Is snacking in between meals a good idea or bad idea? Well that depends a lot on what kind of snack food you're talking about. Even though some snack foods are touted as healthy or portion-controlled they may end up sabotaging your weight loss efforts.
One of the hottest selling items nowadays are the 100-calorie snack packs. You know. They have a myriad of different variations: Oreo, Twinkie, Chips Ahoy, etc. If you look at these packages they do contain 100 calories but the portions tend to be horribly small. You have to ask yourself, "If I eat this, is it going to satisfy me at all or am I going to be left wanting more when this is done?" If you look at the label you'll soon discover that you're certainly not eating anything worthwhile, at least from a nutritional point of view. If you're going to snack on something, in order to tide you over in between meals, then shouldn't you try to eat something with at least some semblance of nutritional value?
Personally, I find that when I start to snack on foods that are high in processed sugars and fats I have a hard time stopping the eating process. I eat a little bit of a cookie or a snack bar and I'm not satiated - I continue to want more and more. I've found myself in this situation many times and it typically starts with something innocent like a 100-calorie snack or a low-cal treat and then cascades into thirty minutes of non-stop eating. How did this happen? It's hard to say for sure but I've noticed that when I start to eat sugary foods it becomes extremely hard to become satisfied and I'm driven to eat more sugary foods. I don't notice this type of behavior when I snack on fresh fruit or other unprocessed foods. It seems that junk food turns on the eating mechanism in my body (and maybe yours too).
How have I overcome this situation? I've learned to steer clear of junk food in general. I've come to realize that when I start to indulge in just a tiny bit of junk food -especially if it's sweet-then I will have a hard time stopping. Just like a recovering alcholic tries not to go into a bar, I try not to indulge in sweets or junk food because I know what the end result will be.
Additionally, one should try to snack on healthy foods and not just empty calories. Unfortunately I think many people are happy to snack on these super convenient foods because they feel that the food is low in calories and does them no harm. Well, if you're very disciplined it may do you no harm but what about doing you good? Do you really think eating small versions of partially-hydrogenated, high-fat, high-sugar foods is really good for you? Don't fool yourself.
Try to eat foods that have a nutitional "punch" to them. Fruits can be a great snack and they pack a ton of fiber and phytochemicals in them as well. What about a small salad to get you through until dinner? If you're really pressed for time have a small packet of sugar-free oatmeal mixed with water. You'll find that you're much more satiated if you have a healthful snack as opposed to a package of mini-junk food.
You don't have to limit yourself to fresh fruits either. Studies have shown that frozen fruits can have just as much nutritional value and the fresh variety. Not only do these foods contain important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that the processed junk food doesn't contain, it also provides fiber as well. Fiber is a key component to satiety and something that is sorely lacking in processed food - especially junk food.
Lastly, ask yourself, "Am I really hungry? Is my stomach growling," before you think about having a snack. The calories from little meals can add up quite fast so don't fool yourself into thinking that a snack is irrelevant because it's not. That small snack can set you up for more eating later on in the day (high sugar content can drop your blood sugar levels below normal and cause an urge to want to eat more sugars throughout the day), make you feel lethargic, or cause arterial inflammation. Yep, that's right. Science has shown that merely eating a single meal comprised of saturated or trans fat can cause immediate arterial inflammation. The effects occur within several hours and last for several hours afterwards.
Focus on having three main meals a day with a couple of snacks interspersed. The snacks can be whatever you're in the mood for: a banana, a baked potato with spinach, an apple, or a handful of almonds. It's never too late to start and the sooner you develop healthy eating habits the quicker you'll see positive results.
One of the hottest selling items nowadays are the 100-calorie snack packs. You know. They have a myriad of different variations: Oreo, Twinkie, Chips Ahoy, etc. If you look at these packages they do contain 100 calories but the portions tend to be horribly small. You have to ask yourself, "If I eat this, is it going to satisfy me at all or am I going to be left wanting more when this is done?" If you look at the label you'll soon discover that you're certainly not eating anything worthwhile, at least from a nutritional point of view. If you're going to snack on something, in order to tide you over in between meals, then shouldn't you try to eat something with at least some semblance of nutritional value?
Personally, I find that when I start to snack on foods that are high in processed sugars and fats I have a hard time stopping the eating process. I eat a little bit of a cookie or a snack bar and I'm not satiated - I continue to want more and more. I've found myself in this situation many times and it typically starts with something innocent like a 100-calorie snack or a low-cal treat and then cascades into thirty minutes of non-stop eating. How did this happen? It's hard to say for sure but I've noticed that when I start to eat sugary foods it becomes extremely hard to become satisfied and I'm driven to eat more sugary foods. I don't notice this type of behavior when I snack on fresh fruit or other unprocessed foods. It seems that junk food turns on the eating mechanism in my body (and maybe yours too).
How have I overcome this situation? I've learned to steer clear of junk food in general. I've come to realize that when I start to indulge in just a tiny bit of junk food -especially if it's sweet-then I will have a hard time stopping. Just like a recovering alcholic tries not to go into a bar, I try not to indulge in sweets or junk food because I know what the end result will be.
Additionally, one should try to snack on healthy foods and not just empty calories. Unfortunately I think many people are happy to snack on these super convenient foods because they feel that the food is low in calories and does them no harm. Well, if you're very disciplined it may do you no harm but what about doing you good? Do you really think eating small versions of partially-hydrogenated, high-fat, high-sugar foods is really good for you? Don't fool yourself.
Try to eat foods that have a nutitional "punch" to them. Fruits can be a great snack and they pack a ton of fiber and phytochemicals in them as well. What about a small salad to get you through until dinner? If you're really pressed for time have a small packet of sugar-free oatmeal mixed with water. You'll find that you're much more satiated if you have a healthful snack as opposed to a package of mini-junk food.
You don't have to limit yourself to fresh fruits either. Studies have shown that frozen fruits can have just as much nutritional value and the fresh variety. Not only do these foods contain important vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that the processed junk food doesn't contain, it also provides fiber as well. Fiber is a key component to satiety and something that is sorely lacking in processed food - especially junk food.
Lastly, ask yourself, "Am I really hungry? Is my stomach growling," before you think about having a snack. The calories from little meals can add up quite fast so don't fool yourself into thinking that a snack is irrelevant because it's not. That small snack can set you up for more eating later on in the day (high sugar content can drop your blood sugar levels below normal and cause an urge to want to eat more sugars throughout the day), make you feel lethargic, or cause arterial inflammation. Yep, that's right. Science has shown that merely eating a single meal comprised of saturated or trans fat can cause immediate arterial inflammation. The effects occur within several hours and last for several hours afterwards.
Focus on having three main meals a day with a couple of snacks interspersed. The snacks can be whatever you're in the mood for: a banana, a baked potato with spinach, an apple, or a handful of almonds. It's never too late to start and the sooner you develop healthy eating habits the quicker you'll see positive results.
