Snack Strategies, Here's Mine, What's Yours?
IamMCM
Posts: 122
I was thinking about snacking strategies in the store today. I try to opt for healthy snacks like fruit, yogurt, nuts, etc., but I let myself have some of the decadent stuff, like Oreos or a chocolate bar, too so I don't start feeling deprived. In theory, I work it into my daily calories. Problem is, if I keep something like a box of Oreos in the house, I tell myself to only eat one or two but sometimes that just doesn't work and a quarter of the box is gone and my daily intake is over before I know it. I'm combating that by choosing snacks that come pre-portioned. I like the 100 calorie packs of cookies, and I also enjoy the Weight Watchers ice cream bars. I know it's purely psychological and I should just be able to count out my own portion and stop, but it's just so much easier when it pre-measured out for me. Any other good snacking strategies?
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Replies
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I like to do something i like to call taste switching. have whatever snack I'm craving and immediately have a bit of something else to distract me from continuing with that particular food. hope that makes sense!0
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Step 1: Count Calories
Step 2: OM NOM NOM0 -
In the beginning, I didn't keep sweets that I didn't feel good about eating in the house. We had dark chocolate. We had nuts, fruit, yogurt etc. But no donuts or packaged cookies lying around.
So much easier. Now, my tastes have changed so it's moot. I have zero craving for most packaged, heavily processed sweets. Even easier.0 -
I can't keep ANYTHING chocolate, candy, cookies or pastries in the house or I will eat them. I have no self-control even after doing this for nearly a year now. I just don't tempt the fates by having it around. BUT if I really want something decadent and I can factor the calories in, I buy just one serving - sit down with a perfect cup of coffee and eat it! If I have to buy whole box or package of something to get my one serving then I immediately take out one serving and either freeze the rest in individual servings or give it to the neighbors.0
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Take your oreos and put them in bags of 2 or 3 or whatever the serving size is. Save the bags and reuse so you don't go through a million baggies! Or get out your portion, put away the rest and walk away to eat.
Honestly though I avoid anything that is "100 calorie" or "low fat", etc. It's full of junky chemicals that make you want to keep eating more. I've been slowly eating more and more healthy snacks and I no longer crave the junk food. It also doesn't satisfy me like it used to and will make me feel sick if I eat too much.
At some point it is a good idea to teach yourself portion control because you will not always have the luxury of a scale, pre-portioned food, etc. Think work trips, vacations with tempting food, eating out, blah blah blah.
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I try to save up calories for some ice cream or gelato every night, weighed out. If I don't have enough, then it's 1-2 pieces of chocolate. Afternoon, I'm not always home for a snack, but I try to go healthier (string cheese and a clementine today).0
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Plan it. Log it.
Buy smaller containers.
Put it out of sight.
Spend the money on better food instead.0 -
at first I bought those 100 calorie packs of oatmeal and almonds... but later on when I learned more self control, and got a cheap from walmart food scale, I started doing my own portioning.
These days I just like to eat big meals, and skip snack altogether most days. Like today, I am going to eat like, 300g of baked potatoes(which is like 3 medium sized ones) and a full cup of vegetarian chili for dinner.
I'll be pretty full after that.
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strategy: Eat properly, so I don't need to snack.0
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The Kitchen Safe!!!!! Saw this on a show called "I Want That!" It's GREAT! Store whatever you overeat in it and lock it for a set amount of time and you can not get to it until the time is up!! Have a measured portion and LOCK the rest up!!0
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I tried buying a multi pack bag of popcorn which is relatively low calorie snacking but of course because my mind says its not that high in calories I have one bag and another later on in that day.. I'm just one of those people who can't keep treat foods in the house except the odd box of cereal bars0
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Silly? I find it genius. For some of us this may very well be the answer.0 -
Thanks so much for all the great strategies! I do hope to get to the point where I lose the taste for processed snack foods. I got to that point in the past, so I know I can do it. Sadly, I'm back at square one now, but small steps will lead to success again.0
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I don't keep it in the house. If I want something sweet, I go to a cafe and buy one cookie (or piece of cake or whatever), or I buy one single serving at a store. No big packages.0
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I don't snack. I plan meals and if I have enough calories I have dessert, usually ice cream, as part of my dinner. Since I don't eat other than at meal times, I have little problem not being tempted at other times, most of the time.
If I have something perishable that I like (like homemade pie) I may think too much about when I can eat it, so I also generally limit that temptation. I don't have that excuse with ice cream (worrying that it will go bad) which makes it a perfect option.0 -
I figure out what 100 calories(or close to it) on my favorite snack is and put that amount in ziplock snack bags and keep the preportioned snack bags in a plastic basket that can go in the fridge or sit on my counter.
http://greatist.com/health/100-calorie-snacks0 -
Copious amounts of fruits when I'm not home; fruit smoothies when I am home. I try not to snack though; only when I'm hungry between meals.0
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Hmmmm, smoothies sound like a good idea. I generally have them for breakfast, but I'm not much of a breakfast person anyway so I may try shifting that and having one when I get a snack craving in the evening. My favorite is banana with almond milk or yogurt, just a teeny dab of organic honey, and some fresh grated ginger root. Better than processed snacks any day!0
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Only buy snacks that you are ok eating, and buy a very small amount of those that you try to stay away from. Once you get those (like cookies), separate them into snack-size ziplock bags and store them like that. Either choose 1 serving, or half a serving, etc, and this way you will have one snack, already prepared, (easy to log) and easy to stop, because you're not reaching into a full bag of cookies.
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