After Work Snack ideas?

starryphoenix

I’m having trouble with being really hungry after my 6 hour shifts at work on Tuesday, and now Friday too. I don’t know what to do because I tried protein bars, and snack bars. I’m afraid of bringing real food because I don’t want it to go bad. The hard thing is that I really want real food after work and not protein bars. I work at an ice cream shop and I don’t want to resort to eating ice cream for lunch. Sugar makes me hungry anyway.

I am terrible at thinking of stuff to eat so a lot of the time I end up eating fast food after or before work, or both sometimes on difficult days. I don’t really eat out a lot besides these situations. My days off are a lot easier. I’m very fortunate to have not gained a lot of weight. I have been pretty steady, but I want to lose weight. I feel like these two days have been sabotaging me. I do work a little bit on Thursdays too, but only for a couple hours making waffle cones and bowls. That day is easier.

I just don’t know what do do. I thought breakfast was a hard meal, but this is so much harder to figure out.

MidwestAndHappy

What about having some veggies prepped and ready to snack on when you get home? Chop up some celery, carrots, cucumbers etc and have them ready to go. My go-to snack is popcorn personally, but not the overly buttery kind (and not the microwaveable kind); and usually only on my day off. I know some people frown on this though. What about some yogurt? There's always nut mixes too. Nuts + cheese + grapes + celery are one of my go-to snack combos.

GreenValli

I have that problem, too. I work from 1pm to 9:30pm and have a hard time resisting food when I come home. I still struggle but this is what helps me:
1. I try hard to save some available calories for an after work snack.
2. In fact I put whatever I have chosen on the table so I see something healthy that I can eat.
3. I also drink a glass of water before eating my snack.
4. I look for new things when I shop that I typically don't eat so that I try new things. For example, I have tried hummus with cucumbers lately and really like that for a snack and it is healthy.
5. I try to brush my teeth after I am done eating for the day and brush my teeth. After my teeth are brushed I find it easier not to eat anything else.

Hope some of these help you. Maybe someone else will add to this thread. I could use extra tips, too.

Maxxitt

Greek yogurt (not sweetened with sugar - I like plain but no everyone does) plus an apple always work great for me as a snack. So does yogurt mixed with cottage cheese. Nuts are also satisfying but at 170 calories/oz it's very tempting to over-eat them if I am hungry. Protein bars never "worked" for me.

Work your snacks into your daily calories - you might be a person who does better thinking about eating 4 meals a day than 2 or 3 meals plus snacks on those days that you are working. And you might be hungrier on days that you are working because you are on your feet all day and moving around pretty constantly, thus burning more calories and needing more fuel.

1BlueAurora

Apples, cucumbers, pre-made salads, oranges, cheese sticks, almonds - they are all packable and if you eat them the same day you pack them they do not "go bad." When I'm really pressed for time getting out the door, I grab a vanilla Atkins protein shake (low in carbs) and that gives me that boost of energy I need to fuel me for awhile before I can get home for dinner.