"Snack Attack," an animation created by Eduardo Verastegui that's been viewed more than 53 million times, clearly exposes the passion that people often feel when it comes to their favorite snack.

One 2019 survey found that the average American spends about $29,000 over a lifetime on snacks, and almost a quarter of those folks admit they do it to treat or reward themselves — not because they're hungry. Almost 40% of respondents preferred sweets, while 34% opted for salty snacks.

A review of the ZOE PREDICT project, a group of large in-depth nutritional research studies, reveals that 70% of people snack twice a day. That adds up to a lot of extra, empty calories, accounting for up to 25% of your daily total.

Snacking isn't intrinsically bad for you. Dodging the harm that salty, sugar-added, highly processed snack foods do is easy if you choose your snacks for their fresh, pure flavors and healthy nutrients.

Multiple healthful snacky meals during the day can actually stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce the impulse to overeat. However, late evening snacking is associated with less-than-beneficial glucose and lipid levels.

My recommendation is to enjoy snacks between 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., and choose ones that help prevent premature aging. Those include fresh fruit, especially berries, watermelon, and citrus; nuts, especially walnuts; healthful smoothies such as the Vitality Smoothies and The Grape Escape in my "What to Eat When Cookbook"; and munchable veggies such as carrots and celery.