What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of snacking? Is it the excessive amount of chips and dip you ate at a party last weekend? Is it eating too many of the cookies in the pantry that seem to be calling your name? Believe it or not, snacking can actually be a good thing! When you plan ahead and make healthy choices, snacks can help prevent overeating, give your diet a nutritional boost and leave you feeling more satisfied throughout the day. The key is learning how to make snacking work for you, instead of derailing your healthy eating efforts. Here are 8 tips to help you snack smarter in 2015.
- Avoid distraction. Focus on the food so you can eat less and enjoy it more. Distractions like the T.V., computer, or texting on your phone make it easier to mindlessly eat. When you don’t pay complete attention to serving sizes and feelings of fullness, you’re likely to eat more than you intend- and more than you need.
- Eat from smaller plates. The size of your plate or bowl can affect how much you consume. Research shows you’ll serve yourself more if the bowl or plate is larger. One cup of food on a small plate looks like more than one cup of food on a large plate, and that can be more mentally satisfying when you’re trying to watch portion sizes.
- Keep healthy options visible. Put a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter, and foods like string cheese or carrot sticks at eye level in the refrigerator. When hunger hits, you want something that’s fast and easily accessible. The more you have to dig around for something to eat, the more likely you are to be tempted by the junk food lurking in your kitchen. Make it simple by having healthy snacks right at your fingertips.
- Consider pre-portioned containers. Single-serve snacks like yogurt and cottage cheese are an easy way to control portions. Unless you’re meticulous about measuring portion sizes, eating from a bag or container makes it more likely you’ll eat too much. Single-serve containers take the guess work out of how much to eat, and make it less likely you’ll go back for seconds.
- Out of sight, out of mind. Avoid temptation by keeping trigger foods (like chips or cookies) out of the house. Everyone has those foods they can’t stop eating once they start, so don’t create additional stress by bringing them into your kitchen. If they are foods other family members want enjoy, talk to them about your goals and how they can be supportive in your healthy eating efforts.
- Plan ahead. Don’t wait until hunger hits to decide what to eat. Planning meals and snacks ahead of time gives you a roadmap to follow and decreases your chances of getting off-track. Stock up on healthy and satisfying snacks during your next trip to the grocery store.
- Take it with you. Keep a protein bar or apple in the car so you can eat on-the-go. You never know when you’ll get stuck at work for a late meeting, or you’re delayed in traffic- and then hunger hits. Don’t be tempted by the fast food drive-thru. Keep a few snacks in your car, purse or anywhere else you might need them to keep you focused while you’re out.
- Choose wisely. Snacks containing protein, fiber and/or healthy fat will help you stay fuller, longer. Compare how you feel after eating a bag of pretzels to how you feel after eating a container of Greek yogurt. The yogurt (which is high in protein) will keep you full much longer, so you’re satisfied and less likely to reach for more food.
This blog is made possible by Yoplait, a SparkPeople sponsor.
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