The focus for this part of the Habits Series is the much-loved snack. We are going to consider the different reasons for needing/wanting a snack, plus the key nutrients that would be beneficial for each of those situations. The goal of this post is to give you practical go-to snacks, that are nutritionally fit for the job, as well as considering some of the psychological reasons for snacking (via linked posts).
Do you ever feel hungry, take a snack, then still feel as hungry as you did before the snack? Have you ever eaten a snack then had a complete energy crash? Do certain snacks leave you feeling bloated and overly-full? Do you feel in control of your snacking? Is it hard to know what to choose? Do you use your snacks to boost your nutrition, or to numb an emotion?
In the following article we will look at all of the situations listed above and give you a simple process to use which will revolutionize the way you snack!
Snacks are a well discussed part of our nutrition. Some people will tell you to avoid them, and others will tell you to eat 2-3 snacks a day. This is why people get so confused with their own eating habits. Anything to do with the way we eat is personal to the individual. There really is no "perfect diet" that will fit everyone's needs, lifestyles and personal preferences. The most important thing to do when considering your own nutrition is to focus on your own nutrition goals.
What do your meals mean to you? At each mealtime are you consciously trying to choose foods to nourish your body, or are you just grabbing the first thing you see? Do you snack because you are going to do sport later, or because you are bored?
Read the topics below and consider whether you could use any of these points to address your own snacking habits:
#1 The Process
All we want you to do (when you want a snack) is to take 20 seconds to do the following:
Make your choice of snack relevant to it's purpose. This is simply a moment to ground your thoughts and allow yourself 20 seconds to make the best choice. This doesn't need overthinking, it just requires a present mind.
"I want/need a snack"
PAUSE
THINK - what is this snack for? (Hunger, energy, distraction, a nutrition boost...)
CREATE - using the image we created below, make a snack which meets your needs.
We go into more detail about this process in the points below. For some people, it might be enough to just read point #1 to reset their concept of snacking. Please continue reading if you want more detail on this process, including specific nutrients to benefit each snack situation.
#2 THINK: The Purpose
As we mentioned at the start of this article, there are several reasons why people choose to take a snack. We are going to focus on some of the main reasons and look at key nutrients that will support each situation:
Hunger: This is probably the main reason people take a snack. Recognising hunger can be complicated for some, it might not simply be a rumbling stomach. Hunger can also be recognised by feeling tired/weak, unable to concentrate, lightheaded or an irritable mood. It is important to choose a snack which will bridge the gap until your next meal so you are able to function effectively. The following nutrition elements are important when your snack is to satisfy hunger:
Low sugar: the snack needs to bring your blood sugar back up, but in a slow, controlled manner. A sugary snack might be your go-to option, however it will not give a lasting energy source and you are likely to eat a lot more than you would if you chose a higher fibre/protein option.
High fibre: this can still be a carbohydrate-based food, but one that takes longer to digest and gives a slow, steady rise in blood sugar. The fibre also promotes a feeling of fullness (satiety), so keeps your tummy rumbles at bay.
Protein: Foods such as nuts, cheese, lean meat, natural yogurt, egg, legumes offer a great protein source. These take longer to digest, again helping you to feel fuller for longer and last until the next meal. Combining a little protein with a high fibre snack gives a perfect anti-hunger snack.
Healthy fats: Choosing a wholegrain bread with seeds or a nut-based snack not only gives you the protein, it also adds healthy fats. Fat has a negative image (in relation to weight management), however healthy fats (found in nuts, seeds, avocado, oily fish) play an essential role in our hunger management.
Energy: It is 3pm, you are struggling to concentrate and need an energy boost. Do you go for a coffee and biscuit, or some trail-mix?
The key to an energy snack is that it acts fast, but lasts!
Focus your energy snack on a mix of the following nutrients to support and maintain a lasting energy boost: vitamin C, B vitamins, iron and magnesium. As you swipe through the images below you can press and hold on them to save the pictures to your phone as a quick reminder next time you want to make a snack.
Vitamin boost: There aren't many people that deliberately use snacks just to boost their nutrition. With this in mind, we are aiming the idea of a vitamin boost towards those moments when you go for a boredom or mood-related snack. Instead of mindlessly grabbing a chocolate bar, try turning it into a more balanced snack that will offer some nutritional benefits. By all means have some chocolate, but if possible choose darker chocolate for the extra antioxidants, magnesium and zinc and pair it with some nuts to add protein and slow down the sugar release. Ideal nutrients to focus on (that can greatly support your health) but tend to be lacking in the average diet are: vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, omega 3, zinc, selenium and co-enzyme Q10. See the images below for some food-related sources.
Digestion: Have you ever eaten a snack that has left you feeling bloated? Lots of people try cutting out lactose, wheat or dairy, however it might just be that your gut needs a little support to readjust the bacterial colonies that it is hosting. The slightest bacterial imbalance can cause havoc in your digestive system. The most positive things you can try to do, before cutting whole food groups from your diet, is to reduce/avoid refined sugar, reduce artificial sweeteners (which can have a negative effect on the good bacteria) and increase intakes of prebiotics (the fuel for the good bacteria) and probiotics (the good bacteria). The least intrusive place to do this is through your snack choices, rather than changing all your main meals. Try including some of the following foods to support your digestive health:
Refuel: Your snack choice is crucial when it plays the role of refueling before/during or after sport. We have worked with several athletes, looking at snacks that not only provide the energy needed, but that also include beneficial nutrients to support an efficient recovery. Additional nutrients (beside carbohydrate and protein) might include omega 3, magnesium and vitamin C. See the image below for some simple food combinations to tick some of these boxes.
#3 Combine
The image below combines all of the nutritional advice provided in the text above. We designed this image as a reminder. When you hit your 20 second "pause" and think about the purpose of the snack you can use this image as a prompt. Hold your finger on the image, save it to your phone and check it when you need a reminder.
#4 Enjoy
After the PAUSE, THINK, CREATE - please don't forget to ENJOY your snack!!!
"Life is too short not to eat good snacks!" - unknown source
The snacks we choose are strongly related to both our relationship with food, as well as the food we have access to. Read the episodes from our Habits Series about shopping and eating habits for a valuable insight into making positive changes (see links below).
Have you decided that you would like to address your eating habits? If you want guidance and support through adopting new habits, you can click this link to book a free call to see how we can help you.
If you have found any of these tips useful, please comment below, we love to hear from you! Sign up for our e-newsletter and be informed when there is a new post in the Habits Series - there will be a new topic every month in 2023.
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