When there’s little to do but lounge around, it’s hard to avoid unhealthy snacking. We get bored, look through the fridge and pantry, and find the perfect snack to occupy our time. The result of this is overindulging and when done repeatedly, it can jeopardize your diet! Why do we develop these unhealthy habits? When we’re bored, snacking helps to break up the monotony. The foods we choose are high in sugar, fat and/or sodium content. They cause our brain to release endorphins like dopamine that make us feel good and because of that, we keep on snacking. The next thing you know, you’ve finished a whole bag of chips. It’s a vicious cycle that will allow unhealthy habits to spill over into every aspect of your life. Did you know it takes a minimum of 6 weeks to break a habit? What about that it takes a lifetime to overcome one? It won’t be easy but it is possible. And remember- mistakes are just par for the course! We all make them but we have to brush it off and keep going.
Here are some tips to combat this unhealthy habit:
First and foremost, find something to do! If the weather is nice, take advantage and go for a walk, run or bike ride. Getting fresh air can be a great stress reliever. When it’s rainy out: plan a family game night, finish a puzzle, complete some sodoku, color a picture, read a book and try out a healthy recipe!
Focus on when you’re hungry and what you're craving. Humans tend to become creatures of habit and you will notice a pattern. Once we start snacking at a certain time daily, our brain tells us we want a snack every day at that time. If you are hungry every day at 9 P.M. while watching TV, take note of that and try to keep healthy snacks nearby.
Did you ever notice that when you feel like you’re starving, you’ll eat anything in sight? Even that salad? Even that bland chicken? If you’re actually hungry, you’ll eat anything- including a healthy snack. So, if you’re craving ice cream late at night and something healthy and sweet like fruit doesn’t cut it, you’re just bored. Find something productive to do! And when all else fails, brush your teeth! Did you ever eat something right after brushing your teeth? It doesn’t taste great right? You see where I’m going!
These are all easy things you can do to prevent eating when bored. Start breaking that habit today!
Here are some great healthy snacks that will really fill you up!
Berries: Did you know that 1 cup of berries is less than 100 calories? That’s almost half the calories of the average serving of chips! And one cup of berries gives you a lot more food than one serving of chips!
Kale chips: 2 cups is only 100 calories! This snack could go a long way! It’s also very easy to make at home!
Casein Pudding: Casein is a form of protein powder that takes longer to digest. And it has 20-30 grams of protein per serving which will keep you feeling so full, you won’t want to snack. Did we mention it tastes amazing?!
Edamame: Another high protein snack that is also low in calories! Add in a sprinkle of salt to give it more flavor!
Cucumber slices or carrots with hummus: This is a great healthy snack! The fiber is the cucumber and carrots will help to keep you full too!
Hard boiled eggs: Two hard boiled eggs have only 140 calories and 13 grams of protein!
Pickles: One pickle has less than 10 calories. This is a no brainer! It makes a great snack!
Olives: 25 olives have about 100-170 calories. They are also salty which can be a great replacement when you are craving salty foods!
Last nights left overs: Your typical snacks, don’t need to be all you snack on. Sometimes having a small serving of a filling meal can fill you up even more! It can also end up being less calories!
Healthy Snack Recipes
Turkey roll-ups
Ingredients:
4 slices of turkey breast
4 teaspoons (20 grams) of cream cheese
4 pickles or cucumber strips
Directions:
Place turkey breast slices on a large plate. Spread 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of cream cheese on each slice. Place a pickle or strip of cucumber on each turkey slice and roll up.
Casein Pudding
Ingredients
· 5 oz Unsweetened chocolate almond milk
· 1 Scoop Chocolate/Peanut Butter Casein
Directions
1. Pour 5 oz Unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk into a small mixing bowl.
2. Place 1 scoop of casein into bowl. Hand mix with whip.
3. Place in the fridge for 5-10 minutes. Pudding will thicken as it sits.