Taming the Snack Attack; How to Choose Healthy Snacks
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When you feel a snack attack coming on, what do you reach for? Is it a healthy choice? I'm guessing if you are reading this blog post then it's not. Well, you are in luck because today's Friday Food Challenge is to arm yourself with healthier snacking habits and choices! ***step away from the kids' leftover cold mac n' cheese***
Is snacking a good thing?
Many people ask me this and I have to say...it depends. Everyone is so different and has unique health goals and challenges. Here are a few things to consider about snacking.
When is snacking a bad thing?
When you are adding unnecessary calories or empty calories to your day. This way of snacking does not add any nutritional benefits and can lead to weight gain, especially over time.
When you are continuously eating all day long with no breaks for your digestive system.
You are making bad snack choices that are high in sodium, high in sugar, or high in anti-nutrients like trans fats, artificial dyes, or toxins.
When you are eating poor snack choices that are repeatedly spiking your blood sugar levels.
When snacking on unhealthy food is filling you up to the point that you are not eating adequate amounts of vegetables, protein, and healthy fats at meal times. For example, drinking a can of soda before a meal can make your stomach feel full. You might choose to skip a healthy meal feeling full from the soda. Even worse, you can find yourself hungry again a couple hours later because you "missed" meal time and now you are reaching for unhealthy snacks again. #viciouscycle
When you are not hungry and are mindlessly eating. Not only can this slowly add to weight gain over time but your brain and stomach are in disconnect which can set up bad eating habits for the future. This is a tough pattern to break.
When you are eating for the wrong reasons. Eating when you are angry, sad, tired, bored, or any other emotion is a red flag that you might need to address that emotion in a healthier way.
When you are snacking because you are actually dehydrated. Thirst and hunger can feel the same.
When is snacking a good thing?
When you need to stabilize your blood sugar levels. Snacking can help you feel like your mood and energy levels are more even-keeled.
If you are very active and need more calories (the good kind!)
When you are snacking on healthy foods like vegetables, fruit, healthy fats or protein and in moderation.
When a small healthy snack can prevent you from overeating at meal times. This can sometimes reduce your overall calorie intake for the day as well.
Smart snacking can be another opportunity to get some nutrient-rich foods into your body.
Here is what you should know so far about snacking.
Snacking is optional. Some people need to, many don't.
If you snack, keep in mind that unless you are drastically changing your activity level you probably want to keep your overall calorie intake more or less the same. This means your meals will likely contain slightly fewer calories to account for the snack calories. Don't go counting calories, but just make an observation and see how your body feels after a few days of a new eating routine. You can always tweak it!
There is a difference between "dying of hunger" and feeling a little stir of hunger. Make sure you tune in to what your body is really telling you. Remember also, thirst can pose as hunger.
Every bite you take can either push you towards or away from optimal health.
How to snack healthy (or not).
Here are the steps to take to tame your snack attacks, learn how to mindfully snack, and make better snack choices. The results can help you gain energy, lose weight, have clearer focus, and improve mood.
Step 1: Mindfulness Eating
Take a long hard look at your daily eating routine. Perhaps keep a food and mood journal? Pay close attention to when you eat, what you eat and how you feel before and after you eat. Ask yourself these 5 questions:
Do I feel hungry? Really hungry or just slightly hungry? Ready to faint if you don't eat - probably need a snack. Have to think twice about it - probably don't need a snack! Back out of the kitchen and come back later.
Do I really need to eat or am I feeding a feeling? If you are feeding a feeling, then skip the snack and go for a walk, call a friend, get a hug or give a hug or both, write in a journal, or do something else that honors and allows you to feel that particular feeling without having to use food as therapy. I stream yoga classes at home for my "therapy".
Am I well hydrated? Try drinking a glass of water, wait 15 minutes and then see if you are still hungry. Aim to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water daily (or equivalent hydrating drinks).
Am I eating snacks because they are convenient or because they are healthy and I am hungry? If you are you grabbing bites off of your kids' leftover plates, grabbing the free snacks at your office (most are not healthy), or visually seduced by cookies on the counter then it's probably convenience.
When I snack, am I present with my food or eating with distractions? Eating while watching TV, on the phone, working at a computer, running after kids, driving, etc are all distractions. There will be times when snacking while multitasking is unavoidable, but strive for eating most of the time in a present state. This can do wonders for your weight, your digestion, and your brain!
Step 2: Making Good Snack Choices
After you have analyzed your daily eating routine and asked yourself the previous questions, you probably have a much better idea of where your snacking stands, and where there can be improvements. Now let's look at making healthy snack choices.
If snacking is getting in the way of you eating a healthy dinner then eat part of your dinner as a snack. For example, you can eat the side salad you planned as part of dinner as a snack before dinner. Or perhaps it is a portion of cooked vegetables or sweet potatoes. Really, any part of a healthy dinner can be eaten as a snack.
When in doubt, always choose vegetables. They can be raw, cooked, fermented, in a smoothie or any other way. You can not go wrong here.
To resist craving junk food snacks, choose a snack high in satiating healthy fats. Examples are guacamole, cheese, olives, hummus (made with olive oil), sardines, nut butter, whole milk yogurt, nuts or seeds, smoked salmon, and there's more. Definitely check out my recipe for Energy Balls, which are high in healthy fats.
You can use snack time as a way to increase your vegetable intake. A great way to do this, especially in the summer, is with smoothies. Check out my Everyday Green Smoothie with 5 Servings of Veggies & Fruit.
Snacking while on-the-go can be tricky, but nowhere near impossible! There are so many yummy options that all involve lots of sugar and refined carbs - pass right by those and keep going. Don't get all the way to the check-out line and still feel starving! You will definitely choose poorly at this point. Try to choose options with protein, healthy fats and/or fiber. For example, at the grocery store or a big box store like Target or Walmart, you can often find pre-packaged individual nut butter packs, boiled eggs, yogurts or string cheese. Many of these stores even carry grocery items now, so choose an apple or orange to pair with your nut butter. Lara bars or other whole foods bars with nuts and seeds, while high in sugar from dried fruit, are a better option than a cookie or bakery item! If you are a meat eater (me!) I've even found individually packaged grass-fed meat sticks at Trader Joe's, Target and other stores.
Step 3: Do the opposite of what you are doing.
Confused? What I mean is this...
If you are snacking, you have incorporated mindful eating, swapped out bad snack choices for healthy ones, and are still not feeling great then try NOT snacking for a few days. Add more healthy fats to your meals and make sure you are having a great breakfast with moderate protein and ample healthy fats. Then, cut out snacking for a few days or a week and see how it goes. Maybe your body will respond well to longer gaps between eating. Don't starve yourself, and the first day you might feel a bit hungry, but give it a try. You can always go back to snacking.
If you are not snacking, are eating well-balanced meals, are well hydrated and still feel not-that-great, then perhaps it is time to try adding in a healthy snack to your day? You can try it for a few days or a week and go back to not snacking if it doesn't feel good for you.
We are all so biochemically individual and unique that one recommendation does not work for all of us. It is a good thing to switch it up and try something new. Sometimes we get stuck in routines that are not enhancing our health, and might even be making us feel worse.
Now I challenge you!
Try out Steps 1-3 for a week or two and report back. How did you feel? How did it go?? I can't wait to hear from you in the comments below.
Choose wisely!
If you like this post, you will like my Friday Food Challenge on choosing healthier desserts and treats!
Shop a few of my favorite snack choices online!
