An online research survey has been created to gather opinions from snack lovers about differing foods, particularly how nutritious they appear to be. 

Responses will be compared to those of professional dieticians to gauge discrepancies and, in the long term, improve packaging information.

The survey is part of a larger project, started by the University of Newcastle last year.

They have surveyed nearly 100 people but are looking for another 200 to go online and take their survey.

“The idea behind the project is that snacking in general has become more important in society because people are out of home more often and eating to less strict meals,” chief investigator Dr Tamara Bucher, from the UON Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, said.

“Snacking has an important role to provide good nutrition and a high part of daily energy for consumers.”

The study aims to try to help people make better nutrition choices when they are selecting snacks by making it “easier” to see the nutritional value without even picking up the products.

“In our previous snack studies we’ve observed that people don’t really consider portion size,” Dr Butcher said.

“So with a small piece of chocolate and a larger quantity people didn’t consider the nutritional difference – we tend to focus on what we eat, not on how much.

“It’s confusing because food labels show standardised amounts such as ‘100 grams’ or ‘per serve’, which is not actually what people eat.

“The amount is very important, of course, especially when you’re trying to manage weight or you’re buying snacks for children.”

The survey shows photographs of 21 different junk foods and healthier snack choices in small and large sizes then asks consumers to rate the nutritional score.

“There’s no right or wrong answer because snacking is not necessarily a bad thing – it all depends on what you snack on and how much,” Dr Bucher said.

“With a portion of nuts, for example, 30 grams is a good amount but 100 grams might be too much.

“There are no official recommendations, so ideally we would like to see a front-of-pack label showing whether the snack is good for you, or not, in the actual amount that it comes.”

The survey can be accessed at www.tinyurl.com/uonsnackstudy.

Meanwhile, UON food scientists are conducting a study that is sure to please those with an appetite for healthy snack products.

Participants get to taste-test a chocolate-coloured energy bar containing all-natural ingredients that was hand-made in the UON food labs. They can eat as much or as little as they want.

It is being conducted at the UON Callaghan campus. Phone 0435 922 012 or email matthias.weltert@newcastle.edu.au for more details.