Snacking is one of the most common topics I get asked about on Instagram; Is snacking bad? How many snacks is ok? What are good snack options? .. the list goes on.
In addition to it being a popular topic, a lot of people also report that snacking is their “downfall”. “My main meals are fine, it’s just my snacks that let me down!” – is something I hear a lot.
If this sounds like you or you want answers to the above questions then keep reading, I hope you find this useful.
Let’s start with some common FAQs…
Is snacking bad?
In short, no. Snacking is not bad.
Having said that, generally, snacks are not the best way to be nourishing our body and making sure that it’s getting everything it needs. What I mean by that is, in a main meal there is ample opportunity to be including multiple different food sources and therefore many different essential nutrients. Snacks however, are commonly just one type of food, e.g. popcorn, and therefore contain a limited nutritional profile.
In an ideal world, try to be improving the quality of your snacks by basing them around a source of fruit or veg, e.g. sliced cucumber on rice cakes with hummus.
How many snacks is ok?
Unfortunately, there is no one number of snacks that is good nor bad. The answer, like most things in the world of nutrition is it depends.
First of all, it’s dependant on your preference. Some of you will prefer smaller meals and to eat more regularly throughout the day. Whereas others will prefer larger meals and therefore won’t require as many snacks in between.
An important point to make though, is that if you find yourself reliant on snacks to bridge the gap between meals, it may not be the snacks that are the issue, it’s likely to be your main meals. It could be that your main meals are not balanced or actually satisfying you resulting in you going looking for snacks not long afterwards.
If this sounds like it could be you, read this article on how to build a balanced meal.
If snacking is your downfall, here are some of my go-to tips;
- As above, make sure that your meals are balanced and actually filling you up. If you’re hungry an hour after eating a main meal, chances are this is not the case. As a general rule, include a source of lean protein, a minimum of 2 serves of veg and some starchy carbohydrates, e.g. potato, brown rice, quinoa or beans/lentils.
- Create a meal vs snack structure for yourself and aim to keep it similar each day, e.g. 3 main meals, 1 afternoon snack and 1 after dinner snack. If you want to take it a step further, set designated eating windows for yourself, e.g. breakfast between 8-9am, lunch between 12.30-1pm, afternoon snack between 3-4pm etc etc. Having a structure similar to this is what I recommend all of my clients do.
- Similar to the above, plan your snacks ahead of time. The less “on the spot thinking” you have to do, the better. This doesn’t have to be planned to an absolute tee, the idea is that when you walk into the kitchen to grab your snack, you know exactly what you’re going to get. Rather than opening the fridge/cupboard and staring aimlessly into the abyss.
- Be inclusive with your snacking, i.e. if TimTams are your absolute favourite thing in the world, don’t cut them out completely as soon as you try to improve your snacking or you want to lose fat. This doesn’t work and it’s not enjoyable, don’t do it. Instead, plan them in, e.g. at 3pm I will have 2 TimTams with a handful of mixed berries. Having them planned will reduce the guilt associated with having them as well as give you a better chance of managing your intake in a way you are proud of.
Here are some good snack options…
- Protein shake or protein smoothie
- Protein bar
- High protein yoghurt (YoPro is great) or greek yoghurt
- Fresh fruit
- Veggie sticks and either hummus or cottage cheese
- Rice cakes or wholegrain crackers with peanut butter, hummus or cottage cheese
- Tinned tuna on rice cakes with sliced cucumber
Where possible, add fruit or veg to your snacks to increase volume and nutritional quality.
You’ll notice I’ve avoided listing popular snack options like popcorn, cereal bars and nuts. Although there is no such thing as bad snack, I will always advise sticking to “real”, minimally processed foods and I tend to avoid things like nuts as they’re not the filling and also very high in calories.
