Food provides us with the fuel we need to survive and thrive, but there are plenty of other reasons why we find ourselves at the trough, and these triggers are often the culprits behind a derailed diet.
Snacking is not bad but snacking on an unhealthy snack can cause you serious health risks. As you know, Cheez-It’s are not healthy. They are junk food and there are many healthier alternatives too, so why not choose those rather than filling yourself with a lot of empty carbs and calories!!!
Why we snack
We are stressed: People use food to soothe and comfort themselves when they are experiencing an emotion that they either do not want to or do not know how to deal with at the time. That is why a looming deadline, an overbooked schedule or apprehension about an upcoming event can have us making a beeline for the pantry, whether we realize it or not.
- Fight the urge: Some people find it helpful to put ‘Stop’ signs on the door of the cupboard or fridge to help them reconsider why they want to eat. If you are not actually hungry, it helps to take a moment to evaluate any pressures or problems affecting you at the moment.
- Healthy Alternatives: Avoid stimulants like caffeine or refined sugar which can cause a brief spike in energy followed soon after by an extended crash.
We are sad: Gorging on buckets of ice cream after a bad breakup or a piece of cake after an unsuccessful job interview. Depression, from its most temporary to its most severe forms, has many of us indulging in the fleeting pleasures of food to fill the void.
- Fight the urge: If you are constantly coping with comfort food, it is recommended writing in a journal to help you sort through your feelings and become more aware of your habits. It is important to remember that food does not solve any problems besides hunger.
- Healthy Alternatives: Healthy carbohydrates should be your go to snack for any pity party you plan to throw. Stick to your veggies such as sweet potatoes or black beans to increase your body’s production of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that naturally elevates your mood and increases calmness and happiness.
We are celebrating: Whether it is a steak dinner to mark your big promotion or a bag of chips to reward yourself for doing the laundry, positively reinforcing good behavior with tasty treats is a dangerous business.
- Fight the urge: Keep your rewards restricted to inedible items. Going for a well-deserved massage or purchasing a much-coveted pair of shoes can bring you satisfaction without sacrificing your waistline.
- Healthy Alternatives: To honor life’s smaller victories grab a piece of fruit. It will satisfy your sweet tooth and help you feel “treated” with the bonus of upping your intake of fiber and essential vitamins.
We are bored: Eating is convenient and affordable (and legal) pleasure inducing activity that we can engage in anytime, anywhere, so it is no wonder that so many of us turn to food – and more often than not, junk food – for entertainment or to break up the monotony of our day-to-day lives.
- Fight the urge: Get moving. If you are mindlessly grazing by your desk or working your way through a bowl of popcorn in front of the TV, a minor change of scenery might help. Go for a brisk walk around the block or do as many pushups as you can during the commercial breaks to keep your mind from wandering over to your secret candy stash.
- Healthy Alternatives: Replace your sugary or salty go-tos with healthier options, such as nuts, veggies and hummus or low-fat cheese.
We are procrastinating: “I will finish this report, right after I go grab a cookie from the coffee shop.” Sound familiar? Food is an easily accessible diversion for those of us who tend to put things off until the very last minute.
- Fight the urge: Frequent well-rounded meals will stave off the hunger pangs and sluggishness-inducing dips in blood sugar and will remove food from the list of tempting distractions.
- Healthy Alternatives: Lean protein such as fish, poultry or low-fat dairy help increase levels of dopamine and norepinephrine: two naturally occurring brain chemicals that promote alertness and our ability to concentrate on the task at hand.
Some great Snack Ideas:
- Hard boiled eggs – eat them as is or simply seasoned with salt and pepper.
- Almonds – try flavored almond packs; try some fun ones like wasabi, salt & vinegar and even sriracha
- Turkey Slices – rolled up by themselves, or wrap them in Swiss cheese
- Pepperoni slices – There is no shame eating these straight out of the bag. If you are feeling fancy, layer them with thinly sliced or shaved Parmesan cheese.
- Cucumber slices – these are awesome to dip in dressing. Try sprinkling them with seasoned salts too. Tajin is a good one to try
- Pickled asparagus spears – crunch on these alone or wrap them up in beef or ham slices with a dab of mayonnaise
- Tomato slices – sliced tomato is so under-appreciated. By themselves, they make refreshing and healthy low carb snacks. Season with salt or layer it up with some mozzarella cheese.
- Mozzarella cheese chips – cheese chips are a perfect pair with pepperoni slices
- Bacon slices – smoky thick-cut is the best. Cook a batch up on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350 degrees and keep the pre-cooked bacon in the fridge for snacking.
- Beef or turkey jerky – this is a great portable snack, just avoid teriyaki flavored, it usually has too much sugar
- Dill hamburger pickles – straight outta the jar or make little sandwiches using cheddar cheese slices
- Salami slices – for an elegant low carb snack or appetizer, try some salami with mozzarella cheese and baby tomatoes
- Meatballs – pop a few in the microwave and pop’em in your mouth. Or dip them in some marinara (use a sauce that has 2g or less of carbs per serving)
- String cheese or cheese sticks – these are your go-to for good reason, they travel well and can be eaten on the run
- Baby tomatoes – so easy and quick- grab a mozzarella cheese stick with a handful of fresh baby tomatoes. Try yellow or heirloom baby tomato mixes, the different flavors are heavenly.
- Tuna fish – is surprisingly good all by itself as a simple snack. You can also find flavored tuna fish in foil pouches that you can pack anywhere.
- Sauage sticks – there is more to sausage sticks than what you find at the gas station (although those make good snacks too). Your local butcher is a wonderful place to explore different varieties of meats and flavors.
- Any deli lunch meats are fair game – roll them up and dip in ranch, mustard, or horseradish sauce
- Olives – olives are packed full of healthy monounsaturated fats; a small bowl of them can make a wonderful snack.
- Fresh zucchini – often overlooked, both yellow and green zucchinis can be sliced and eaten raw with a low carb dip of your choice
- Cauliflower – fresh, or steamed in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, cauliflower florets can be dipped in ranch dressing for an easy snack
- Avocado – slice in half, remove the pit and with a sprinkle of sea salt – add a dash of Cholula sauce if you like it hot
- Fresh veggies dipped in guacamole – why reserve guacamole for chips?
- Little smokies – eat them hot or cold with some Dijon mustard
- Cheddar cheese on sliced apple – simply satisfying
- Sliced polish sausage – so delicious when dipped in a mixture of Mayo+Dijon mustard
- Bell peppers – you might look a little weird eating these like apples, but they are just as portable and delicious.
- Deviled eggs – use pre-cooked eggs for super-fast prep
- Apple wedges – sprinkled with cinnamon and stevia
- Baby bell peppers – eat them by the handful raw, for a more substantial snack, tuck some mozzarella in them, add a dash of Cajun seasoning and pop them in the microwave
- Pumpkin seeds – are a source of healthy fats
- Smoked salmon – have a few slices with fresh squeezed lemon or on cucumber rounds with salt, pepper, and capers on top.
- Pistachio seeds in the shell – sunflower seeds are great too!
- Celery sticks – eat them naked or shred a stick of string cheese into thirds or fourths, enough to tuck the strips in a celery stick.
- Radishes – slice them up, and season with salt and pepper
- Broccoli – most people think of snacking on raw broccoli florets and dip. Be creative, in 2-3 minutes you can steam some in a microwave and top with your favorite dressing as a snack, too.
- Avocado and tomato slices – avocados and tomatoes are divine together, sprinkle with Montreal steak seasoning or garlic salt.
- Fajita chicken strips – you can buy these pre-cooked from your deli. Eat them hot or cold, dipped in mustard or even aioli
- Warm broth – warm broth is so satisfying. Add a dash of seasoned salt and even a squeeze of Sweet Garlic Butter Sauce of flavored olive oil.
- Frozen vegetables – frozen vegetables are not just for dinner. They make great low carb snacks. Just pop some in the microwave and add your favorite low-carb sauce or dressing.
- Pre-cooked shrimp – find these in the seafood or freezer section at your grocer. Just thaw and eat raw or toss with fresh squeezed lime and salt
- Carrot and celery sticks – you can buy these pre-washed and chopped to save time. They travel well too, especially with single servings of blue cheese dressing for dipping
- Pork rinds – for the times when you need that crunchy chip, these will do!
Apart from snacking due to hunger, it is a habit developed over many years. We look forward to our morning snack, our afternoon snack, our pre-dinner snack and then our after-dinner snack.
Sounds like snacking gone wild! As your body becomes conditioned to a low-carb diet, suddenly you will not feel starving hungry between meals.
This is the point where snacking can drop away. The trick is to notice when this happens!
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