Snacking is a healthy way to boost your metabolism and battle overeating at meals. However, all snacks should not be considered equal! A left-over, conference room donut or a bag of greasy chips from the vending machine are obviously not good snacking choices. However, you may have innocently fallen prey to bad munching habits. Here are a few thin snackers’ tips to help you avoid making those mistakes.
- Keep your snacks between 100-200 calories.
- Make sure your snack contains complex carbohydrates, protein, and a little healthy fat to help boost energy, aid in digestion, and stay satisfied longer. This can be: Hummus with whole-wheat pita, or veggies, apples with peanut butter, light cheese and whole wheat crackers, fiber-dense, whole grain cereal (with less than 7 grams of sugar) and almond milk
- Make sure your snacking stays on schedule. Shoot to snack 3 hours after breakfast and lunch to avoid slowing your metabolism or overeating at your next meal.
- If you choose to have a nutrient-lacking snack that comes in a pre-packaged 100 calorie serving size, only have one and pair it with another small protein, complex carb, and healthy fat snack.
- If you opted for whole wheat pasta with a marinara for lunch, fill in your nutrition imbalance by snacking on an apple
with 10 almonds or veggies with a light cheese spread. Use your snacks as ways to balance your diet and get your daily servings of fruits and veggies. - Make healthy snacks more convenient than junk food options. Put healthy options in visible places so you are more tempted to reach for them and less likely to reach for the unhealthy options stored in hidden spots, or better yet, not in your cabinet, desk, or car at all!
- Trick yourself. Opt for high volume, lower calorie snacks to feel fuller faster. If your eyes think you are eating more
our stomach is more likely to follow. Fill up on water or air-filled foods such as a high volume salad filled with lots
of vegetables and a couple pinches of strong cheese or a couple spoonfuls of beans with a drizzle of light dressing, low-sodium soup, watermelon, or air popped chips. - Once or twice a week, cheat your way slim! Indulge in your cravings, but keep it under 200 calories and make sure your other snack is only 100 calories
-Emily Freeman
