When doing an overview of anyones diet a trend I’ve noticed is that snacking contributes a huge portion of the daily calories consumed. Most often snacking is mindless and more of a habit than a need for fuel. Planning snacks into your daily diet can be a great addition to your healthy eating but unexpected snacking can lead to over eating. Most often we do not realize how much we eat when we are snacking especially if we do it while watching a show, reading a book or some other mind distraction. When your brain is focused on a task at hand it has less brain power to focus on letting you know that you’re full, or keeping your self control at the forefront of your mind.
I do enjoy snacking, I have learned that while I study I love to eat a little something. It keeps my hands busy and I typically stay focused for longer which helps when I am trying to learn something new. I also enjoy snacking if I indulge in watching a movie. Knowing this about myself has been great advantage when planning snacks in my diet. If I feel like watching a movie I will wait until I make my dinner and I will eat that while enjoying a show instead of grabbing an extra snack after dinner to “fully” enjoy my down time. During my study hours I make sure to drink plenty of water (2-3 20oz bottles) keeping my body hydrated and enhancing my ability to focus. I will pack a set amount of either fruit or vegetables to keep my blood sugar up enough to have the energy to stay on my task at hand.
What are typical snacks and some healthy alternatives?
- Fruit flavored gummy snacks – Fruit (the real deal)
- Salty & Sweet trail mix – Lightly salted/ Unsalted mix nuts
- Chips – Go for some wholegrain crackers
- Veggies & a Creamy Dip – replace the ranch with Hummus or another bean dip
- Candy – Dark Chocolate? Yes please. Only a tiny piece can satisfy that sweet tooth
- Breads or pastries – try adding a bit of health fats or protein (PB, meat, Avocado) to a smaller piece of bread.
These aren’t necessarily good or poor choices. Of course some are healthier choices than others but when looking at the grand picture of your total daily calories if the math adds up you will be just fine. Depending on your specific goals the snack choices can become more important.
If you’re just looking to loose fat mass and are not too concerned with overall health then what matters for you is a caloric deficit by the end of the day. If health from the inside out is what is important to you (and I hope it is) then paying close attention to what you put inside your body is crucial. This is when everything counts, looking at the ingredients, where they come from, is it fresh or manufactured. As always rethink your goals and plan accordingly to reach them.
Stay Fit,
Cassandra