Do you find yourself mindlessly snacking your way through the day?
Bondi Beauty and accredited practicing nutritionist and dietitian Kara Landau are here to help change your snacking habits.
“What’s important to remember is snacking in itself isn’t bad, but it’s all about the choices we make” says Kara Landau. This is where many people go wrong, they assume that the problem is snacking when really the problem is choosing healthy snack options for different times of the day. When people misunderstand snacking it can lead to weight gain, low energy levels and bad food choices that can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease and health issues.
“In today’s increasingly health-conscious world there is such a broad range of opinions about what to eat” says Landau, “it can be hard to decipher the facts and choose what is right for you and your body.”
To make things easier we’ve put together a few snack ideas to help you make the right choices.
Snacking on the go
Kara’s snack choice: A handful of pistachios (30g which is about 49 pistachios) paired with a piece of dark chocolate.
Why?
“Pistachios are a delicious and convenient snack with protein, fibre and antioxidants” says Landau. Their small size makes them easily portable and a great choice to nibble on as you’re heading out the door. Not only are they super convenient, research shows that opening pistachios encourages slower snacking and the shells also act as a “visual cue” of the amount of nuts you’ve eaten so you can keep track.
Snacking at work
Kara’s snack choice: Sliced up seasonal veggies with hommus
Why?
Research by Wonderful Pistachios revealed that 65% of Australian office workers start grazing as early as 10am, while those who work late (18%) are more likely to snack after 7pm. “Eating your meals at work in front of a computer screen in a rush without consciously enjoying your food” is one of the top 3 reasons for mindless snacking says Landau. Don’t be a part of the statistics, instead prepare this tasty snack at home and bring to work to avoid reaching for sugary and fatty foods such as chips or chocolate.
Snacking after a workout
Kara’s snack choice: Homemade egg muffins with a little bit of cheese
Why
“Protein is a critical part of our diet, we need it to build and repair cells, and make healthy muscles, organs, glands, and skin” says Landau. The repairing ability of protein is exactly why we need it after a workout. Protein doesn’t only repair however, it also helps us to feel fuller for longer. “Protein takes more energy for you to digest than refined carbohydrates, and also gives your body a feeling of satiety and that’s why eating more protein daily could help with weight loss” says Landau.
Snacking mid afternoon
Kara’s snack choice: A high fibre wrap filled with ricotta, cinnamon and stevia
Why
We all know the feeling of the afternoon slump, try these sneaky wraps to keep you going until your next meal. Fibre is an essential part to our diet, it regulates the digestive system, can lower risks for heart disease and diabetes and on top of all of this also helps us feel fuller for longer. “Having higher fibre and protein rich snacks that you enjoy to consume in between meals” is one of the things we should be looking for in snack foods to stop mindless eating says Landau.
Snacking at home
Kara’s snack choice: Apple slices topped with natural nut butter
Why?
When you’re home it’s easy to fill your time nibbling for a lack of better things to do, and boredom is amongst the top 3 reason Landau attributes to why we mindlessly snack. Nut butter is a great thing to have at home when snacking urges arise. Basically including any spreadable foodstuff made from nuts, nut butter naturally has all those good fats you’d get when eating nuts without the high sugar content found in jams. “Ensuring you have food and snack variety at home, at work or while you’re on the go and taking the time to enjoy and savour what you are eating” is the best way to stop mindless snacking says Landau.
“We all have the ability to turn around our eating habits for the better and it’s about taking control, educating yourself about what is nutritionally beneficial and making the best choices for you” Landau says.
What’s your go to snack?
By BB intern Dominique Tait
