Let's talk about snacks baby...lets talk about you and me :)

MadPanda75

Let's talk about snacking...of course I am sure that I am not the first person to post a topic on this. Let me break it down for you. I will have a FANTASTIC day when it comes to nutrition--I will resist all office function fattening foods and bring healthy snacks, plus I try to eat around every 3 hours. Ok, now I'm sure you all are thinking...ummm what's the problem here? Well...here it comes--I then get home and start cooking dinner which is different than my family's--but then as I am nuking my food or sauteeing my veggies--I just can't help but nibble on their dinner. Or its evening and I am making my lunch for the next day and I can't help but hmmm look and see whats in the fridge and nibble and snack on leftovers or other things there. Before long, I am basically in a squat position shoving food in my mouth in front of an open fridge-like a raccoon! Don't even get me started on the weekends where I essentially loe it and snack and snack and snack! What's a girl to do! Then when I weigh in--I'll gain. So my question/intervention for all of you is)

How do you all handle snacking?? When you snack what do you snack on??

Any help would be much appreciated!

dls06

Low fat popcorn, everyday. I make a bag and snack on it all day. 1 cup at a time.Add some grapes and I'm good.

2kidzlater

I have a similar snack history. When I being good, I snack on carrots and hummus. Nuts, but not so much since they take up alot of my calories. I make my own popcorn, but that's a binge food for me, even though it's healthy, anything not in moderation add's up. I've oven wondered what everyone else is snacking on that's healthy. Good post.

ashleyk_xox

Maybe if you have more small meals during the day. that way you wont have much time before your next meal and maybe if you know you have a meal coming up you will be less likely to snack. Here are some of the things I would snack on at night time (my worst time for snacking)

Snap Pea Crisps (I get them in the salad section at the grocery-they look nasty in the bag but they taste like hot fries without the "hot")
Brussel Sprouts (weird I know but with a dash of parmesan cheese they are filling and low calories)
Rye Crackers with light laughing cow cheese
Rice cakes
Kashi Go Lean with Skim Milk
Frozen Cool Whip with strawberries (great for when you are craving something sweet)

geraldm55

my favorite snacks are peppers and fresh mushrooms. they are both very low in calories and good for you. when I'm looking to spice it up I dip them in pace hot salsa. again low calorie and you only need a small amount. the other thing is drink lots and lots of water

alittle99

I used to (and honestly still often time have) this problem!! Something that's helped me is that I chew gum while cooking/prepping food... always. And a minty flavor gum (i.e. not fruity) so it will make nearly everything you put in your mouth taste bad. Really- I chew gum almost any time I'm not eating to resist walking by something in the break room or in my kitchen and shoving it into my mouth. Also, try to resist the first bite as much as possible... at least for me, once I start I cannot stop. If i resist that first bite, then I'm typically okay- but after the first one, the image that comes to my head is also the raccoon in the fridge :-)

Also- if you have to have to snack, I'd try to have things like celery sticks, carrot sticks, etc on hand. Because if you do happen to snack, at least it is on snacks that are very low calorie.

Hope this helps-- good luck!!!

amandavictoria80

I am EXACTLY the same way. I even have a hubby that likes to bring all the junk that I LOVE in the house even though he knows I can't eat it...but will. LOL

The only thing I can suggest is that maybe even though you're eating right during the day, maybe you aren't filling yourself up or satisfying yourself enough? Maybe more whole grains, protein and healthy carbs. Also very important to drink lots of water. Very often times it isn't hunger at all but actually thirst and your body gets it mixed up. It's a thought.

The only other thing I can suggest is healthy snacks! Fruit and low fat snacks.
I also find sometimes it helps to chew on gum when I get those cravings. And if that doesn't help, I brush my teeth. Sounds weird but you won't really want to snack on anything for the time being because toothpaste makes everything taste funny.

Hope some of this helps. I know it's a pain in the butt to be a muncher! You're so not alone! There are lots of us.

noneya2010

I have been making my own veggie dip with greek yogurt (greek yogurt and then I add paprika, dill weed, and some garlic salt). Mix up and eat with raw veggies. You can also us greek yogurt and the powdered ranch packets -- you just need a tiny bit and it is so rich and creamy and delicious!

I also eat a lot of cheese - and love, love, love fresh mozarella, I use my mellon baller and ball out an ounce and eat that too.
and I like almond butter on celery

sarahmaryfearnley

I find hot herbal tea in the evenings really helps. It's essentially a few added cups of water and because its hot, I can sip it slowely and it makes my tummy feel good.

I have a bad habit of snacking in the middle of the night. I wake up craving chocolate and milk. Recently, I've been having a piece of dark chocolate and a glass of milk just before I go to bed and it seems to be helping. I would rather sepen 100-200cals knowingly before bed than 500-600cals half asleep in the middle of the night.

PBJunky

Let's talk about snacking...of course I am sure that I am not the first person to post a topic on this. Let me break it down for you. I will have a FANTASTIC day when it comes to nutrition--I will resist all office function fattening foods and bring healthy snacks, plus I try to eat around every 3 hours. Ok, now I'm sure you all are thinking...ummm what's the problem here? Well...here it comes--I then get home and start cooking dinner which is different than my family's--but then as I am nuking my food or sauteeing my veggies--I just can't help but nibble on their dinner. Or its evening and I am making my lunch for the next day and I can't help but hmmm look and see whats in the fridge and nibble and snack on leftovers or other things there. Before long, I am basically in a squat position shoving food in my mouth in front of an open fridge-like a raccoon! Don't even get me started on the weekends where I essentially loe it and snack and snack and snack! What's a girl to do! Then when I weigh in--I'll gain. So my question/intervention for all of you is)

How do you all handle snacking?? When you snack what do you snack on??

Any help would be much appreciated!

I snorted my coffee all over my laptop reading that part of the raccoon hahah!!! Okay give me a minute so I can recover, think straight and give you an answer

JThomas61

I used the 100 calorie pre-packaged crackers, fruit, Stacy's pita chips, veggie chips. They all work for me.

laursey

My snacks are usually, blueberries, grapes, carrots, pea pods. I also really love low salt hummus with unsalted rice crackers or rice cakes. Oh, and a green smoothie, 1/2 a frozen banana, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 3 cups fresh spinach, 2 cups water and a little sweetener (I use honey because I don't like artificial). Blend it up and enjoy. It makes two big glasses and you'll never taste the spinach
Here's a question for you, why are you making a separate meal for yourself? I have a family as well with a 6 and 3 year old. Let me tell you, they can be fussy eaters, but I don't have time nor do I feel that my family should be eating anything different than me. Are you on a special program? If you're nuking your food, I don't blame you for wanting what they have. Our basics are grilled chicken, baked fish, or ground turkey with steamed veggies, a salad and brown rice.
Good luck with the snack attacks.
Oh, one last piece of advise. Pick a time in the evening where you will no longer eat. Mine is 8:00 when my kids go to bed. If I want to eat, I have to do it before 8, otherwise I'll have to wait until the morning. This helps with mindless snacking in front of the TV : )


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Ralstonk2

Snack packs of apples. Laughing cow cheese with some special K crackers-Amazing! Low fat popcorn, minie bag so that's all I'll eat. Grapes. Special K 90 calorie bars. And WATER. Water is my favorite snack (Even though not lately though.) because it fills me up a ton and requires nothing!

FrankieOx

My favorite snack is without a doubt peanuts! We buy them in the shell 25lbs at a time. They are the unsalted kind which is way better and I don't have the guilt of craming in too many calories coupled with the sodium. I'd say my second favorite is my meal replacement, Shakeology. Great thing about it is that I can experiment with what I add to change up the taste. I have a major sweet tooth, so I can make "peanutbutter cup" or snickerdoodle Shakeology and have not guilt at all and I'm actually giving my body all the nutrients it craves to curb the sweets that I am 'craving'. Great thing, Shakeology is only 140cals and it DOES fill me up.
Good luck on your finds, remember that nutrition is 80% of your overall fitness. Keep tracking your intake with the food planner here and it will help to keep you accountable. Also get an accountability partner that you can rely on to keep you grounded.

KimmieBrie

I snack on microwave popcorn, clementines, cheese sticks, peanut butter and an apple, pistachios, or sometimes crackers w/salsa or hummus. I take only a serving of crackers and not put the whole box out, otherwise it's easy to get carried away.

kmbrooks15

Stay away from the fridge at night if that's a problem for you. You can always pack a bunch of lunches on the weekend; then you just have to grab one in the morning and not pack it at night. Also, allow yourself some calories for a nighttime snack. Open your food diary (if you haven't already); I find that knowing that everyone on MFP can see what I ate helps me think twice about it!

Can I ask why you're cooking something different for the rest of your family? I told my kids I'm not a short order cook; they eat what I eat or not at all. They need the healthy stuff, too--veggies, protein, etc. There are things you can do to make veggies more palatable. My daughter HATED broccoli--until the night I added just a touch of garlic salt and onion salt to it. She still doesn't LOVE it, but she certainly tolerates it better with some seasoning on it. Usually dinner for us is a meat (pork or chicken or tilapia, seasoned), a carb (rice, pasta, or potatoes), and veggies. The rule is, for every cup of carb you eat, you have to eat a cup of veggies. This helps all of us keep the carbs in check (rather than a huge plate of mashed potatoes!). There is no dessert unless they eat their healthy dinner. They're doing really well with it. I think the key is to make everything flavorful; just because you're counting calories doesn't mean your food has to be bland. You might want to start slowly introducing healthier foods to your family; they'll benefit from your lifestyle change, too!

ninelives58

Sometimes when the munchies hit I've just got to reach for a big glass of ice water unless I've got extra calories to burn. If I have the spare calories, I measure out my snack, wrap up the box or bag and put it away, then move out of the kitchen and hope my small serving satisfies and that I don't go digging back in the cabinet for more. I've also found that those tiny little carrots sprinkled with some seasoned salt (I don't watch my sodium too well) are great for snacking - low cal and crunchy.

nygiantschick

I chew a lot of gum (much to the annoyance of my co-workers since I am an unaware popper). But it helps. But I also keep my dried fruit and nut mixes at the ready. I also do fruits and veggies, but one of my guilty pleasures is corn chips. And I also like to drink hot tea.

pawesome

I love frozen blueberries! They are better in the summer of course, but coupled with some 85% cacao dark chocolate in the middle of the day and I'm energized! I have the same problem while I'm preparing a meal, too. I will nibble a little bit here and there and before I know if, I can't eat dinner because I'm stuffed! I just have to control myself. It's hard, but it will pay off! The worst is baking for an occasion and not sampling! Good post.

margojr4

Here's a question for you, why are you making a separate meal for yourself? I have a family as well with a 6 and 3 year old. Let me tell you, they can be fussy eaters, but I don't have time nor do I feel that my family should be eating anything different than me. Are you on a special program? If you're nuking your food, I don't blame you for wanting what they have. Our basics are grilled chicken, baked fish, or ground turkey with steamed veggies, a salad and brown rice.
Good luck with the snack attacks.



Yes, agreed. Our kids (11yrs, 4yrs) eat what we eat. Very few exceptions, like yesterday we had tuna casserole and the kids wanted soup and sandwiches (easy, no worries) Example, if we eat pork stir fry, they still have to pick out veggies (usually broccoli and peppers) and meat from the pan.

Mindless snacking while watching tv? Go to bed early, keep your hands busy? Manicures? Everytime you pick up that snacky nibble, ask yourself "do I really need it?" More or less your answer is no. Look at the clock to remind yourself that in "x" minutes I'll be eating again.

There have been times where I chant in my head "no no no no no no" when standing in front of the fridge for no reason only to eat out of bordom LOL You can do this! Stay strong!

jbeauchamp1

If it is a temptation for me it is not in my house...because I will eat it. I am blessed that my husband is on board with my healthy eating and he also is not snacking either. If we buy snacks I buy 100 calorie packs or portion controlled items. If he wants the cookies I either buy some I know I will not eat or put them away...out of sight out of mind works for me. Also maybe you should just start eating with your family and planning it in your day so you don't feel the urge to splurge on what they are eating. I cook normal dinners and just calculate calories per serving and make it work into my day. I find if I have to do too much out of the norm cooking or planning I won't stick with it because I don't have alot of time so I quit. You can eat a non-bland dinner and still lose weight...I am doing it!