What is Snacking? | Why Snacking isn’t Bad | When Snacking Gets Unhealthy | 5 Tips and Tricks | Bottom Line

Let me guess. You don’t think you eat a lot, and then you catch yourself head-deep in the fridge searching for a quick treat. Here’s how to stop snacking on “unhealthy” foods and boost your fat loss efforts.

One of the causes of being overweight, consuming too much sugar, and having a high salt intake, lies in a person’s snacking habits. 

The cheapest and tastiest snacks are usually chocolates, sweets, and crisps/chips, so it’s no surprise why so many (the old me included) have a snacking problem. 

In this article, you’ll learn 5 different tips and tricks on how to stop snacking and begin making healthier choices.

A snack is a small quantity of food typically consumed in between meals. It’s a common habit that most people will do at least once over the course of a day. 

Any food could be considered a “snack”, but common examples include:

• Fruit

• Chocolates and sweets

• Popcorn

• Biscuits/crackers

• Nuts

• Cakes and muffins 

• Yoghurt

What you eat is the obvious determinant of whether your snacking habit is considered healthy or unhealthy. 

But the less considered yet equally important determinant is your intent.

There are many reasons, or causes, as to why people snack, and not all are necessarily bad. 

Here are some “good” reasons to snack:

• Boost energy between meals

• Improve concentration by maintaining blood sugar levels

• Intake of vitamins and minerals which you may not get from typical meals

• Prevent overeating at mealtime 

• Stabilise mood

• Social/cultural reasons 

Note that some of these “good reasons to snack”, can also be bad, depending on the individual and on the context.

As I’ve said, your intent behind snacking matters, especially when it’s a mindless habit. 

Mindless snacking usually arises from emotional reasons, both negative and positive. 

You may snack when you’re bored, stressed, or feeling down in an effort to improve your mood.

Similarly, you may snack to boost your mood further in a positive scenario, like after an achievement or whilst watching a movie. 

Whilst there’s nothing inherently wrong with emotional snacking on face value, there is when it becomes a habit. 

Habitual mindless and emotional snacking can cause an undesireable relationship with food due to the associated consequences on health. 

Habits can be difficult to break, but the five following tips and tricks on how to stop snacking will set you on the right path.

1. Schedule Snacks

Snacking cannot be both mindless and scheduled. 

If you schedule when you snack, you will naturally pay more attention to what you’re eating and why. 

This will also aid in your efforts to identify what foods are potentially causing weight gain. 

2. Reduce Accessibility

Clear out your kitchen, or if you live with others, keep your own cupboard/shelf. Then, only allow yourself to snack on whatever's in your dedicated space. 

Consequently, the foods you snack on are solely dependent on whatever you bought during your shopping trip (the next tip helps with that). 

3. Turn A Blind Eye

Ignorance is bliss. 

Have a shopping list and don’t let your eyes wander in supermarkets and stores. 

Go in, only search and buy whatever is jotted down on your shopping list, and leave. 

4. Buy Portioned Food 

Now this little trick may or may not work for you, but it does for me. 

Let’s take popcorn for example. Instead of buying one big bag, buy a multipack. 

This way you have to commit to eating a whole serving rather than having mindless bites throughout the day. 

5. Track Calories

You can skip the other four tips if you follow this one. 

Tracking calories holds you accountable and makes monitoring food intake much easier. 

Mindless snacking is no longer an option and it changes your relationship with food. 

In addition, when you have a calorie constraint, you will naturally prioritise low-calorie foods and eventually remove “junk foods” entirely.

You can create a nutrition strategy that incorporates calorie tracking as part of a fat loss plan by reading Cutting Concepts. 

Cutting Concepts is a guide that spans nutrition, weight training, cardio, and supplementation, with a focus on losing fat. 

Tap here if you want to build your own fat loss plan.

• Snacking can be a healthy habit 

• Snacking becomes unhealthy when it’s a result of emotion or mindless eating 

• Promote making positive choices by positioning yourself for success through the use of the 5 tips and tricks mentioned in this article 

• Tracking calories is by far the best method to control snacking urges

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