Snack Attack
Oh, snack food. Why do you hurt us so?
How many times do we find ourselves sitting in the dark with a bowl or a bag of something salty? That bowl or bag gets emptier as we get fuller, until there’s nothing left to munch on, and we don’t feel good about it. It’s like mind control!
Are we in charge of the snacks, or are the snacks controlling us?
There are ways to get a handle on the snack attack…
Small Stuff
Remember that a snack is small. Keep it to a handful. Don’t make a meal out of it. Don’t take the whole bag. If it’s something sloppy, use the smallest bowl you’ve got. Portion control is always important to weight loss. It counts even more with your snacks, because they tend to be eaten mindlessly.
Shop Around
There’s a misconception that snack foods are in the snack aisle. It’s like a trap! If you want to eat something orange, eat an orange. Or a carrot. Or a bunch of carrots. Seriously, head over to the produce section and get something with flavor. A piece of fruit or a nice vegetable will feel better for you than a bag of artificially flavored, processed puffy air, and they’re easier to clean off your fingers, afterwards.
Lock Out
It’s easier to avoid bad snacks if you don’t even have them in the house. It’s okay to indulge from time to time, even on a diet. But for some people, part of the problem that got them in trouble with snacks might be just from having them around too much. Make them special again! Make them rare and work for them. Go out for ice cream or sweets, instead of keeping them in the kitchen.
Want more healthy snack ideas? How about 103 of them, thanks to Rachael Ray at:
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/103-healthy-snack-recipe-ideas