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BONUS!

3 Smart Strategies To Stop Cravings So You Can Lose Weight!

3 Ways To Snack Better & Up Your Snacking Game

September 20, 2016

Up your snack game with these three simple ways to snack better!

Half of what you eat everyday are snacks, and that’s great especially if you’re trying to lose weight. Snacking regulates appetite and energy levels making you less likely to overeat. But for many people, snacking is incidental or unplanned throughout the day, it’s easy to overlook a bite here or there and the extra calories that go with them.

Up your snack game with these three simple ways to snack better! Half of what you eat everyday are snacks, and that's great especially if you're trying to lose weight. Snacking regulates appetite and energy levels making you less likely to overeat. But for many people, snacking is incidental or unplanned throughout the day, it's easy to overlook a bite here or there and the extra calories that go with them.

In addition to being aware of the extra calories snacks may contribute to your diet, the nutrition in those snacks is even more important. It’s easy to fall for faux healthy snacks like packaged granola, cereals, trail mix, granola bars, dried fruits, yogurts and 100 calorie fat free packs.

While marketed healthy, many of these snacks are sugar bombs. Don’t get me wrong, there are good brands out there but you have to do your investigative work to find them. Keep an eye on nutrition labels for added ingredients.

Be more mindful of snacks you choose by selecting nutrient dense snacks that offer a mix of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats like fresh fruits, vegetables, hummus, plain yogurt, homemade granola bars and nuts and seeds.

3 Ways To Snack Better

Plan

Whether you’re trying to get healthy or lose weight, you need to plan ahead and schedule snacks like you schedule meals.  This way you know what you’ll eat, how much you’ll eat and when you’ll eat. This is especially helpful if you have a tendency to graze or overeat.

Why You Need To Plan Ahead To Lose Weight

A helpful tip –> Every morning get in the habit of inputting your meals and snacks into an app like My Fitness Pal or Lose It. This will give you a set meal plan for the day. It eliminates the last minute decision making involved with choosing a snack in the heat of a hangry moment.

Once you get in the habit of doing this, it will change your energy cues and you’ll notice a difference in your energy level. You won’t feel as hungry at your next meal and won’t feel the need to fill up until you’re stuffed. You will also be less drawn to binging and grazing.

Practice Portion Control

It’s easy to load up on snacks that are essentially meals, and many healthy snacks like nuts, seeds, nut butters, etc. have more calories. It’s just as easy to overeat on a healthy diet as it is on an unhealthy one which is why it is important to bring awareness to how much you’re eating.

Make yourself aware by portioning your snacks the same you would your meal using measuring cups, spoons and scales. At first, it may seem silly but it’s truly eye opening to see how much a single serving of something really is.

muffin-snacking

A helpful tip –> Use a muffin tin to portion food. One cavity can represent most single servings. It’s an effortless way to getting started with portion control.

Practicing portion control is practicing moderation. Think of it as a sport. You can’t play a sport well without practicing. The same goes with eating. You have to practice portioning food in order to get good at moderating yourself, and with a little practice, you’ll be able to eyeball a serving size in no time!

Focus On Quality

Nutritional quality is just important in snacking as in meals. As I mentioned above, many snacks are marketing healthy or low calories but fall short in nutritional value. Snack better by choosing the right snack and balancing the nutrition.

healthy snacks

Snacks should include a combination of protein, complex carbohydrates and health fats. If you’re craving an apple, include a healthy fat or protein like string cheese or almond butter. Craving chocolate? Add a dozen or less raw nuts or seeds to it. Doing this will stabilize your blood sugar and make you feel fuller longer.

A Final Thought

If you find yourself having a difficult time resisting sweet or salty foods, stop and check in with yourself before eating. Have you been sleeping enough? Are you stressed or anxious? Are you dehydrated? These impact snacking behavior. Ensuring you’re practicing wellness in all areas of your life. Those are ways to snack better too!

What are your tricks or ways to snack better?

[Tweet “Find Out How You Can Snack Better With 3 Tips! #nutrition #food”]

About Megan

Megan is a certified nutrition practitioner, author, freelance food photographer and fitness instructor living in Phoenix, Arizona. On her blog, Skinny Fitalicious she shares EASY, gluten free recipes for weight loss. Follow Megan on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates.

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  1. Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says

    September 20, 2016 at 8:02 am

    All great tips! I’ve definitely done the plan ahead or even the night before thing and it’s so helpful! I absolutely have to check in with myself all the time to find out if I’m tired, stressed, or bored? I also have to check in with myself to make sure I’m eating enough, I get really really really snacky if I’m under eating by not getting balanced nutrition!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      September 20, 2016 at 7:19 pm

      The under eating one is a good one. That is one I struggle with a lot. Too distracted by work!

      Reply
  2. Dani @ Dani California Cooks says

    September 20, 2016 at 11:38 am

    Every bag/backpack/purse I have probably has a bar or a trail mix packet stored in there for snack emergencies!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      September 20, 2016 at 7:20 pm

      You’re a smart lady!

      Reply
  3. Lauren says

    September 20, 2016 at 3:48 pm

    A big tick to the ‘Practice portion control’ tip.
    For that reason, I tend to snack on cans of sardines or mackerel as I have no control when it comes to nuts or fruit/nut mix. In my experience, a handful always ends up becoming an entire 500 gram bag… whoops! They are just so more-ish!
    Megan – GOOD LUCK with your surgery on Friday. I’ll be avidly following your road to recovery on this website. Stay strong. You have been my source of hope over the last four months as I have battled various health demons, including a condition that has left me unable to walk. But just know that I think you are inspiring and that your resilience and honest posts about life have helped me stay positive as I’ve had to adjust to a new kind of life.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      September 20, 2016 at 7:26 pm

      HAHA! You’re so right about the nuts. It’s easy to go overboard. I like your tip about the sardines. I’ll have to try that one! And THANK YOU! It brings me more happiness than you know hearing that my story is helping you.

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        September 20, 2016 at 9:43 pm

        Nuts, fruit and nut mix, and dried fruit are like candy to me! Addictive! I love nuts so much that I want my last meal on this planet to be a jumbo sized bag of salted and roasted cashews. 🙂
        And yes, your story is helping me BIG TIME!!! I wish I had HALF your courage and determination to get my life back. I’m hoping to draw inspiration from you in the exercise stakes, swimming particularly, due to the inability to walk. As much as I HATE swimming and am a terrible swimmer, I know I can’t remain bed ridden/a couch potato forever. Being completely inactive is bad for the weight (and I’ve gained stacks these last four months), but also for the mental health!!! So enough with the excuses and I’m now looking into ways to get to the pool in my current state. Baby steps hey?
        Hope the visit from the parentals is going well. 🙂

        Reply
  4. Courtney Bentley says

    September 20, 2016 at 5:32 pm

    Great tips! I love the muffin tin idea you can easily do that while meal prepping and portion out a weeks worth of snacks! xo C

    Courtney Bentley | http://www.courtneyvioletbentley.com

    Reply
    • Megan says

      September 20, 2016 at 7:27 pm

      There’s so many uses for muffins tins which is why I love them.

      Reply
  5. GiGi Eats says

    September 20, 2016 at 6:27 pm

    I am not a snacker, but if I am ever DYINGGGGGGG and straight up need something or else I will slam my head into a pole, hahaha, I will eat some nori, some pickles or drink a crap ton of ZEVIA!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      September 20, 2016 at 7:27 pm

      Pickles! Are you pregnant? Just kidding! That is quite the snacking spread G!

      Reply
  6. Evangeline says

    September 20, 2016 at 7:07 pm

    I love these tips! I am a big snacker, but I often see my snacking become unmindful, especially in the evening before bed. Ooops. I have inhaled a lot of chocolate and nut butter in my life 🙂

    Reply
    • Megan says

      September 20, 2016 at 7:28 pm

      That’s when it happens to me as well. For me, that means it’s time for bed but that doesn’t always happen.

      Reply
  7. Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says

    September 20, 2016 at 8:45 pm

    Great tips! I try to always have a healthy option on hand so I’m not as tempted to grab packaged stuff or go out.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      September 21, 2016 at 9:28 am

      Unfortunately, I always have snacks around with all the recipes I make it’s hard to avoid.

      Reply

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Megan is a nutrition practitioner, author of the Low Calorie Cookbook and podcast host of the Dish On Ditching Diets. Megan helps women over 35 lose weight after losing 80 pounds herself. Here you get low calorie recipes for weight loss that balance hormones. Learn more about my weight loss programs HERE!

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