The Slippery Snack Slope
The biggest barrier I see to fitness and nutrition compliance is a lack of education. The good news about this is that you are never too old or set in your ways to learn! With all of the media out there, it can be hard to figure out which types of foods are actually good for us. Some people say eat the avocado, others say it has too much fat. I could go on and on about this with a bunch of foods considered to be “healthy,” but instead, I am going to give some advice on snacking that will hopefully be constructive and helpful.
Don’t snack just because it’s something you usually do. Sometimes eating can become more habitual than necessary, and that’s when it becomes less about sustenance and reaching goals, and more about subconscious need and habit.
Snack mindfully - this means paying attention to portion sizes (ie putting one serving on a plate like a meal, and when it’s gone, snack time is over). Keeping a snack plate in your desk at work can help - an empty plate can help us feel full and satiated.
Pay attention to environmental cues that may be leading you to snack more often than is necessary - if you’re snacking in the same place or at the same time, your environment could have something to do with it. Change up your scenery and see if it makes a difference.
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep - hormonal changes caused by too little sleep can also make us more apt to snack, attempting to make up for the energy lost by not getting enough sleep.
Stay active - Fatigue and boredom can play a role in hunger, and studies have shown that people that walk for 15 minutes before eating a snack tend to eat less of it.
Additionally, WHAT you decide to eat is important. The best types of snacks to have throughout the day (in my opinion) are:
Whole fruits - primarily apples, grapes, pineapple are great to consume throughout your day. They are not too calorically dense, but provide a lot of nutrition.
Vegetables - leafy greens, and any veggie are going to provide a lot of nutrients and fiber. Carrots tend to be more carb-dense than cucumbers, so base your choices off of your personal goals.
Chia pudding is a great healthy option, with lots of fiber and those healthy Omegas, chia pudding is filling and delicious. Just pay attention to the nutritional content of the milk you use to make it.
Hardboiled eggs - I like to just eat the white because I watch my fat intake, but they are full of protein and healthy fats.
Spreads like hummus and nut butters can be nutritionally significant too, but try to choose products that have few ingredients and no added sugars. Watch portion sizes on these, because they can be killer to nutrition plans when overconsumed.
An ounce of nuts is also a great option. The biggest problem with this type of snack is that it’s so easy to keep munching past the portion size!
Arguably my favorite snack is 1/2-1C of 1% fat cottage cheese with pineapple or grapes on top. It is protein dense and filling, also delicious!
I like to stay away from dried fruits for the most part, as they often contain extra ingredients (including added sugar). I also tend to veer away from cheese for snacks, because cheeses tend to contain a lot of fat, and it’s so easy to overeat. I can be somewhat boring when it comes to food, even predictable at times, but if you have nutrition or weight loss goals, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Get set with decent habits, and then start dabbling into things that require a little more thought. The more variety, the more chance for deviation. That being said, fruits and veggies are always something I like to mix up and eat a variety of, I just choose the calorically and nutritionally dense options during meal times to minimize snacking and consumption of dense snacks.