SNACKING – THE DO’S & DON’T’S THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
What’s Snacking?
Snacking is the habit of grabbing something to munch on between meal times or late at night. Snacks, therefore, are foodstuff we consume to satiate cravings or hunger pangs when the next meal is just not soon enough.
We snack for so many more reasons like when we are bored or have nothing to do, binge-eating to accompany our binge-watching, or maybe just because it’s there, and last but not least because we're stressed. There’s nothing wrong with snacking when you are hungry, although it indicates that your last meal should have been bigger than what it was as it didn’t fulfill your tummy. What matters is what you choose to snack on.
Some easy-to-do Snacking Tips
One of the smartest things you can do for such moments is regulating the portion size of your snacks. Often we tear open a bag of munchies and munch down all of it even before we realize how much we’ve eaten. Instead of eating from the bag, taking out some of it in a bowl and storing away the rest for some other day would help you for sure. Additionally, you should always munch on your snacks slowly. You may have noticed that you’d end up eating more when we eat fast. So eat slowly.
Another thing that must be noted is that starving yourself in the guise of controlling or reining in the temptation is not the answer. Those hunger pangs are your body’s way of communicating that it has digested and exhausted all the nutrients it derived from your last meal. And hence, it requires a fresh supply of all the good stuff to continue to function properly. When you choose to ignore these signals, your body may start utilizing whatever nutrient it can find to carry out the necessary functions at the cost of diverting these nutrients from its intended purpose.
Snack healthy!
Yes. The easiest way to snacking is to eat healthy snacks. Some healthy snack choices are seasonal smoothies, nuts & seeds, and salads, especially in summers. In winters, homemade vegetable soups and roasted sweet potatoes & makhanas are the most satisfying and replenishing choices.
Some dietitians also advise health beverages such as chia or basil seed drinks for 3-4 times during the day - early in the morning, between meal times, and before bed. These seeds have high fibre content apart from other nutrients, making one feel fuller for a longer time. This also prevents you from unnecessarily stuffing yourself with whatever you can get your hands on.
Wanna take a shortcut? Try The Green Snack Co range of healthy snacks. They are roasted not fried, gluten-free, MSG-free with zero preservatives. It’s the perfect snacking option for all those who love guilt-free snacking.
And hey, don’t forget, above everything else, snacking is an expression of love so love yourself a little extra by healthy snacking.