How Snacks Help Achieve A Healthy Weight

JUST FOR TODAY:  Consider a few simple snacks to have on hand in case hunger hits in a hurry.

As you practice intuitive eating, you may notice that you feel hungry in between your main meals, so you enjoy a snack.  Or, you may prefer having several snack-sized meals throughout the day.  Snacks can help you achieve a healthy weight – if you are truly trusting your intuition about the type and amount of food that's right for you.  But what happens when hunger hits suddenly, and the only snack available is from a vending machine?  What if there are no snacks at all, and you get so hungry that you end up at the fast-food drive-thru?  Plan ahead for snack attacks by keeping a few simple snacks in your purse, desk drawer or car console.  Consider some of these snack ideas:  protein bar (there are many to choose from so try a few and find some you like), nuts and dried fruit (put a snack sized portion into a plastic baggie), crackers or fruit with peanut butter (some stores now carry peanut butter in individual packets).  All of these ideas have a balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat to fuel your body – which can help tame your hunger, prevent overeating, and facilitate your healthy weight.  

©2010 by "Dr. Dorie" McCubbrey, M.S.Ed., Ph.D. – Eating Disorder & Obesity Treatment Specialist – Denver, Colorado