It can be hard to resist tempation. Hey, if you're stomach is rumbling at 10am then why wait until lunch for something to eat? In this blog post I will give you:
Hunger or boredom?
A list of my go to snacks to carry in your bag
Sneaky snacks that are best to avoid if you're watching your calorie intake
Is it hunger or boredom?
You've scrolled down Netflix 5 times already, completed that jigsaw and beat your top score on Candy Crush so you reach for the snack jar when you're not even hungry.
It's not unusual to reach for the snack jar or run to the fridge when you're looking for things to do. Have a little check in with yourself before you put something in your mouth, is your stomach rumbling, how long is it for your next meal, have you drank enough water? This will then help you determine if it's hunger your experiencing or boredom.
Revise your snack box
It's 11am, too early for lunch and you're stomach is rumbling like crazy and you need to eat something quick. A friend offers you a chocolate flapjack and you eat it within seconds. You probably think that a tiny bit of flapjack hasn't dented your calorie intake then you are wrong.
Educating yourself on foods can be a challenge, which is why I've got here a list of snacks that are great for filling you up and being low on calories AND nutritious.
Fruit and veg sticks
Now it's obviously no surprise that I'm going to recommend fruit and veg as a go to snack. But I find having a small tub of berries, carrot sticks or a banana and apple in your bag is perfect. Not only are they low in calories but they are full of natural benefits.
To stop your fruit and veg intake getting boring, mix it up. I find the colours of fruit and veg in my meals so colourful, much prettier than a beige biscuit for sure!
Top tip: it's best to eat fruit and vegetables in season so you're getting the best taste for them. There's a great website called Eat the Seasons which is.a useful guide for which fruit and vegetables is in season.
Protein Shakes
Eating snacks that are high in protein will keep you fuller for longer. Carry a small tub of protein powder with you and your shaker for when your tummy starts to rumble.
Yogurt
High protein yogurts that you can find in Greek yogurts like fage are high in protein and more affordable than protein bars you find by the till (the same protein for half the price!)
If you find yogurt to be quite bland then add some fruit such as berries to it or invest in a sugar free sweetener, I like to add FlavDrops™ from MyProtein to add to my yogurt sometimes.
Rice Cakes
A few rice cakes can help with hunger pangs. They're a better option than reaching for a packet of crisps or a high sugar cereal bar.
Some like to eat rice cakes plain, others may opt for a lightly salted one or flavoured ones. just be mindful of the sugar content in some of the sugary ones.
If you're hunger is something else (because of that long run or HIIT class you did, right?) then add a spoonful of nut butter on the rice cakes.
A handful of nuts
Nuts are full of healthy fats and a handful of nuts can help keep you going until your next meal. My favourites are almonds or cashews.
Boiled eggs
Full in protein and affordable and not particularly high in protein. Boil a 4-6 eggs at the start of your week to snack prep ahead. You can add leafy greens too such as spinach to help keep calories low and keep you fuller for longer.
Sneaky Snacks
Now just because you're having a small snack doesn't mean you shouldn't be tracking this in your calories. It can be hard to differentiate good snacks between sneaky snacks because the marketing teams for sneaky snacks are actually quite good at their jobs. I've got a list here of some sneaky snacks that might be best to avoid if you can.
Cereal Bars
You might be surprised why I'm telling you to avoid cereal bars as most of them appear to look healthy, they're low in calories, right? But they also tend to be full in sugar so would only fix your hunger for about 30 minutes. They also have little nutrients in them so you'd be best off opting for a bowl of fruit or rice cakes.
Slimming foods / drinks
There's a whole load of slimming brands with their low carb labels and watery slimming shakes which are meant to be 'meal replacements' but who on earth wants to replace their meal with a drink?
Much like cereal bars, they may appear good on the tin but are they actually full of anything good for you? I'm not saying they're worse than eating a burger meal with chicken nuggets on the side, but make sure you're having a look at the macronutrients of these snacks.
Processed Snacks
If you're looking for something quick and easy, processed snacks seem to be a go to. But think about it before you add that cup of sup sachet to your mug!
Although they might be low calorie are they going to keep you full? There is now way powdered soup that is turned into a liquid when you add hot boiling water over a protein filled snack.
So that concludes this week's blog! I hope this blog post has given you some learnings on how to snack right. With the school holidays coming up it's always best to prepare snacks for the week ahead for yourself and the kids.
I would love to hear any tips or questions you have around snacking so please do reach out and drop me a message @thecurvecoach or hit the button below.
Comments