Top tips to stop unhealthy snacking.

Ever find yourself snacking mindlessly and realise you're actually not that hungry? Or you start to feel peckish after lunch but its not quite dinner time and you can't think of anything except chocolate as an option for food?

Well stress less! Here I have my top 5 tips to kick unhealthy snacking and put you right on track.

1. Listen to your body.

Are you really hungry? Sometimes when we are bored or can smell food around us our brain thinks we are hungry before our body notifies us. If your stomach is grumbling then go for it and eat. A little peckish and its not dinner time, make a healthy snack. If you don’t have actual feelings of hunger but that cheeseburger your friend is eating looks appetising then you are not hungry. Remember don’t eat with your eyes, eat when your body tells you it needs fuel. If you are not sure have a glass of water and if you still feel hungry after that then by all means eat!

Not getting in enough water can also lead from feelings of thirst to hunger as the body is craving liquids or anything that can provide that. So it is also important to ensure you are drinking enough (about 2L a day) so your body can ensure digestion is optimal.

2. Don’t fight cravings.

If you have craved chocolate every afternoon for the past five days but are trying to be healthy so have been having a fruit salad instead, its probably time to face your cravings. If you keep turning against your cravings and restricting yourself, it will get to a point where you cave and end up binging on all the chocolate and ice cream until you feel sick. If you have had a few days and cant get chocolate off your mind remember to enjoy but not overindulge. Break off four of five squares, sit down and enjoy your chocolate, and then enjoy your dinner of lean protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. Balance.

3. Remember snacks can be healthy too!

Not all snacks need to be chips, chocolate or biscuits. There are plenty of snacks you can munch on to keep you full until lunch or dinner while also getting in your servings of fruit and veg for the day.

Examples are:

• celery and carrot sticks with lite hummus

• fresh fruit salad / with non fat greek yogurt

• wholegrain rice cakes with cottage cheese (could also add avocado or tuna to make it more filling)

• dry roasted almonds or peanuts

4. Plan to be hungry.

There have been so many times I have been out longer than expected and I have been so hungry my stomach is rumbling and I’m left wondering what I did to deserve this pain. The only options available are fast food and I’m trying to be strong. No one wants to choose between painful hunger or eating something you would rather avoid so I have learnt to plan ahead.

Now I never go anywhere without throwing in a piece of fruit, a protein bar and muesli bar in my bag. I might need one, or I might need none, but it is better to be safe than hungry.

5. Eat balanced main meals.

If you are filling your 3 main meals with a balance of healthy carbs, fats and protein chances are it will fill you up for a longer period of time. You won’t be as hungry when it comes to snack time and will enjoy a healthy snack to tide you over to the next meal. Or if your meals are substantial enough you may not even need a snack.

Healthy carbs include: wholegrain bread, fruits, vegetables and beans.

Healthy fats include: avocado, eggs, nuts.

Healthy proteins include: white meat, lean red meat, cottage cheese, salmon.

Having a mix of these will ensure you are eating a balanced meal that will fill you up with lasting energy.

For more ideas including meal recipes and eating a balanced diet email me at spapalas@deakin.edu.au to purchase my 18 page Healthy Eating E-book! (Quote the code ‘Blog10’ for 10% off!)