Tackling Snacking Habits

The Chinese New Year season’s over, folks, all 15 days of it. This reality should also encourage you to curb your snacking habits, which you have probably let loose over the past two weeks. But we all know that this is easier said than done, so the question that naturally follows is – how? Here in this article we briefly share a few tips. First and foremost, before you commit to a certain plan, you need to know why you are embarking on that plan. In other words, what is your goal? Wanting to curb your snacking habits could be a response to your resolution to lose weight, or a result of your determination to start treating your body more kindly. The underlying motivation could be anything under the sun and varies from person to person, but most importantly, you need to be clear of what yours is – remind yourself of it constantly so that you can police yourself, and will not fall into the trap of complacency. Once you’ve sorted out the above, move on to remind yourself to treat every snack like a meal. This is important in order to avoid the common ‘snack mindset’ that we adopt, i.e. ignoring standard eating practices (e.g. being conscious about the compositions of our food) because we think that snacks are one-off ‘anomalous’ occasions. This usually leads to overconsumption. Instead, when your next snacking urge occurs, tell yourself that if you have time to grab tidbits, you might as well set aside that time to have a proper, nutritious meal. Yes, treating every snack like a meal does not directly stop snacking habits, but this mindset is a baby step towards your goal. Another step you can take is to brush your teeth early at night. This prevents late night snacking – who wants to go to bed with unidentifiable clumps of consumables stuck in his/her molars?! Also, we’re sure we’re not the only ones who agree that the taste of mint in our mouths is an incentive to not snack – so that we can enjoy its refreshing sensation for as long as possible! In addition, don’t ever underestimate the importance of protein in your diet – besides providing energy, it fills up your stomach. Opt for high-protein meals in order to help you feel full for longer and hence reduce your snacking urges. If you are calorie-conscious, choose quinoa – besides having fewer calories than white rice in the same quantity, quinoa contains 2 times more protein than white rice and 4 times more Riboflavin (Vitamin b2) than brown rice. The list of tips to tackle snacking habits is never-ending – post some in the comments below should you have any others! Wishing all of us success in our endeavours to stop snacking! 🙂