I eat pretty well during the day. I start off with a lean, protein-packed breakfast, have some fruit before lunch, and am even able to stick to healthy, well-balanced afternoon meals. Then something happens: The kids come home and start snacking like crazy, and by 3 or 4 p.m., I'm snacking like crazy right along with them.
It's my biggest healthy eating pitfall.
So I decided to do some research—and a little experimenting with my own diet—to come up with smart, actionable strategies to help beat the 4 o'clock snacking overload.
These 5 snacking tips have helped keep me from over-snacking, and I'm hoping that they can do the same for you. Here's what I've come up with that really works:
1. Time snacks well.
2. Eat balanced snacks with protein, fiber, and vitamins.
3. Keep it tasty.
4. Always include fruits or vegetables.
5. Drink a full glass of water with every snack.
CME readers might recall that my thinking about how to snack better was an essential aspect of my 5 small diet changes that led to big changes in my energy and appetite. And since I'm still holding strong with those changes, which I originally initiated on behalf of our sponsor Activia Fruit Fusion, I'm excited to be working with them again to continue my healthy eating experiments.
Their commitment to making deliciously healthy snacks that fit a busy working parent's lifestyle is so important to those of you who, like me, might struggle to make the best food choices throughout a crazy day. So take a look and see what's working!
Snacking tip #1: Time snacks well
This is a biggie and there's no one-size-fits-all schedule for any of us, so I'll let you know what I do. I've noticed that my body really needs something protein-rich first thing in the morning—even when I don't want to eat. If I start the day like this, then instead of getting hungry at 11 a.m., I find I can go until about 1 p.m., which is a perfect time for me to eat lunch. If I've eaten a good breakfast and it turns out that I still need a snack before lunch, fruit usually does the job. Then, by around 3:30 or 4 p.m., right before I start cooking dinner, I'm hungry. So... snack time again. This is when I need to do right by myself, and that means pulling out my good snacks instead of munching on the tortilla chips or sugary granola bars that my growing boys can inhale without consequence. If I set myself up with one of the snack combos mentioned below in #2, I feel sated until dinner. So much so that I don't even need to sneak bites as I cook. Then, by 6:30 or 7, I have dinner and am done for the day. Or am I? If we're going to talk about the relationship between snacks and time of day, it's important for me to accept that my body craves another snack right around 9:30 or 10 p.m. You might be different, but that's the pattern I notice. So to be honest, I try to just use willpower to avoid any late-night snacking at that time; but if I can't resist, I do my best to keep it light. Because, bedtime. Air popped popcorn, fresh fruit, or a small all-fruit Popsicle usually does the trick for me.Snacking tip #2: Eat nutritionally balanced snacks
I know from the 5 small but important diet changes that I made recently, that protein makes me feel fuller longer and also gives me energy; but protein alone is not enough. Cheese, for example, is high in protein, but doesn't satisfy me for the long haul. While it can be a reasonable part of a healthy snack, I fare much better when I eat snacks that are more nutritionally balanced and include protein and fiber and vitamins. I honestly haven't found a single snack food that fits the bill alone, so I like to combine foods that come together into one nutritionally well-rounded snack. Plus, variety makes snack time feel much more exciting. Yogurt has always been a go-to for me, as my long-time readers know, because it's low-fat, protein-rich, and can still satisfy me with that creamy, sweet, decadent taste. That's certainly the case with Activia Fruit Fusion, which also gets in those probiotics that I've been aiming to consume, in order to maintain a healthy gut and curb some of those cravings for empty snack calories. In addition to yogurt, I pack my healthy snack arsenal with nut butter (used sparingly), fruit, small portions of cheese, lean sliced deli meat, hummus, hard boiled eggs, and veggies. Some of my favorite combinations that help keep me feeling good all afternoon include:- Activia Fruit Fusion + a graham cracker with peanut butter, banana slices, and cinnamon
- Activia Fruit Fusion (it comes in a ton of hard-to-resist flavors, so take your pick) dumped into a super quick smoothie. Thanks to the fruit on the bottom, I only need to add a splash of almond milk, then some banana, oats, and ice cubes. Protein powder is great, too, if you have it.
- Hummus + veggies + ham
- A cream cheese and cucumber tortilla roll-up + a hard boiled egg
- Toast with coconut butter, sliced fruit and honey + a small hunk of cheese
