Many nutritionists recommend eating five to six smaller meals throughout the day instead of the traditional three big meals. Doing so is said to help boost your metabolism and aid in curbing hunger, allowing you to make better food choices. Adding snacks definitely has its benefits; however, if you’re not snacking correctly, you could be doing more harm than good. Next time you nibble between meals, give these tips a try.
- Choose Wisely: A snack when you were a kid might have been chips, candy, or cookies. As an adult, though, your metabolism might not be as a resilient to junk food. Look for foods that are not only good for you, but will also keep you feeling full. Lean protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich foods should be your go-tos. Try apples and almond butter, or lunch meat, sharp cheddar and avocado pinwheels, or air-popped popcorn topped with Parmesan cheese instead of butter.
When it comes to snack time, choose wisely. - Pack Your Snacks: If you’re going to be at work all day or out running errands, bring some food that you can munch when your stomach starts grumbling. It will help keep you satisfied and away from vending machines and drive-thrus. Pick items you can easily pack in your purse, such as a baggie of almonds and raisins, or a cup of Greek yogurt.
- Plan to Eat: If you’re going to eat five or six times a day, set a schedule and a food guide of when and what those meals and snacks will be. Plan for times when hunger usually strikes for you. If you get hungry mid-morning, plan for a cup of sunflower-seed topped cottage cheese. If nighttime is when you need to eat, make sure you have an early enough dinner so that you’re not eating right before bed–which can negatively affect your sleep.
- Eat When You’re Hungry: Even if you have a snack schedule that works for you, don’t keep to it like clockwork. The point of snacking is to hold you until your next meal–keeping your body from going into starvation mode. However, if you’re not hungry, you should skip the snack or save it for when hunger kicks in.
- Watch Your Portions: Eating six times a day means taking in even smaller quantities of food at breakfast, lunch, and dinner when compared to eating five times a day. It might require you to do some calorie counting or food weighing when you first begin. But within a couple weeks, you should be able to find what’s right for you and your fat loss plans. In general, your snacks shouldn’t be another meal, but instead less than half or a quarter of what you’d eat at morning, noon, or night.
- Cave to Cravings: If that peanut butter cup is calling your name–and has been relentlessly–it’s possible that no healthy alternative is going to take it’s place (although you could try dark chocolate dipped in sunflower butter). Cravings will occur, and so long as it’s not a habit, it’s OK to indulge. Giving in isn’t a sign of weakness, and could actually cause you to consume less calories if no snack seems to satisfy you.
Snacking can do wonders for your fat loss goals. It just requires smarter strategies regarding time, portions, and what to eat. Make good decisions and you’ll be burning fat without ever feeling hunger pangs.
What is your favorite go-to snack? Share with others in the comments!
Carrie Anton is a freelance writer focusing on health, fitness, and sports. She's been published in Self, Women's Health, Oxygen, and Maximum Fitness.
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