Day 11: Snacking

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL HINDIS!

On a side note, today's topic is on snacking which is especially prevalent during festivals and I am guilty to mindless snacking like many other people but I am trying hard to curb this habit and make it a healthy one instead. 

One of the few main reasons of snacking is because of stress. Some people tend to eat more when they are stress to make themselves feel better but in fact, it is making themselves worst in the long run. Luckily, I am the kind that do not eat when stress (which probably is not a good thing either). 

Another reason is what is known as mindless snacking in which I am highly guilty of. This means that you are eating for no reason whatsoever. You are actually not hungry, not craving for anything but you just automatically reach out for a snack as if you are programmed to do so. This is probably due to habit. You are probably so used to eating something at a certain time (eg. supper) or when doing a certain thing (eg. watching tv, movies) such that you must have something to snack on. As for me, I tend to snack when I have nothing to do or am doing mindless things like watching dramas. Having nothing to do is another big reason for people to snack because it takes up your time. 

Let see what are the few ways that I deemed to be useful to curb mindless snacking. 

1. Keep yourself occupied and focus.
   By keeping yourself occupied, you are keeping your mind away from any food thoughts. Your mind will be focus on the things you have to complete. Making a to-do-list for work and when you are back home will hopefully keep your mind off food and on the things you want or have to do. 
2. Keep food away from you.
   This is especially so in the office. If your office have a pantry or a food corner or you have a stash of snacks at hand, keep them away from you. By not looking at food, you have even lesser chances of wanting to eat them. This is to make food less convenient for you to reach for it and hopefully to reduce the times that you want to snack. 
3. Get healthy alternatives of snack
   If you really have to snack so as to keep your energy up, get healthy snacks instead of chips and biscuits which are high in fats and refined sugar. Get snacks that can keep your blood sugar level constant and thus will not make you to reach out for more food especially during the afternoon after lunch. 

These are a few snacks that I would like to snack on.

1. Granola without any milk or anything else. (100 grams per serving)
   I love to snack on these crunchy bits of granola which can provide me with fiber, complex carbohydrates and enough energy to last me to the next meal. Granola gives enough satisfaction through the crunch that it have which can be a substitute for people who enjoy crispy chips. 
2. Fruits/vegetables (1 serving of fruit/vegetable)
   Fruits are sweet and can be crunchy or juicy and best of all, it is a snack with few calories and is healthy. A medium size apple is just about 70 calories and a pear is about 80 calories. Why not switch your snack option to fruits and vegetables and you can get the satisfaction and also the vitamins and minerals in it. 
3. Baked tortilla chips with cottage cheese dipping (1 sliced of tortilla with 30 grams cottage cheese)
   If you are the kind that enjoys salty food, you will like this snack option. Bake your own tortilla chips using fresh corn or any wholewheat tortilla with a drizzle of olive oil and some spices (optional). If you require any dipping, use cottage cheese dipping instead of any other processed cheese as it is healthier and contains lesser amount of calories and fats. 

Hope you enjoy your version of healthy snacks and do not go back on mindless snacking.

Bye!

|ser|