Do you ever find yourself wanting to snack when you aren’t really hungry? This happens to me while I’m working since I tend to bring a big jar of nuts to the office for a healthy snack.
The thing is that a handful sometimes turns into two (or three), all within a few hours. This tends to happen when my mind is racing to think, to complete a deadline, or when I am engrossed reading the fine print in a contract.
It would be fine if it happened just at the office, once in a while, but at home, I have another big jar of nuts that tends to empty faster than I can get more at the store. Nuts are one of my favorite snacks, but sometimes I consume more than I should and snack time just turned into an indulgence (chocolate covered almonds, anyone?).
As part of my participation in Aetna’s #Mindful30 program, I’m using of their tips to help me reduce stress. I’ve been working hard this last month to be more mindful of my own thoughts, to be more aware of stressful moments, and even establishing a morning and evening routine to reduce stress.
So far, I’m feeling great. I’ve only missed one of my quick meditations, and I now look forward to them with my morning cup of coffee.
In the evenings, I’m not rushing on autopilot anymore; I’ve become conscious of what the chaos triggers that are happening around the house and I’m focusing on doing one thing at a time to accomplish more.
But sometimes, I over snack on almonds and cashews (my favorite). So I need to be more mindful of this and ask myself whether it’s mindless eating or, perhaps I’m thirsty. To drink more water is always a good rule of thumb.
Today’s Tip is to purge the urge.
Stress isn’t your stomach’s best friend. Prolonged stress can release cortisol in your body making you crave foods that are high in fat or sugar. So next time you crave something that isn’t necessarily good for you; pause and notice your breathing. Take note of how your body feels as the craving begins. Replace wishing for it to go away with the knowledge that it will go away. Once it does, you’ll feel better — and feel more in control.
As I close my month of mindfulness with Aetna, I have put into action some of these tips. When I start to feel the need to snack mindlessly while I work, I now take a few deep breaths and try begin to focus on one thing at a time. It seems funny to tell myself to do something, but that is what I do. I tell myself to stop, focus on one project and when it is complete I can then move on to the next.
Since I know that nuts are my go-to snack, I’ve begun to pre-pack appropriate portions instead of having a full jar at hands reach. I’m also bringing an extra fruit or a side of veggies to the office and eliminated the bulk jar of almonds.
At home, when I feel a strong urge to snack, I first grab my big cup of water with a straw and drink. It turns out that most of the time my body is thirsty, not hungry. The bonus: I’m getting a lot more water per day than I used to, and that is also making me feel great physically.
What is your go-to mindless snacking indulgence, do you have one?
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This post was sponsored by Aetna, who believes health is about the body and the mind. Stress can affect emotional and physical health, and reducing stress can boost wellbeing. As part of their #Mindful30 challenge, the views and opinions expressed in my posts on the topic of mindfulness are my own, not Aetna’s. To learn more about mindfulness, visit aetnamindfulness.com.
Kelli
I would say my worst snack habit would be crackers of any sort. But the ones that I cannot put down are my sons -Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies-. They are so good and so addictive! I am trying to lose 25 lbs. by September so I am cutting out a lot and making better choices in my diet and my family’s.
Becky
Chips are my indulgence snack. Tortilla chips tend to have short ingredient lists, so they have that in their favor, but my are they easy to overdo. My salt/crunch substitution is stove-popped popcorn, and I found that King Arthur Flour’s Vermont cheese powder has one ingredient! Just cheese! I haven’t been happy with my baked tortilla and vegetable chip experiments so far–kale shrank so much it didn’t feel like it was worth the work. The mandoline-sliced sweet potato chips and the tortilla chips, instead of being crisp or crunchy, were so tough and leathery that it hurt to chew them. I’m pretty sure I sliced them thin enough, so I might need to tweak my oven temp or baking times.
Ingrid
I love snacking on almonds and grapes while I’m studying – a much better choice than a decade ago, when my snacks of choice for studying were cookies and M&Ms. I try to be mindful of how much I’m eating, so I never bring the whole jar of nuts to my study space – just the handful I can have. Eat one at a time, chew thoughtfully rather than mindlessly (this part’s a work in progress).
Christina
So funny, that I do the same exact thing to control my trail mix portions! I love those little boxes for that reason! During the winter months I make a point to drink more water (with a water bottle on my desk as a reminder) and herbal teas (no sugar or honey). I notice that when I drink something hot, it suppresses my appetite. So sometimes when I don’t feel like tea, I just drink hot water to curb the snack pangs. I know that sounds weird but it works for me! Plus no calories!
Candis
I love popcorn for snacks.
lisa franklin
bread bread bread, toasted with butter. especially the good stuff. or chocolate. trying to resist those urges lately too, by indulging myself with a few minutes of a favorite or relaxing activity.
Dana
I’m definitely a big snacker! I tend to snack on carbs (cereal, crackers, etc). I’m trying to do better though because my 7 yo son is a selective eater, and I don’t want him to snack so much that he skips meals!
Megan Combs
I have a big sweet tooth so sweets used to be my go to snack however, this year I’m working to change my eating habits and snack less or intentionally snack. My husband and I have this joke and if one or the other is looking for a snack, esp late at night we say “there are carrots in there (the fridge).” Rarely did we ever go for the carrots but now I do or eat a small pc of fruit. My other snack is popcorn, love the crunch and you can eat a fair amount for little calories!
Melissa
Oh, how I love to snack! When the urge hits I usually take a few big drinks of water and change my task if possible. Sometimes it’s just a need to change the scenery or the action. If I’m still munchy after 10 minutes or so I’ll find a sensible portion (NEVER out of the container) of some healthy bites. If I let it go too long when I really am hungry, I CANNOT stop eating.
Jennifer
I love to snack on a cheese stick and pecans or almonds. Baby carrots and homemade ranch dip are also a go-to. The only way I do not overeat snacks is by packing a limited amount and staying out of the fridge and/or containers of goodies.
Sarah L
My go to snacks are raw nuts, especially cashews and popcorn….
Wendy
I love nuts myself. It is very easy to over indulge as you stated. I too, have had to pre-package appropriate portions so I don’t just keep munching. Almonds and pistachios are my favorite.
Thank you for the great post!
Traci W
I eat raw almonds before lunch at work, and I always put out 1/2 of a portion so that I don’t mindlessly pull more out while I’m working. I am really working on random snack attacks at home currently.. and logging everything I eat at MFP helps me stay aware and I can tell my new habits are working and I know when I can have this or that now or if its gonna show up on my waistline! 🙂
Rig
I use either little containers and fill them with mixed nuts and coconut pieces or use the smallest snack bags for the same.
Johanna B.
If I could live on crackers and cheese forever I would! I try to keep the crackers out of my house though, and make my own healthy crackers using nut meals and flax. In a pinch I just microwave cut-up cheese slices for a quick crunchy and cheesy snack.