Snacks, What percentage of diet?
Replies
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I am missing some nutrition each day. My macros are not met or average well during the week. I am missing lots of vitamins each day.
I eat to many Carbs each day and not enough protein and fats each day. Some days my fats will go over.
I am fine tuning my eating life style, but I am not willing to exercise myself my butt off to keep at a lower weight. And, I want to be able to eat out and eat some of the foods I love....like pizza, tacoes, and icecream, and salty snack foods. I am sure there are a lot more foods I could list.
Add veggies to your pizza (peppers, onions, spinach, basil, tomato, artichoke hearts, whatever strikes your fancy) and tacos (avocado, beans, peppers, onions). Eat your salty snacks with vegetables (hummus, guacamole, salsa, bean dip, etc).
Just watch your calories as some of those things can add up quickly, but you can eat them as part of your normal daily diet. And take a daily multivitamin.2 -
Snacks for me would be candy, donuts, cakes, salty dry snacks, icecream, popcycles, cheetos, popcorn, granola, alcohol drinks high in calories.....any type foods that would be dense in sugar and calories.
My "snacks" are usually around 25% of my calories. But I might be defining it differently to you. To me snacks are just any food that I eat that aren't part of my 3 main meals, whether it be an orange at 11am, a protein shake at 4pm, or a chocolate brownie at 9pm. I don't really think of different types of food as "snack" foods or "junk" foods.1 -
All I do is eat snacks technically. I don't get the chance to just sit and eat like EVER. If my "lunch" is a chicken breast, broccoli, spinach and carrots, these items are usually all eaten separately within maybe an hour of each other. "Snacks" that aren't a part of a meal? Well, that depends on what time of the month it is. However if I squander too many calories on something like snack cakes or candy I regret it later because I am faced with either exceeding my calorie goal by a LOT or being hungry. I look at the potential snack decide if I will have enough calories left over so that I'm not starving the rest of the day. If that helps at all.2
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I am missing some nutrition each day. My macros are not met or average well during the week. I am missing lots of vitamins each day.
I eat to many Carbs each day and not enough protein and fats each day. Some days my fats will go over.
I am fine tuning my eating life style, but I am not willing to exercise myself my butt off to keep at a lower weight. And, I want to be able to eat out and eat some of the foods I love....like pizza, tacoes, and icecream, and salty snack foods. I am sure there are a lot more foods I could list.
I looked at your food log and to be honest your diet is poor. 40% or so of calories on a low calorie diet cannot be from nutritionally poor foods which is your situation
How about some fruits and vegetables? Your protein isn't even meeting the very minimal recommendation.
Replace the snacks you are currently eating with vegetables, fruit, Greek yogurt, things that have some nutritional value
Reserve around 150 calories for non-nutrient dense food, what you are currently call snacks instead of 4-600
Best of luck3 -
I don't think the percentage matters so much unless by snacks you mean foods with very low nutrition.
This. Some people like to snack all day, but include those as part of their regular nutrition. If I snack, I tend to choose fruit or nuts or the like, but I dislike snacking since I just do better on a regular 3 meal schedule.
If you mean what percentage for lower nutrient things you are eating just for fun (what I'd call dessert), it depends on calories, but I usually aim for around 200-250, with some days none at all and other days more budgeted in (like Thanksgiving). My "dessert" isn't always sweet -- could be ice cream, but could be some good cheese. I might use the calories for a higher cal savory meal (like going out for Indian) or a rare breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup. I look more at the overall day but that's probably the average.1 -
I am missing some nutrition each day. My macros are not met or average well during the week. I am missing lots of vitamins each day.
If this is your concern, I'd recommend focusing on how to meet nutritional needs in your meals or through your snacks and then use calories left over for whatever.
(I'd also note that MFP can't do a good job of measuring nutrients, so I'd look at things like protein and fiber and then just look to see if you consumed some healthy fats, a good variety of vegetables, some fruit if you like it, stuff like that. One thing I do is make sure I have a decent amount of protein and lots of vegetables at all meals, to the extent possible (which is most of the time).)1 -
My shopping list includes apples, Grapefruits, yogurt, cottage cheese, celery, baby carrots, canned no sugar peaches.
I eat in phases. I will eat healthy big salads for lunch for awhile, then switch to eggs for lunch. I used to eat apples daily. I need to get back eating healthy. Holidays coming up...
Awesome advice given! Thank you!0 -
Based on my patterns, I tend to split my calories like this:
Breakfast: 300 - 400 calories
Lunch: 400 - 600 calories
Dinner: 500 - 700 calories
Snacks: Remainder, depends on my amount of activity that day
As far as snacking goes, I focus on getting my protein in first. After that I'll indulge in something yummy. If I have a lot of calories left, I make sure a good portion goes towards fruits, yogurts, an extra glass of milk, that kind of stuff while still saving some calories for a fun snack.1 -
What percentage of a diet should be allowed for snacks?
What are your views?
When you say "snacks" are you referring to anything you eat outside of your actual meals or are you referring to "treats?"
Either way, I don't think there is a definitive answer to your question. I personally focus on quality nutrition which includes my snacks...if I'm hitting on all of that, it's perfectly fine for me to have a little treat now and then.0 -
Redefine your snack category to include nutritionally dense snacks. For example, nuts are yummy snacks but also nutritionally dense. You are better off nutritionally snacking on nuts than on crackers or chips. Fruit is sweet but nutritionally dense. You are better off eating whole fruits than drinking a fruit drink. You don't need to give up pizza, tacos, ice cream and salty snacks. You do need to use restraint and choose an overall healthy diet.
Some things that immediately come to mind as nutritionally dense snacks: nuts, fruit, yogurt, string cheese, celery stuffed with peanut butter, a nuked frozen veg with olive oil & grated parmesan for decadence, GORP (Good Old Peanuts & Raisins), ...1 -
Yea... I know calories in, calories out, but I am trying to achieve a healthy balance. Zero percentage is not for me, but then 50% of my calories for the day is too much.
I was just wondering what most folks eat as their snack amount in an average each day.
My snacks are a matter timing. Mid-afternoon I need something as a pick-me up, and so I don't go raiding someone's candy dish. I mug of Chai tea (milk & a bit of sugar) and a dark chocolate square (Ghiradelli) does the trick.
I love night time snacks so I leave my second snack until late. Light popcorn is my favorite - generally 150 calories worth.
I take a multivitamin and don't sweat the small stuff. Though protein & fats are important.0 -
I am back! I was running late on lunch after coming home with my snacks. I ate some hummus with celery, it was awesome. I ate a Gala apple and had 24 almonds. It is now after 5pm and I am starting to get hungry. I have over 1200 calories left to eat. I was not hungry after I had my lunch. Now, I have the problem of not eating my calories! Help!1
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I am back! I was running late on lunch after coming home with my snacks. I ate some hummus with celery, it was awesome. I ate a Gala apple and had 24 almonds. It is now after 5pm and I am starting to get hungry. I have over 1200 calories left to eat. I was not hungry after I had my lunch. Now, I have the problem of not eating my calories! Help!
This is when calorie dense foods would come in.
Some cheese, nuts, nut butters would help. They are higher calorie for little volume.
An apple with some peanut butter and an oz of cheese could bring your calories up.1 -
Ok. I ate my supper. I am pretty much eating as normal. I finished off with 1300 calories.... I can still have a snack late tonight. Yum!2
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I am missing some nutrition each day. My macros are not met or average well during the week. I am missing lots of vitamins each day.
I eat to many Carbs each day and not enough protein and fats each day. Some days my fats will go over.
I am fine tuning my eating life style, but I am not willing to exercise myself my butt off to keep at a lower weight. And, I want to be able to eat out and eat some of the foods I love....like pizza, tacoes, and icecream, and salty snack foods. I am sure there are a lot more foods I could list.
So have those foods once a week on a day when you put in a lot of exercise. That's what I do.
BTW - regarding salty snack foods ... I used to crave those, but when I joined MFP I realised that eating 12 potato chips just wouldn't cut it, so instead I decided to have something a bit more substantial yet salty. Therefore my after work snack is well-salted cottage cheese and raw veggies (or pickles). And that took the craving for chips etc. completely away.
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BTW my snacks are things like:
-- fruit: bananas, kiwi fruit, apples, mandarin oranges, mangos (for a special treat, they're a little higher in calories), and others as they appeal to me
-- raw veggies: cucumber slices, radishes, carrots, cabbage
-- dairy products: cottage cheese, yogurt, a light/low fat cheese (I like that kind of cheese!)
-- crackers: Ryvita, and a few others
And I'll often have a piece of toast with a little bit of honey or something as a snack at the end of the day if I'm still hungry.1 -
I think everyone has trigger foods. If your "snacking" is your trigger I would change your old snacks to satisfying new ones. The reason is you had an eating pattern with your old kind of snack and you may want to kick that old habit. Choose a new satisfying snack with a new behavior associated with it and change the location of where you are snacking. With that change you may not have to concern yourself with percentages( pretzels/carrots/celery/endive and hummus, small Lil' ice cream cone, weight watchers giant big chocolate pop, laughing cow reduced fat cheese.)1
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I have never figured out a percentage for my snacking. I think it all depends on preference. I'd rather eat 2-3 really big, filling meals than to graze all day long. However, if I find that I'm getting hungry in the afternoon, and dinner is going to be later, I might eat some yogurt, raw veggies, or a protein bar to hold me over. I don't think your percentage matters, as long as you're staying within your calories, you feel satisfied, and you're eating the important stuff, like veggies and protein, with your meals.
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Sorry, I just read some more of the thread and it looks like you're asking more about what percentage should/can be what would be labeled as "junk food." Honestly, just from a strict weight loss perspective, as long as you're within your calories it doesn't matter the type of food. Obviously if you want to look at overall health and body compositions, then macro- and micro- nutrition becomes more important. I think as long as you're hitting your other nutrition goals, you can have some discretionary calories for snack foods. I've always heard 80%/20% is the best way to go.2
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OP, I have always found it easier to focus on what I need to eat, rather than what I need to avoid. When I realized my diet was low in protein and veggies, I focused on getting them in. When you focus on adding stuff in, and you track your calories, it just naturally pushes the other stuff out.
So my two cents is not to sweat your snack percentage, instead figure out what's missing and how to get that stuff in. Good luck!3 -
I have planned out my food log for the day and I think I did pretty good at adjusting vitamins (macros) to meet my food need for today. Please check it out and let me know what you think.0
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Opps.... only meant macros.0
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I have planned out my food log for the day and I think I did pretty good at adjusting vitamins (macros) to meet my food need for today. Please check it out and let me know what you think.
That looks pretty good. I'd probably up protein and vegetables (and calories if your 1600 goal is what you are generally aiming for), but it's a process.0 -
I ate lunch. Saved my celery for mid-afternoon. I am eating very well. Never thought I would have calories left over. I will probably add peanut butter to the celery to build up more protein. I have 400 or so calories left.
Yes, it is a process. It is fun learning while you can eat some food.
Awesome advice given folks. I have not had any Halloween candy in two days! Yahooooo!0 -
I did pretty awesome on my macros today with foods chosen.0
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Error....0
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Macros are perfect!0
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Snacks for me would be basically high sugar content type foods with no nnutritional value.
I would also count in my salty snacks too.
Ah, you didn't define what you meant by "snacks". Snacks and salty/sugary/no nutrition are not synonymous -- at least for some of us.
My snacks over the past week have included things like:
Crunchy peanut butter and sugar free marmalade on a high-fiber sandwich thin
Quest nutrition bar or Fiber One bar
Handful of dried fruit and nuts
2% Greek yogurt with fruit and a quarter cup granola
Fruit (a banana or a couple of small tangerines or an apple)
A few grape tomatoes, a few kalamata olives, a couple of pickled okra
Couple of Ak-Mak high fiber crackers plus a couple wedges Laughing Cow cheese
I typically have a couple of these a day. You can snack and not overdo it with high sugar content type or salty snacks that have no nutritional value. That's why it doesn't matter to me what percent of my daily calories are spent on snacks.2 -
I think it depends on your activity level. Most days, my breakfast is 300-500 calories (300ish on weekdays; a little higher on weekends). Lunch is often about 400-500 calories. Dinner is usually 400-600 calories (a bit higher on Sunday nights). The rest of my calories are snacks.
That might include:
fruit
cheese
a protein shake
a protein bar
yogurt (sometimes Greek; sometimes with berries)
overnight oats
tuna
scrambled eggs on toast (my husband finds that an odd snack, but it works if I need protein + fat or am craving saltiness)
dark chocolate (~120 calories almost every day)
crackers
almonds
dates or dried pineapple
whole grain cereal
ice cream
treats (I had a rather absurdly calorific butter tart today, but that's not my norm)1
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