Strategic Snacking

Strategic Snacking

Mindful and strategic snacking can be an important nutrition strategy in maintaining a healthy body and living a healthy life. The common problem, though, is that many of us are neither mindful nor strategic when it comes to eating in between meals. Snacking is often a product of emotional triggers like boredom, sadness, loneliness or even simple habit.

There are certain people in certain stages of life and/or who have pre-existing conditions who will inevitably require more frequent meals and feeding throughout the day. Among them include being pregnant, growing children, those who are hypoglycemic, and people with Diabetes, are among a few examples. In which case, working with a Registered Dietitian will be very important for maintaining your health. If you are, on the other hand, not among a group of people who may require these additional calories or more careful regulation of blood sugar, it will be critical to analyze just how strategic your snacking is.

The first question you’ll need to ask yourself is “am I hungry.” If you answered “yes” to this question, I would first take a look at how well you are planning your big meals. In an ideal world, you are consuming between two and three robust, nutrient-dense meals during your day. I often see patients who are famished in between meals because they aren’t eating enough during mealtimes and/or are not planning their macronutrients properly.

Every meal you eat should have all three of your macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat, as well as a good dose of fiber, ideally from natural plant-based sources. So many people associate “being healthy” with eating less food. This is far from accurate. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve conducted nutrient analysis of a patient whose body was actually holding onto weight because they weren’t eating enough! If your body isn’t getting what it needs via adequate calories and nutrients throughout the day, it will start to hoard weight and other nutrients because it fears not knowing if/when it’ll get them again. The best thing you can do for your health is to give your body everything it needs. And this starts at mealtimes.

So if you answered “yes” to being hungry, go back to your meals and begin there. Ensure you’re getting quality fats and proteins and lots of good fiber at each and every meal. If you have determined that you are eating adequately during mealtimes but you still find yourself hungry in between meals, the second steps will be to make sure that you are hydrating adequately because our thirst and hunger mechanisms in our brain are the same thing! So sometimes you might be feel hungry, but you’re actually thirsty. This is a big learning in your healthy journey.

Here’s a big note: if you have done all of the above and are still actually hungry in between meals, it might require a 1-2 week commitment of eliminating snacks. Oftentimes, our body will need time to adjust to not having a constant influx of food. This is especially true if you have been eating every few hours for a long time. Give yourself a bit of time to adjust to the new schedule, I’m confident you will make progress, assuming all other aspects of your health remain normal.

If you said “no” to the question above, then you must ask yourself (and be honest about) why you are wanting/needing to eat. Food is often used as a coping tool. And honestly, food is a safer and healthier coping tool than many other things (ex. smoking, drinking or gambling, for instance). So don’t fret if you realize that you are eating to cope. That said, however, if you take the necessary time to understand the “why” behind why you are choosing to snack, the faster you can take actionable steps to healing. After all, you can’t eat your way out of boredom or loneliness, even though it can provide temporary comfort. Eventually, you’ll need to start finding your joy in life and pursuing that joy as much as possible. 

Don’t get me wrong, snacking isn’t bad every once in a while! Circumstances in our life are constantly ebbing and flowing, and we certain times in our life might call for more snacking, and that’s ok! If you are needing to reach for a snack, consider the following to make your snacking more strategic:

1.     Include a fat and/or a protein. Fats and proteins take longer for our body to digest, which helps to keep us fuller for longer. Also, pairing a carbohydrate snack like crackers or pretzels, for instance, with a fat (like peanut butter) or protein (like cheese or sliced turkey) will help to keep your blood sugars more stable throughout the day.

2.     Consider whole fruit. Fruit is loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients as well as healthy fibers. Fruits often absorb better in our system when they are eaten alone. Plus, the natural sugars can be a great “pick-me-up” during the low energy hours during late afternoon.

3.     If you need a sweet treat, eat it in natural forms. The afternoon slump is a common complaint, especially for busy folks. If you find yourself having a sweet tooth in the afternoon, try out some dark chocolate options with minimal added sweeteners. You might even throw them into a homemade trail mix so you get some good fats from the nuts and seeds to compliment your snack!

4.     Change your mindset. Snacking isn’t bad! And sometimes we need some indulgence simply because you want to indulge. Try not to judge yourself for needing or wanting to snack; after all, this mindset might make you more apt to want more of it because it’s “forbidden.” Have the snack if you need it, thank it for being their for you, and move on knowing you’re going to be just fine  

If you have any questions about strategic snacking or about how to snack best for your body and needs, don’t hesitate to reach out!