Snacking Tips for a Healthier and Fitter You

Lisa Franchi October 13, 2015

What’s your favourite snack? Snacking has been part of our culture. Whether it’s that sinful ice cream, fries or cookies, or the healthy ones like fruit and granola bar - we all crave for a good and really filling snack. But when done the wrong way, snacking can actually sabotage our efforts to lose weight and be healthier. So we got some great snacking tips that might work for you.

Ask yourself first - do you really need that snack?

Just one hour has passed since you had your breakfast. You’ve got less than an hour before dinner. Do you think having a snack is necessary? If your next meal is just around the corner, it’s best to pass on the snack. Even though it’s just a light snack, it still has calories. What’s more, you’d be enjoying your meal more since passing on the snack would make you a little hungrier.

Schedule it wisely.

The amount and frequency of your snack should depend on your calorie requirement. If you’re someone who only needs 1,500 calories every day, you may be needing to snack just once a day. If you’re a very active person and therefore requires more calories, having two or three snacks a day is recommended. The best time to schedule a snack is when you are going 4-5 hours without eating. Another thing, notice what time you usually get hungry on a day. That could be a perfect time to have a snack as well.

Keep it small.

Snacks are not meals because they are supposed to be light. They aren’t supposed to make you feel full. Snacks are meant so you don’t feel hungry. So keep your portion small and your choice of food light. A great snack would be a single portion of fruit or a handful of nuts. These foods contain fewer calories but are heavy on the stomach. Snacks should have just about 125 to 250 calories.

Be mindful.

No matter how filling your food is, if you’re not going to be mindful, you are less likely to enjoy it. Worse, you may go overboard. Mindfulness is something we should all practise whenever we are eating, whether it’s a main course or a snack. So how do you stay mindful when eating? Pay full attention to your food - its appearance, smell, texture and taste. Notice the sensations it brings to your mouth. Do away from distractions. When snacking or eating, stay away from the television and stop browsing the web. Just stay focused on your food and you are surely to enjoy it more.

Consider citrus.

Eating citrus like grapefruit for snack is a great way to cut your appetite for food. In one study, people who ate a serving of grapefruit per meal lost up to 3 1/2 pounds over three months. The hunger-reducing effect of grapefruit is due to its ability to lower insulin levels in our blood.