Healthy Snacking
It's a common misconception that snacking during the day will cause weight gain. While poor snacking habits might cause weight gain, healthy choices can actually help with weight loss. Snacking is also a good way to satisfy hunger and boost your mood and energy throughout the day.
Try these ten healthy snack tips to help curb your hunger throughout the day:
-
Select fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks. They're rich in fiber and water, making them filling but low in calories.
- Aim for multiple food groups in each snack.
- Beware of the biggest calorie culprits when it comes to snacks. Candies, cookies, chips, and other foods that are high in sugar and fats but low in nutrients.
- Plan out your eating habits. A good routine is to have two or three snacks a day with one between each of your three main meals of the day.
- Avoid mindless eating. Try to find something else to keep you busy.
- Be conscientious of portion size. While many people can recognize which foods are healthier than others, it is easy to forget that large portions of a healthy food can be unhealthy.
- Stay well-hydrated throughout the day. Often, thirst can be mistaken for hunger.
- Substitute other beverages for soda. The average twelve-ounce can of soda contains ten teaspoons of sugar.
- Chew gum in between meals. The act of chewing gum may satisfy your hunger and keep you from thinking about eating.
- Brush your teeth earlier than normal.
This information has been approved by Emily McCloud, MS, RD (June 2012).
