-school?
Turns out, you are not alone! According to a new study from Smart LifeBite’s parent Crispy Green, two-thirds of moms are indeed hiding snacks from their kids and significant others so they don’t have to share them. The covert snacking habits are just a few of the interesting behaviors to emerge from a study of 2,000 women aged 21-45. In fact, almost three-quarters (73 percent) of those polled fessed up to sneaking a snack.
Here are some other highlights:
• Guilt & Embarrassment: 7 out of 10: Women in the study said they felt guilt over eating a snack. 42 percent said they’d felt embarrassed over their snacking habits.
• Snacks in Hiding: One in four of the women polled said they’re currently hiding a snack in their home or apartment.
• Closet Eaters: Two-thirds of the women said there’s a particular snack in their life they have to fight to resist, even though they know it’s not the healthiest thing for them, and more than half have cheated with covert snacking while on a diet.
• Good news: Most women (58 percent) have a clear conscience about their snacking, and aren’t guilt ridden when they secretly hoard the truffles, they just want to eat them in peace. And most (52 percent) aren’t eating to fill a sadness void.
• Chips! The top snack pick preferred by women in the study is chips (70 percent) followed by candy (60 percent) and cookies (58 percent) and then fruits and veggies.
Top snacking foods among women between 21 and 45:
1. Chips
2. Candy
3. Cookies
4. Fruits/Veggies
5. Nuts
6. Popcorn
7. Crackers
8. Ice cream
9. Yogurt
10. Pretzels
Since our readers come to Smart Lifebites to find healthy lifestyle info, you’re probably already snacking on healthier choices; however, for some inspiration, check out some of our faves!