Resist Unhealthy Snacks

Whether you frequently find your hand at the bottom of a bag of chips at 9 p.m. or you're face-to-face with the vending machine every afternoon at 3, one thing is clear: You're a victim of snack attacks. And you're not alone.  Here are some tips to turn down the appetite and resist unhealthy snacks.

Clear the counters. We've all heard the saying, "Out of sight, out of mind," and snacks are no exception. "We are bombarded all day with cues to eat," explains Isabel Maples, M.Ed., R.D.N., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Mindful eating helps us control our environment, instead of letting our environment control us." By placing foods, you typically grab as snacks in closed cabinets or hidden in the fridge, you can better control your impulses. Better yet if it is unhealthy stop buying it! I hear parents say, but the kids like it…stop telling yourself this lie. Your kids learned to eat this from you, and you are the parent. Stop buying foods that are unhealthy for everyone, and mentor your child. If you want them to learn healthy habits, model them for yourself. Get them involved in pre-bagging snacks according to the serving sizes. Teach them how to fuel their bodies with real food.

Teach your kids about portions and get them involved in the bagging.

Here are a few other tips…

Get rid of the triggers. Do certain foods just call your name until you finally cave in? It might be time to give your pantry a makeover. Though it isn't always practical or helpful to toss every food that tempts you, there might be a few usual suspects worth putting on probation.  Then restock with healthier options.

Make a healthier spread.  When food is presented and looks inviting, full of color and freshness, we tend to eat it. instead of fatty dips and chips, build the perfect charcuterie board with vegetables, fruits and meats that will satisfy your appetite and help you reach your goals. Add unsalted or roasted nuts, replace fatty dips with hummus or create fruit kababs that are easy grab ‘n goes.

Get a handle on those portion sizes.  As tempting as it is to dive right into an open bag of chips, as I suggested earlier, pre-bag snacks and know the portion. You only must look once. Take a moment to check the nutrition facts label and portion out a single serving. We use Ziploc bags to pre-measure your favorite snacks for the perfect portion every time. We re-use dry snack bags to save the environment too. We label them with a sharpie and pre-package a large bag when it comes home from the store. Then all the little bags go into one large gallon bag.

Give your food the attention it deserves. Whether you like to curl up in front of the T.V. with a tub of popcorn or scroll social media with sticky fingers, eating while distracted by other activities is a recipe for overeating. Mindful eating - versus mindless eating in from of any screen or technology, keeps our focus on the flavor and texture of food, which can help us enjoy our food more. We also need to chew our food; verses inhale it to taste it and enjoy it. This practice also gives our bodies time to digest it and feel satiated. We need to stop eating before we feel FULL, feel satisfied by the taste and experience verses needing to be overstuffed to stop, or distracted and then feel bloated later.

Freeze and bake only what you need.  If you love homemade treats but have a hard time stopping at just one (or three)? Here’s a great idea…after you whip up the recipe, set aside cookie dough balls, brownie bites or any other baked good to freeze. You'll have a much easier time sticking to one serving and avoid feeling pressure to eat the rest before they get stale. Then, when you want a treat, thaw out a couple dough balls and have a fresh treat. Make this part of you 20%, when you cheat. For more on this, read March 6th’s blog post, 2023.

Brush your teeth after eating.  Clean teeth that are flossed and ready for bed are a great deterrent for unnecessary snacks. We all should stop eating at least 3 hours before bed for better digestion and to avoid calories that sit there all night. If you’re out and about and don’t have a toothbrush handy, pop a piece of minty gum for a similar effect.  Once your teeth are clean, it can help reduce the initial desire until you break the habit of night snacking.

Stay hydrated. Thirst is often mistaken as hunger, so make sure you're drinking enough water throughout the day. Have a full bottle nearby in the evening to sip on after you have brushed your teeth. Keep those snack attacks away with refreshing water. Another option is eating water rich fruits and veggies as snacks. The fiber and water content can fill you up when you really are hungry and want a snack. The crunch also satisfies the brain.

Get out of the kitchen and get busy! Sometimes when tasty temptations catch our eye, the best antidote is a good distraction. Find an activity or hobby that takes your mind off food and is fully engaged elsewhere.  If you’re at someone else’s home or at work where snacks are laid out, sit with your back to the snacks. If you know this home is notorious for unhealthy snacks, offer to bring a healthier option or eat a healthy meal before you go to remove the temptation. If they are serving a meal, eat a salad before you go and drink water to curb your appetite. Or, say this was great, can I get the rest in a to go box? Treat it as you would a restaurant that serves triple portions, be smart and cut it in half or thirds to start.

Go outside. While putting a little distance between you and the fridge might be reason enough to step out the front door, studies have also shown that green spaces can decrease stress and, in turn, decrease our hormonal drive to overeat. Physical activity can also help curb what you thought was hunger, it was probably boredom or that something smelled/looked good.

Changing your lifestyle and eating healthy is a journey, and lifestyle change doesn't happen overnight. If you think your snacking might be standing in the way of your goals, look at these strategies and tackle one or two that you think will be the most meaningful to start with. Put value on the choice to eat healthy. I am choosing this snack because I feel better after I eat it. I want to fuel my body with real food so that I have energy to engage in my hobbies. You need to decide that healthy eating is a choice you want to make, you put value in it. It is a lifestyle choice and not a short-term goal. The choice to reduce unhealthy snacking may help you get to a desired outcome like weight loss, lowered cholesterol or more energy.