What do you snack on and how frequently

[Gymmum82]

My snacking is out of control and I’m gaining weight as a result.
Yesterday for example I ate a pack of cheese twists, a sharing bag of crisps, 4 millionaires shortbreads and 3 twirls.
I don’t seem to be able to stop myself snacking.
So what do you snack on? Do you have set times for snacks? Do you limit the amount of snacks you eat? Are they always healthy?
Give me some help/ideas to curb my snacking

Oh come on - How is that in anyway a snack? That’s a binge!

Fruit, veg with hummus, cheese, yogurt, chia seeds soaked in coconut milk, almond butter on rye crackers with apple/pear, popcorn, microwave potato slices if I have an urge for crisps, roasted chickpeas.

When I was thin I didn't snack. If I was hungry I just had a meal. I found the concept of snacking weird, why would I have just a little bit of a meal if I was hungry? As a size 14 now I have occassional biscuits and chocolates. I'm bigger because I'm eating things I don't need. I'm now just a few days into a 60 day health blitz, no alcohol, getting plenty of exercise and I'm watching what I eat, so I'm back to not snacking. I'm not eating unless I'm hungry, and if I'm hungry I'm having a meal. I can't calorie count to save my life, every time I do it adds up wrong and I end up eating more because the calorie count allows it, so I have to rely on having good ingredients, paying attention to when I'm hungry, and not snacking!

I cant be bothered with calorie counting so I only keep healthy snacks in the house which I know I won't binge eat. DD eats some junk bur she keeps them in her room.

A really good first step to healthier snacking is to have whatever you fancy but add other things to it to increase the nutritional value.

Or a rule like never eat a carb without a protein. If you want a biscuit, eat a piece of cheese too. That can be the difference between two biscuits and a whole pack.

Oddly I find it helpful to put food on a plate rather than eating out of wrappers. It’s harder for my brain to ignore it something!

What are your meals like? Sometimes altering the timing - have a bigger breakfast or lunch can help. Identify what textures work for you. If you like to graze, make a grazing platter of healthier food for a main meal. If you want crunch add in more raw veg.

Do you eat to concentrate? Or for emotional reasons? Or do you snack for speed and convenience? These are all valid things but you might want to think about how you could change the nutrition element rather than the behaviour.

We didn’t evolve to have willpower. If you eat before shopping, you have a better chance of avoiding junk food and then you won’t need will power at home.

I prep food twice a week - cut up veg and cook proteins so I can reach in the fridge and grab. If it’s not easy at the time I’m hungry, I’ll pick something easy and unhealthy. If you don’t have time to prep just do a small bit extra everytime you get a meal ready.

I could snack like you but I don't because I would gain weight.

I have a small pack of crisps mid morning and grapes or nuts early evening. Occasionally some chocolate as a treat.

I think binge eating disorder is different from what I know anyway. With binge eating disorder you cannot stop and eat all of that in one go. Which I didn’t. It was across the day. I also could have stopped. I just didn’t. I don’t think I have binge eating disorder. I just have the self control of a Labrador

My meals are good. Usually porridge for breakfast. A big salad with chicken or tuna for lunch and a home cooked healthy dinner with protein and veg.

That’s a really good tip never have a carb without a protein. Thanks for that I will definitely try that one

Seems to me not buying the kids snacks would be a good solution because it sets them up for a lifetime of unhealthy eating habits if junk food is part of their every day diet.

I mean I want a glass of wine every night but it doesn’t mean it’s healthy for me.

Apple, caramel rice cakes, coffee with cream! Sometimes sugar snap peas or carrots. I do count calories so always log the snacks.

Bannana and two table spoons of Greek yoghurt with mixed seeds.

I’m 10 weeks pregnant so my eating is really weird at the moment with all the food aversions, but normally:

• I try to eat at approximately the same time every day, so I would typically have three meals and a snack
• I eat similar things most days: cereal/porridge/fruit for breakfast, some kind of pasta-based veggie salad for lunch, simple things for a snack like toast/eggs/nuts, and a hot meal of some sort for supper
• When I eat, I try to have enough to make me full so I don’t have as much desire to snack between meals
• I don’t limit food so much as sugar because I find that’s what I crave and have a risk of binging on - so I try to keep added sugar to under 25g per day (not including fruit)
• I don’t make any food off limits - I think you should eat anything you want in moderation because food is for pleasure as well as sustenance/health

Eating like this means I stay at a healthy weight. There are a few other factors too like stress levels and sleep. If you’re really tired or stressed, it’s harder to keep your diet on a healthy track.