Have you ever worked so hard on your diet only to then be overwhelmed by the urge to snack? This is such a common problem that so many people struggle with, so trust me you aren’t alone. Snacking used to be a problem with me also! But worry no more, in this post I will teach you easy tips to help you control your snacking! When we are done here you will have 3 easy tips that you can start using right now, let’s get started!

How to Make More Balanced Meals and Why You Should!

So, you’re struggling with snacking. Before we dive into tips to help us with this specific issue, let’s take a little step back and evaluate our actual meals. I want you to write down what you ate during your meals yesterday. It doesn’t have to be crazy specific but in general was your lunch grilled chicken, potatoes, and veggies, or did you reach for an energy bar with a large iced coffee?

A lot of times we can identify our need to snack by looking at our actual meals. If you are constantly hungry between meals, it is usually a good sign that you are not eating enough for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When you are building your meal you need to make sure it is balanced. Choose a lean protein, load it up with veggie, choose a smart carb, and don’t forget to add a fat.

I can already feel the tension with some of you as you are reading this. It is ok to have a plate full of food but if this idea completely freaks you out try to go by this. You can do a quick estimate for your portions by using your hand. Aim for 1–2 palm sized serving of your protein, a closed fist or two to measure out your vegetables, a cupped hand to fit your carbohydrates and a thumb (about 1 tbsp) amount of fat. These are not measurements you should adhere to to the tee. The amount of food that is appropriate for you is going to vary based on so many variables. The purpose is just to give you an idea.

Making sure we are eating balanced meals will actually help your snacking because after your meals you will feel content and because you are focused on eating nutritious foods you will be filled up longer!

Before Reaching for That Snack, Do This!

Our minds can play really mean tricks on us. One of these tricks is telling us we are hungry when really we are maybe thirsty or bored. Has this ever happened to you? I know it has definitely happened to me. Luckily there is a way to fight back! Whenever you feel the urge to have a snack I want you to first notice the feeling. Think about what is going on at that moment. Really stop and think about it. After you have done that I want you to wait 5 minutes. Don’t complain, it’s literally 5 minutes you can do this!

During those 5 minutes I want you to get a drink of water, do some kind of movement maybe like go for a quick walk, do a plank, do jumping jacks, play with your kids, I don’t care what it is just move. Once the 5 minutes is over see if you still want a snack, if you do then great go make a healthy choice, if not well great you weren’t really hungry!

I want to talk quickly about why this works. First it gives you time to decide if you are actually hungry or if maybe you were just bored. Secondly it gives you time to think through your decision. You will make better choices when you are intentional about them and taking those 5 minutes you are allowing yourself to be intentional about your decisions!

Putting Out Fruits and Veggies Can Help!

Here is one thing about snacking that some people overlook, eating snacks does not equal bad. If you’re a parent you are totally going to be able to relate to this. How often do you hear your kids ask you for a snack? If they are anything like mine, then it is literally all day long. An easy way I deal with this is in the morning I put out a bunch of fruit and veggies and leave them on a cutting board in the middle of the table. They walk by and grab some whenever they want something. Well guess what, this is a great strategy for the whole family!

If you follow me on Instagram you probably have seen my posts about this. I do this ALL THE TIME! Not only does it help with my own snacking, it helps my kids reach for good choices also, plus it is a great way to get rid of your produce at the end of the week. All around win!

Sometimes I add things like nuts, hummus, crackers, or cheese to the board and other times it is just fruits and vegetables. If you are struggling with snacking and find yourself reaching for options that aren’t helping you achieve your goals then this may be the answer you are looking for. When you have healthy options out and available you are more likely to choose them!

There you have it friends, 3 easy tips to help you control your snacking! These are tools I use almost every single day in my own life so I can tell you from experience this has helped me tremendously. Want to continue learning quick and easy tips to be successful? Well then you will for sure want to check out more of the resources here! Use the code Mealprep for a FREE month!