Think Your Snacking Habits Are Healthy?

Snacking. This is a hot topic in the WLS World. It’s become the Great American Pastime, having raced past baseball in popularity levels. Everyone does it. Most of the time, it’s okay. There’s usually nothing wrong with a handful of nuts there, or a cheese-topped cracker here. But when it takes over and becomes something more ... sinister, shall we say - well, it becomes something that we need to take control of IMMEDIATELY.

There are many ways that snacking can be healthy. An apple with peanut butter, for example, makes a great post-workout snack, replenishing electrolytes and vital sugars. Or some carrots with hummus dip at 3pm - keeping our hunger satiated until dinner time. So, then, when does it become UNhealthy ..?

Unhealthy Snacking

Snacking can quickly go from a nutritious pick-me-up to a problem very quickly. here are some ways that can happen:

1. Mindless Snacking. Sitting in front of the TV eating a bowl of cheese puffs, for example. You’re not actually thinking about what you’re eating, you’re just stuffing them into your mouth wondering which Game of Thrones character will be the next to die (because, at this point, it could be ANYONE). Another example of this is just grabbing the first thing you see off the shelf because it’s there.
   
2. Snacking When You’re Not Hungry. One misconception that a lot of people have is that the human body needs fuel every few hours. This is not true. Your body needs fuel when it tells you you need it. You’ll know. There’s usually an empty feeling in one’s tummy followed by a gurgling sound. If you’re feeling neither of these things, you’re not hungry and your body is not in need of fuel just then. I hear people all the time say, “I’m eating every two hours and I’m still not losing.” I wonder if they ever consider they’re not losing because they’re over-fueling their bodies?
   
3. Snacking On Unhealthy Foods. Please, please, please do NOT tell me those fruit-filled “fiber” cookies are healthy. Please. They’re not. Period. They’re junk food. They may be “high in fiber” and made with “whole grain” but they still have just as much fat, sugar, and calories as their cream-filled counterparts. Also culprits for pretending to be healthy: baked chips, sugar-free candy, fat-free ... well ANYTHING. Here’s the deal. If you’re going to snack, make it something that is as nutritionally sound as possible. Eat an apple or a banana with some cheese or peanut butter. Eat some celery with spreadable goat cheese. Eat something that is actual FOOD. NOT something that is filled with preservatives, sugar, sodium, and God-knows-what ...
   
4. Snacking All The Time. In other words, snacking instead of having a meal. We call this “grazing” and in the Bariatric community it’s a huge no-no. Why? Well, quite simply because when we graze, we’re basically “eating around” our surgeries. We’re able to eat more food over the course of the day when we do this, thus increasing our caloric intake to, possibly, more than we’re supposed to. This can lead to re-gain. So if you’ve noticed that scale creeping up a bit, check your eating habits. This could very well be the culprit.
   

Healthy Snacking

So, then, what IS healthy snacking in the WLS world? Here are some tips that can help you make better snacking choices.

1. MindFUL Snacking. Plan your snacks out ahead of time and have them pre-prepped and ready to go. Some really good ones for this - boiled eggs, boiled shrimp, cubed cheese, cooked meats like chicken or ground beef. Then, sit down at a table with your snack and eat it with utensils like you would an actual meal. Be mindful about every bite you’re eating. Take a bite. Taste your food. Be thoughtful about it. Be THANKFUL for it.
   
2. Not Hungry? Don’t Eat! It sounds like such a simple concept, and it’s one that so many of us (myself included) have issue with. So you think you’re supposed to eat every two hours. But you’re not hungry. Think for a second. Do you feel empty? Does it feel like your blood sugar is dropping? Are you listless or lacking in energy? If the answer to these questions is no, then you don’t have to eat. Don’t force yourself to eat when you’re not hungry. It’s never a good practice, especially for a recovering food addict.
   
3. Snack on Healthy, Less-Processed, High Protein Foods. There are so many good foods out there that are real food and not filled with junk. I’ve already talked about things like boiled eggs and meats. Other good choices are: nuts, string cheese (check the labels for sodium and sugar), jerky (again, watch the sodium if this is a concern), tuna/salmon packs, beans, etc. Any and all of these things are great choices. If you need something crunchy or sweet add in a piece of fruit or raw veggie that you like (try red bell pepper with hummus. Seriously yum ...). The point is, be sure that if you DO snack that you’re eating protein first and adding in fruits or veggies when needed.
   
4. Snack Only When You Need To. When you’re actually hungry. After you workout. If you feel your blood sugar dropping. THESE are all reasons to snack. Not because you’re bored, not because so-and-so on whatever forum told you you’re supposed to eat every 2 hours, and not because you see that piece of cake lying there and just can’t turn away from it.
   

Many doctors and nutritionists tell us not to snack at all. If this is your case, then by all means, PLEASE follow their directions and their orders. I’m not a doctor or nutritionist.

The information contained here is not to be considered as medical advice, but as personal opinion from someone that’s experienced weight issues, obesity, and weight loss surgery.