Do diet snack foods make you crave more snacks!??

[Littlelapwing]

I’m doing low cal, I don’t have loads to lose but I’m struggling.
Last time I did this after the first couple of weeks it was easy-ish. This time not so much....

One thing I’ve noticed is that I’m craving snacks constantly. And after thinking about it, one thing I’ve unconsciously done differently this time is to buy low-cal diet snacks (snack a jacks, fibre one bars etc). After I’ve had one, I just want to eat more and more, like when u get sugar craving. I’m not actually hungry, I just NEED to eat another snack!
After an apple or banana I don’t tend to feel like this. But now all I want is fibre one brownie bars!!

Am I making excuses for myself or do they actually make you feel like this?

No it's true they do. Less processed stuff is best, salads, soups, veggies or the lo carb things like boiled eggs.

Yup. I've had to cut them out completely. I stick with fruit and have no further cravings.

Think I’m going to have to too. Fruit only from now on!

I've been making my own banana bars and eating one of those.

I find this too, l just stick to fruit

Definitely. They contain sugar or sweeteners to satisfy sweet cravings, triggering the brains dopamine response. You then want more to recreate that high. Aiming for foods high in protein to make you feel full for longer to reduce snacking. The fitness chef on Facebook has lots of interesting information about calorie controlled diets if you are interested.

Pickles - gherkins, beetroot, mixed pickles from the jar (cauli, carrot, onions) destroy cravings IME.

@Acunningruse

Definitely. They contain sugar or sweeteners to satisfy sweet cravings, triggering the brains dopamine response. You then want more to recreate that high. Aiming for foods high in protein to make you feel full for longer to reduce snacking. The fitness chef on Facebook has lots of interesting information about calorie controlled diets if you are interested.

Thank you - I’d never heard of The Fitness Chef, love his ethos!!!! Thats exactly what I’m looking for!

I’ve lost weight over the last 6 months by eating more sensibly. A big part of that for me has been cutting snacks right back. I now don’t notice if I haven’t had any chocolate for a few days, and I don’t crave it. Whereas if I start having it a couple of nights I want it more.

It makes sense I suppose. Unhealthy snack food is made to be highly pleasing to your brain and addictive. For me it helps to keep that in mind.

They are simple v refined carbs so addictive. Only thing ‘diet’ about them is they are smaller!

Btw if you are really hungry a few (ie 5-6) almonds or other nuts with your fruit would make it more filling, & 40 calories is same as eg a satsuma

Just cut them out, they do nothing but add calories and spike your insulin. Have something small at the end of a meal if you need - a ff yoghurt, fruit, even a small bit of chocolate - then brush your teeth.

You are what you eat and if you have been eating processed food for a long time, you will have gut bacteria species that are favoured by that food. When that food isn't coming, they send signal to your brain and you get the cravings.
It is far more complicated than just the sugar, it is what is added to those chocolate bars in addition to sugar, the additives, chemicals, which cause not only an unnatural weight gain but also uncontrollable cravings.
The way to solve this is to change your gut bacteria towards healthy and beneficial species, not only by eating the right probiotics but then also by feeding those species.
Once you have changed the balance of gut bacterias, you won't feel so attracted to the unhealthy food.

There is a ton of science on the role of ultra processed food and weight gain and the yoyo effect.

Absolutely.
Fruit, veg, yogurt, quark, crackers, eggs, fermented veg. My most common snacks.
Oh and cheese🙈
I do make sure my snacks have lots of flavour in them to help with satisfaction.

When I tried the "diet" snacks I ended up famished!

Interesting. I've noticed that there's not much difference in calories between a skinny whip & a normal choc biscuit.

I love something biscuity with my tea-usually a fibre one popcorn bar or blue ribband choc biscuit.

Happy(ish) to downgrade to rich tea or something dull but would love to know if there's anything else that's considered a bit better? Off to look at the Facebook chef

On an unrelated note fibre one bars do not agree with my digestive system - gives me full on stomach cramps and diarrhoea!

I also find that choosing ‘whole’ food alternatives like some fruit or a boiled egg or tuna for a snack really fills me up compared to a processed diet snack like snack-a-jacks etc. I try not to snack in general though and add tons of vegetables to my meal so that it fills me up more.

No wonder when you read the ingredients of the finer one bars : Chicory Root Extract, Soy Protein Isolate, Erythritol, Puffed Durum Wheat, Rice Flour, Palm Kernel and Palm Oil, Corn Syrup, Whole Grain Oats, Whey Protein Concentrate, Vegetable Glycerin, Whole Grain Barley Flakes, Canola Oil, Cocoa, Rice Starch, Soluble Corn Fiber, Dutch Cocoa (processed with alkali), Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Maltodextrin, Salt, Sugar, Barley Malt Extract, Cellulose Gum, Baking Soda, Stevia Leaf Extract, Caramel Color, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Retain Freshness.

I find that proper protein bars (not graze, Alpen but grenade, misfits or homemade) do really fill me up and keep me full. Must be to do with high protein in comparison to sugar. In the evening if I need a snack I'll have porridge with dark choc chips and fruit mixed through- always very full after that!

@buckeejit totally agree, lots of snacks marketed as low calorie but lots 'normal' biscuits low in calories too: rich tea approx 30 calories, a Jaffa cake is less than 40 calories! Good luck stopping at one though...

Stopping at one would be an issue but a rich tea with a wee smear of peanut butter or chocolate spread might be something for me to try.

I like a pink & white wafer with a wee smear of peanut butter under the lid but they are so sweet it's clear they're not wholesome!

May look at some oaty recipes to just make my own treats for the cup of tea.

Personally I think all diet food is the work of the devil. It's amazing how the diet industry has grown through the period that obesity has become a crisis. Eat real food and be satisfied, then you won't need snacks.

Snacking at all is the main problem, if you eat real meals made from real food you don't need snacks. Most of us snack out of boredom, habit or comfort eating, not hunger.

Once you get out of the habit, you won't miss it.

@Toorapid

Personally I think all diet food is the work of the devil. It's amazing how the diet industry has grown through the period that obesity has become a crisis. Eat real food and be satisfied, then you won't need snacks.

Snacking at all is the main problem, if you eat real meals made from real food you don't need snacks. Most of us snack out of boredom, habit or comfort eating, not hunger.

Once you get out of the habit, you won't miss it.

Snacking on something small or fruit etc is absolutely fine and people who are normal weight snack. It's not snacking like that, it's grazing or snacking on masiave portions of stuff when it's an issue. I grew up with 2 snacks, I now returned to 2 snacks as part of my weightloss. Sometimes 1. Depends if I fancy it.

If you account for the snacks and have nice and proper snacks like full fat yogurt, piece of cheese, fruit, not "diet" crisps etc, it won't be an issue.

Snacks didn't cause obesity crisis. What people snack on and how often most likely partially did.

Just want to add that I absolutely agree about "diet food" being work if a devil.

@SchrodingersImmigrant yes you're right, most people who snack are eating numerous snacks throughout the day. I can be prone to grazing but when I stop, it doesn't take long before I don't want it and the weight, if I've gained any, comes off easily.

Yes, it doesn't work for everyone though. Some people can, some can't. We are all different 😁

I am always curious when do people on no snacks eat things like apples or oranges. 🙈 I couldn't survive without that

Most of those "diet food" snack bars are terrible, nutritionally really poor, a lot of them contain very little protein that hasn't been artificially generated by way of various powders or soya chunks etc, likewise fibre content. Many of them claim to have fruit in but it's often a lot of high fructose dried fruits, which do cause a spike & then a drop in blood sugars. Often they're low in fat, so are unsatisfying, & your body & taste buds crave more because of the lack of fat & the artificially generated sweet taste which isn't followed up by the promised sugar rush, so you want another. They're actually very clever, of course you want to keep eating them.

If you feel you need a snack, get a piece of fresh fruit & a small handful of nuts, cheese, or an egg if it's convenient. Serving size is usually about 6 almonds or walnut halves, or a piece of cheese the size of your thumb. Fibre, fat, carbs, protein. Portable & cheap.

Ideally, don't snack. Humans evolved not to need to snack, or even to need to eat at regular times every day. We evolved to be able to cope with occasional periods of hunger. We're not cattle, we don't need to graze.