Smart Snacking Strategies
- Healthy snacks help you manage weight control and brain power
- Tips for snacking well without sacrificing
- Good eating habits you can demonstrate for your kids
Food gives your body the fuel it needs to perform. This energy allows you to be productive in every aspect of your life, including your studies. Eating well-balanced, healthy meals is a big part of the equation. And your snacking habits are just as important.
Unfortunately, a busy schedule can sabotage a healthy diet. Fast food and other portable meals are expensive and often lacking in nutrition. Below are smart snacking strategies to keep you feeling full and fueled until your next meal.
Plan Ahead
When it comes to making healthy snack choices, it is essential to plan ahead. Many people are good about planning ahead for their meals, but they forget to do the same for snacks. If you don’t, you will be at the mercy of the vending machines, concession stands, and convenience store snack aisles. Chances are good that your choices will be unhealthy and overpriced. Take a little extra time on the weekend to review your upcoming schedule, and to prepare healthy grab-and-go snacks. Your waistline and wallet will thank you.
Pay Attention to Cravings
Are you actually hungry, or are you just bored with studying at your desk? Are you eating to refuel your body, or just to procrastinate? Certainly, legitimate hunger can signal the brain that it is time to eat, but there are other triggers as well, including boredom and stress. Evaluate the cravings you are attempting to satisfy, and make sure that snacking is an appropriate response.
Please the Taste Buds
Good snacking choices do not have to be boring or bland. There are many great options that are both nutritious and taste great. Trail mix, animal crackers, sliced veggies and dip, oatmeal with dried fruit, popcorn, pretzels, granola bars, cottage cheese, apples with peanut butter, celery and hummus, and smoothies are just a few great-tasting, healthy snack options. Make a list of your favorite snacks so you’ll remember what to buy on your next grocery trip.
Practice Good Hygiene
Washing your hands before eating does not just apply to meals. Anytime your hands touch food, you want to make sure your hands are clean and as germ-free as possible. It does not do you a lot of good to make healthy snack choices just to get sick due to poor hygiene. If you are snacking on the go and do not have access to a sink, be sure to keep hand sanitizer with you. It is a simple step, but one that is often forgotten.
Portion Control
Snacks can be misleading. It’s easy to eat a lot more than you planned or even noticed. Unlike meals, which are confined to a plate, snacks come in giant boxes or bags. Unless you prepare a reasonable portion, there’s no indication to stop eating. So prepare your snacks with portion control in mind. Pay attention to serving sizes and the corresponding nutritional information that’s listed on packages. Use airtight containers or baggies to bring your portions with you, instead of keeping an entire bag of chips in the car.
Prepare a Food Journal
When you are busy, you tend to overlook the lesser details of your life. This includes your food choices. If you are having a difficult time eating a balanced diet, then try keeping a food journal. A food journal is a fairly easy and practical way to make sure your snacking is in check. Record everything that you eat or drink. From there you can make adjustments and plan accordingly.
Stay Hydrated
How many times has this happened? You’re in the middle of a busy day, and you start to lose steam. So you grab a cup of coffee, a can of soda, or an energy drink. But your quick boost of energy backfires, and you still feel sluggish. That’s because you’re probably dehydrated. And what you really need is a plain glass of water. Never underestimate water’s energy-boosting ability. Water is essential to mental and physical activity. Plus, unlike most sodas and caffeinated drinks, water won’t deplete your body of fluid and nutrients. Keeping a water bottle with your at all times is a great way to stay hydrated and avoid that sluggish feeling.
Jennifer Applin is a freelance writer and will soon be the mother of six young children born within a 5-year span. Her writing focuses on strategies for busy parents to juggle it all.
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