Do you often catch yourself feeling tempted with certain foods around your house?
With many of us working from home more during this time in our lives, we must be able to maintain a healthy eating schedule to keep us energized and productive throughout the day.
Today we are going to share with you some of our tips to help avoid food temptations around the house and how to break bad snacking habits.
1. Only Keep Clean Snacks In The House
If you keep healthy, nutrient-dense snacks in the house, you will be more likely to reach for these foods. It is important to remember to try and make your snacks include two out of the three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat to increase the nutritional value of your snack and help to keep you satiated for longer. A great convenient option, full of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates is any flavor of our Rise Bars.
Other Great Snack Options Include:
- Raw nuts and seeds on top of Greek yogurt
- Protein smoothies
- Sliced veggies with hummus
- Roasted chickpeas
2. Create Designated Meal and Snack Times for Yourself
Oftentimes, if we limit ourselves to a snack when our body physically feels hungry, it can lead us to overeat at our next meal or snack.
Scheduling in your meals and snacks will help you to maintain your hunger levels throughout the day and minimize the chance of overeating.
3. Make sure you are staying hydrated!
When our bodies are dehydrated, we can mistake hunger for dehydration. In other words, you may feel tempted to reach for a snack that may be more processed which tends to be higher in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars simply due to not drinking enough water or not eating enough foods with high water content.
Keeping a reusable water bottle around you at home and sipping from it throughout the day can help you reach your daily water intake! Fruit and vegetables such as watermelon, strawberries, cucumbers, and lemons are high in water content and make great additions to slice in your water for more flavor and nutrients!
4. Get In Some Form of Exercise Every Day
If you feel yourself wanting to reach for a heavier meal or snack option at home, getting outside for a nice walk, or doing some yoga to refocus your energy can help stabilize your hunger.
5. Keep a Food Journal
Keeping a food journal can help you understand why you may be tempted to eat a certain food item. For instance, if you notice a pattern that every time you become stressed with work, you turn to eat your favorite ice-cream or sweet treat, try to re-focus your energy and instead use healthier coping options such as physical activity or meditation to relieve some of your stress.
Overall, choosing healthier food options is going to make you feel better and will be better for your health in the long run.
Remember that you can still allow yourselves to have some of your favorite foods and snacks that may not be so healthy sometimes, but just in moderation.
Author: Karli McCarthy
Cal Poly, SLO Nutrition Student
@kale_n_it_karli
