Snacking Too Much These Days?
By: Amy J. Wall
Tags: Health, Nutrition, Fitness, Lifestyle, Life

Snacking Too Much These Days?

Creating new habits for new circumstances

Photo by Christina Branco on Unsplash

Fifteen paces. That is how many steps it takes to reach the refrigerator from where I am sitting at my desk. It’s no wonder gaining the COVID 20 is so prevalent.

So many of us are working from home (WFH) now which means all of those crackly packages and crunchy chips are waiting to be consumed — spilling on our computer keyboards while we work.

For those of us who are not in the office anymore, the good news is we are no longer being tempted by the never-ending birthday cakes, chocolate for pretty much every occasion, or the Friday Krispy Kremes people happen to bring in on the way to the office.

Like with so many aspects of our lives, our issues have changed. We’ve traded doughnuts to the fifteen paces of doom. However, we can create good habits that don’t lead to continued weight gain. Bad habits are there to be broken.

Here are some tips if snacking has become your vice in this new WFH environment.

1. Take a walk instead

I went through a period when I was snacking every day at 10:00 a.m. I Initially needed it because I was going through a particularly tough point in my training. I’m a 1500 meter runner, so at times I need more calories to handle my training load.

Eventually, when my training volume decreased, I didn’t need a 10:00 a.m. snack anymore. I knew this because when I ate a snack I wasn’t really hungry and by lunchtime, I wasn’t hungry either.

However, my body and mind were trained to reach for something to munch on at that same time every day.

That time also happens to be the time I need a break from work. Having a snack break can end up being like airline food — no one really wants it, but it breaks up the journey.

One day, just as I was reaching for a bag of chips I decided to take a walk instead. I didn’t have much time, so I just walked around the block once.

When I returned, the munchies were gone and I was ready to work again. From that day forward I made that my new habit. Now when 10:00 a.m. hits, I look forward to the fresh air and stretching my legs. My computer keyboard is much cleaner as well.

2. Eat meals that promote satiety

My 10:00 a.m. munchies were also remedied by adding an egg to my daily toast and black tea.

Margarita J. Cozzan, a Registered Dietitian, stresses the need for choosing meals that promote satiety as a way to curb unnecessary snacking.

Often meals high in carbohydrates satisfy us for a short period of time but don’t sustain us until the next meal, leaving us ravenous and wanting to snack between meals.

Meals that have macronutrients known for promoting satiety include foods with protein and fat, according to Cozzan. Foods with fiber also stay with us longer and help us get through to the next meal without needing cookies or chips to fill us up.

Choosing the right foods at breakfast is especially important since it sets us up for the day.

Cozzan recommends including foods with protein and fat to our morning meal. Some ideas include almonds, avocado, eggs, and yogurt. Ideas for breakfast foods with fiber include whole oats and whole-grain toast.

Margarita advises clients to watch out for breakfast cereals. They are usually highly processed and don’t have the kinds of nutrients to keep us satisfied for long.

3. Identify if it is really hunger

There is nothing wrong with snacking if you really need it. So how do you know if you need it and it isn’t just a case of the munchies?

It can be hard to tell. Sometimes boredom or even dehydration can lead to unnecessary snacking. In my example, snacking was merely a bad habit. If you aren’t hungry, chances are you probably don’t need it.

Snacking is healthy for many people in certain circumstances. For instance, nurses and doctors, who spend all day on their feet, may need snacks to keep energy levels more stable. The same applies to high-level athletes and others who have daily high caloric expenditure.

If you are genuinely hungry between meals, snacks can help get you to the next meal. The key is to choose the right snacks.

4. Choose snacks wisely

Cozzan recommends thinking about what you already eat at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What types of healthy foods tend to be missing from your meals? These make great snacks.

For instance, if at breakfast you eat eggs and whole-wheat toast, but don’t have fruit, a perfect mid-morning snack might be a banana or an apple. If you don’t have veggies at your regular meals, snacking on celery or carrots may help give you the nutrients you would otherwise be missing.

Cozzan also recommends adding some protein to the snack. So if you choose fruit for your mid-morning snack, adding yogurt can help make the snack last until the next meal.

Nuts make a great snack and can be a great addition to yogurt as well. They are a great source of nutrients and healthy fats. However, Cozzan suggests exercising caution on the portion sizes since nuts are energy-dense.

A serving size of nuts is only a small handful. These can be added to a yogurt or salad, rather than being the main snack if over-snacking on them is a worry.

5. We’ve heard it before — don’t buy it

If you don’t buy junk food and keep it at home, it makes it much harder to snack on the wrong things. This isn’t a new idea. Health articles have written about this for years.

So when you hit the grocery stores, skip the cookie and ice cream aisle. Sure you may crave them and regret it temporarily, but in the long term, you will be thankful.

Our taste buds can be retrained to not crave unhealthy snacks. Trust me, I’m a perfect example. When I was a kid, my diet was shocking. I’ve been curbing my sugar addiction for many years. I can tell you from experience that over time, it gets easier, and those sugar cravings will subside.

Another thought about keeping those cupboards void of unhealthy snacks is we are teaching our kids healthy eating habits as well. Now that so many kids are attending school virtually, keeping those snacks out of the house will keep them from a lifelong struggle with unhealthy eating.

Closing Thoughts

Our new circumstances with sheltering at home, working from home, and having kids at home, means we have new challenges to overcome. Now more than ever we need habits that promote a healthy lifestyle. It is normal to slip into unhealthy habits, but the good news is it is possible for us to replace them with habits that promote our health.

If your snacking habits need to be changed, perhaps some of these strategies will be helpful. Your waistline (and computer keyboard) will thank you.

Amy Wall is currently eating a bag of pretzels while she types. Just kidding. She just got back from her daily walk around the block. She enjoys writing about health and fitness as well as a wide range of topics. You can find more about her at amywallauthor.com