Snack Attack: 5 Tips for Choosing Wisely

One of the biggest challenges we face when changing our food behavior is controlling snack habits. The phrase “healthy snack” poses a multitude of challenges and can be incredibly misleading. Following these tips will help you get your nibble fix without destroying your calorie count and nutrition efforts.

1. Portion control: With the exception of crudités (that’s fancypants for cut up, raw veggies), “healthy snack” doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want. This applies to fruit, nuts, trail mix, and other options. Be mindful of the serving size. Most foods come equipped with a serving size on the label. For fresh fruits, it’s easy to look up a serving size. With fruits such as apples, oranges, plums, or peaches, one piece is typically one serving. Other items, such as berries, should be measured or counted out.  One of my favorite resources for nutritional data is http://nutritiondata.self.com/. Not only does it give you calorie and nutritional data on foods, but it allows you to compare amounts to make a decision on how much you’d like to eat. Grazing on a great big bowl of nuts, grapes, or berries is a sure-fire way to tack on too many calories.
2. Read the label: Fresh fruits and vegetables, and plain, raw nuts are pretty straightforward when it comes to what they are made of. But packaged snacks can be misleading. It’s important to not only examine nutritional information, but ingredients. A good rule of thumb: if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it. Even items that claim to be “all natural” can have odd ingredients, chemicals, and other additives that you don’t want. Sticking with basic, original-form foods is your best bet.
3. Check your watch: Is it the 3 o’clock slump? The post-dinner munchies? Boredom nibbling? The time of day can help you choose the type of snack you want—or choose to not snack at all. The mid-afternoon snack should be something that will boost your energy (without a crash later). A handful of trail mix is a great way to boost your energy and your brain, and will be a great source of fuel for your after-work gym session. Evening and boredom snacking can be tricky, so this is the best time to reach for those fresh veggies or for nothing at all. Eating too close to bedtime can interrupt your sleep. Boredom snacking can lead to binging and packing on too many unwanted pounds. Drinking tea or water can help you determine if you’re really hungry, or just looking for something to do. If it’s been too many hours since you’ve eaten, you’re likely hungry for real.
4. Meal-planning: Snacking should be a part of your overall food plan every day. Just as you should be planning breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you should be including your snacks and using your other food choices for the day to weigh your options. If you’re a little light on the greens for the day, use snack times as a way to get more veggies in. Skimping on the protein? Choose your almonds or cheese. Snacks need to be part of your balanced eating habits.
5. Stay hydrated: Thirst is very often confused with hunger, so be sure to stay hydrated. This healthy habit can prevent you from over-snacking. Making sure you get at least 64 oz. of water a day is a must! You can also snack on foods with a high water content, such as cucumbers, tomatoes, or green peppers. They’re refreshing and low in calories.

Snack happy, snack healthy!