Healthy Snacking

Snacking is probably the biggest issue when it comes to eating healthy. We snack for a variety of reasons: emotional, boredom, PMS, etc. It can be a difficult habit to break. The common misunderstanding is that all snacking is bad. A lot of young women think that the first step to dieting is to eat less and so they completely cut out snacking. Snacking is looked at negatively as simply "stuffing your face." But it doesn't have to be so detrimental. Snacking is actually part of our normal part of your metabolic function.

Your metabolism needs a jump start every day in order to encourage it to start burning calories. Hence the name "breakfast." You are literally breaking the fast from not eating all night. The earlier you eat this first meal, the sooner your body will start burning calories. Then, like the engine of a car, it needs fuel to keep it running. It is recommended that you eat every three hours in order to keep your metabolism going. Most foods will move through your entire digestive tract in four hours, so eating every three hours ensures that food is constantly moving through your body. Gaps in this cycle will actually make your body think that you are starving it, leading it to store calories rather than burn them.

Snacking is important to ensure that your body keeps burning calories. Many nutritionists will suggest six small meals a day. The premise is that eating often will decrease the chances of over eating at any one particular meal, another thing that causes diets to fail. The snacks will have many of the same food groups as meals: protein, vegetable, and fiber. The difference is in what is eaten. Eat granola instead of potato chips. Even pretzels are a healthier option since they are baked rather fried. Pack fruits and vegetables to snack on. I have found the 100 calorie packs to be extremely helpful when snacking. The controlled portions make it easier to snack without risking over eating. I also really enjoy the Quakes flavored rice cake chips as a substitute for chips. I tried the cheddar ones for the first time this weekend and they are addicting.

Healthy snacking can be a gradual change. Each week substitute another healthy snack. You will be amazed at how easy the transformation can be.